Hardwood Fading: Ways to Protect Your Floors from Summer

While hardwood flooring is undeniably beautiful, hardwood fading presents an ongoing challenge for homeowners. Most homeowners take great lengths to protect them through unique cleaning techniques and polishing.

How the Sun Leads to Fading Hardwood

Sunlight causes hardwood fading. If not properly taken care of, direct sunlight damages the wood over time. How is this possible?

Similar to how the sun burns your skin, the sun’s UV rays (UVA and UVB) are very hard on hardwood floors. In fact, UV rays affect both the actual wood plank and its finish. Additionally, the sun’s infrared heat induces fading and floor damage.

4 Ways to Protect Your Hardwood Floors from Fading

While hardwood fading rises during the summer months, homeowners can take steps to prevent this type of damage.

1. Upgrade Your Windows to Crack Down on Hardwood Fading

Upgrading your windows cracks down on hardwood fading. This major change to energy-efficient windows blocks more UV rays, keeping heat out of the home. A typical pane of glass only blocks ¼ of the sun’s UV rays. On the other hand, an upgraded window blocks up to 99% of them.

While homeowners don’t have to upgrade all of their windows, concentrating on those place in rooms with hardwood flooring is a huge help. Similarly, installing a cheaper, simpler solution like window film reduces harmful rays.

2. Monitor the Sunshine to Lessen Hardwood Fading

Monitoring a home’s sunshine also lessens hardwood fading. Basically, monitor the peak hours of sunshine where your floor is getting the most direct sunlight.

After doing so, simply close the blinds during those times. Also, many homeowners cover hardwood floors with rugs or carpets during the midday hours to shield them from direct sunlight.

3. Landscape Near Windows to Minimize Direct Sunlight

Landscaping near windows minimizes direct sunlight, thus cracking down on hardwood fading. For those who don’t want to constantly draw curtains or unfold rugs, this could be a great alternative.

By growing natural plant life outside the home (such as bushes), hardwood flooring experiences less direct sunlight. Plant trees, bushes, vines, and other forms of landscaping dull the light that comes in through your windows.

4. Rearrange Furniture to Block Light

Finally, rearranging furniture diminishes hardwood fading. By getting creative with feng shui elements, homeowners limit the areas where direct sunlight comes into contact with your hardwood.

Bookshelves, corner tables, and lamps alleviate burden placed on hardwood flooring. Plus, this strategy doesn’t cost anything extra!

Preventing Hardwood Fading in Your Home

By applying a series of every day solutions homeowners can drastically scale back hardwood fading. And for those also trying to lower their monthly electricity bill, new windows could just do the trick.

To install hardwood flooring in your home, contact the Chicagoland specialists at Scharm Floor Covering.