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By Ken Sheinkopf
McClatchy-Tribune News Service
Published on Saturday, Nov 01, 2008
Q: A neighbor came over yesterday and told me that the matting on a large picture in our living room was the wrong color for the picture and frame. After looking at it closely, I realized that the picture has faded terribly over the years. I then moved some cushions on the sofa in front of it and could see noticeable differences between colors that were covered by the pillows and those that were exposed.
Any ideas on how to stop this fading problem without keeping the drapes tightly closed?
A: This is a problem most homeowners will find if they look closely — and sometimes you don't have to look very closely at all — at the furniture, art objects and other home materials in front of large windows and sliding doors, on an uncovered patio, and even under skylights.
While fading of fabrics and photos and other objects can be annoying, you might also find weakened structural components and general deterioration of some materials like plastics. And as homeowners ask more and more for large window openings and skylights to enjoy the natural daylight and the great views, problems of sun pouring into the house increase, including glare, overheating and damage to various home materials.
Stop by an art gallery or do-it-yourself store in your neighborhood and you'll find a wide variety of nonglare glass and even museum-quality glass for use in artwork. While they can be pricey, it is difficult to put a value on precious family treasures like photos or artwork that will be well-protected by the high-quality glass.
You can do some other things to keep the sun from hitting furniture and home objects, ranging from specially coated glass in windows, insulated windows and a variety of operable window shades. To really do it right, you need to spend some money on high-quality glass, since even though conventional windows will absorb a great deal of the ultraviolet light reaching your home, the small amount that passes through can cause damage to textiles and other materials.
I've seen a variety of studies conducted over the years on different types of materials, with the typical result that materials vary widely in terms of how much the sun damages them and how much time it takes for problems to become visible. Factors affecting this include their fiber content, yarn, fabric construction, finish and dye methods.
Products exposed to strong sunlight can, over time, visibly warp, fade unevenly in color and suffer other kinds of problems. Sometimes there are no visible problems but the material's strength and abrasion resistance have been greatly weakened.
The best way to deal with this problem is to choose fabrics for your home based on their intended use. If we're talking about an object where appearance is important, make sure you choose fabrics that will hold their color. If you're buying furniture and durability is the prime need, then ask for materials that will stay strong and abrasion-resistant rather than just focusing on the colors. Finally, note that it's not just the sun itself that can cause damage to your artwork and fabrics, but also such factors as indoor humidity, fumes and all types of airborne contaminants that can get indoors.
Talk to the sales staff before buying products since making the right choices can be very difficult. A fabric that may hold its strength and versatility when placed in the sun may not do well at holding its color, while another material that doesn't fade in sunlight may have its abrasion resistance significantly weakened instead. Think about where the material will be used and what you want from it, and choose wisely.
Ken Sheinkopf is a communications specialist with the American Solar Energy Society (http://www.ases.org). Send your energy questions to askken@ases.org.
Q: A neighbor came over yesterday and told me that the matting on a large picture in our living room was the wrong color for the picture and frame. After looking at it closely, I realized that the picture has faded terribly over the years. I then moved some cushions on the sofa in front of it and could see noticeable differences between colors that were covered by the pillows and those that were exposed.
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