With the summer comes more natural sunlight filtering into your home. While most people appreciate and enjoy this, it can come with a bit of responsibility when it comes to caring for your hardwood floors that are being exposed. Maintaining hardwood floors isn’t difficult, you just have to know what you’re doing.

Let’s discuss some precautionary actions you can take this summer to avoid sunlight damage to your hardwood floors! 

A/C Matter

Using your air conditioner regularly is the easiest way to keep temps down in your home while also removing any humidity from the air. This not only keeps your family comfortable but also protects your floors. 

In order to properly maintain the appearance of your floors, the humidity needs to stay between 40% and 60%. Failure to do this will allow for the floorboards to absorb water vapor in the air, cause the hardwood to expand, and allow for imperfections to appear.

Use Awnings

It may feel extreme to install awnings just to protect your floors, but it’s worth the commitment. UV rays can, literally, bake your hardwood floor, which causes notable fading. This not only makes the floor less attractive, but it also reduces its value.

Awnings are ideal for rooms that receive significant sunlight. Typically, southern-facing windows will get the most sunlight, so it’s ideal to place awnings on those if possible. These windows receive the most sunlight during the day since the sun is in that half of the sky.

In order to prevent sun damage to your hardwood floors, it’s not necessary to keep your blinds shut tight all the time. Awnings are a great alternative in the rooms that receive the most sunlight! 

Move Around Furniture

Some sun discoloration is inevitable over time. Because of this, it’s a good idea to move your furniture around every once in a while in order to prevent mismatched wood. This is a small act that can keep your floors looking great for longer, just be sure you use furniture protectors to prevent scratches. 

With the heat of summer kicking up, these tips should help keep your floors safe from sun damage. Don’t spend your summer worrying about the impact of the sun on your floors; go out and enjoy the weather!