Summer sun protection for furniture

Summer is almost here and temperatures are climbing. While you are thinking about sunscreen for yourself, remember that furniture needs protection from the sun too. A few simple habits keep pieces looking good and make them last longer. Here is what to do for each type.

Sofas: use a throw or a bamboo mat

Leather and fabric sofas both need to stay out of direct sunlight. When you plan the living room, keep the sofa away from the balcony door and the windows if you can. On a fabric sofa, lay an absorbent sofa throw or a bamboo mat of the kind that will not scratch the fabric. It soaks up sweat, keeps moisture off the upholstery and cuts down on cleaning: if something spills, you wash the throw or the mat rather than the sofa.

Coffee tables: keep them out of direct sun

Place the coffee table where sunlight through the window does not fall directly on it. Prolonged sun turns white paint yellow, fades colored finishes, and oxidizes metal fittings until they become brittle. A glass coffee table has its own rules: keep it away from damp and from the stove, and away from acidic or alkaline cleaning products, which can etch and corrode it.

Solid wood: keep it out of the air-conditioner draft

Air conditioning cools the room but also dries the air. Most homes have the unit in the living or dining room, and there is often a solid wood piece right in the path of the airflow. Furniture that sits in a constant cold draft loses moisture from both the finish and the wood itself, and that is why so much solid wood furniture cracks for no obvious reason. Move it out of the direct airflow.