According to Projection Hub, it’s estimated that a new business spends about $21,000 on office furniture. Unfortunately, it’s estimated that the average life of this office furniture is only about 7.3 years, and the salvage value of such is less than 15 percent of its original cost. While everything has a shelf life, this isn’t exactly the best return on investment (ROI).
Furniture and décor may require replacement for a variety of reasons. There’s normal wear and tear from regular usage that takes its toll over time. Perhaps it was damaged when being moved or relocated for an event? However, one of the most common reasons why furniture requires replacement is due to poor aesthetics — and these poor aesthetics are usually due to color fading. How do you minimize fabric fading? Let's take a closer look:
Why Does Fabric Fade?
Though there are other factors that lead to fading, the biggest culprit behind it is the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays. But keep in mind that furniture aren’t the only pieces in your office that are subject to fading. Finishes, flooring, artwork and even photos can also fade over time if they’re exposed to UV rays. Yes, just like your skin, many of the materials used to decorate an office are sensitive to the sun too. The good news is that there’s an easy, convenient way to better protect these investments — and it doesn’t involve regular applications of sunscreen!
In addition to UV rays, heat and visible light can also cause fading, and should be properly managed.
How to Stop UV Rays from Damaging Office Items
The more barriers that you can put between UV rays and your office items, the better. Glass window panes help, and the thicker the better. In fact, dual pane glass about doubles the protection against UV rays compared to single-pane glass. But if you really want to take the steps to safeguard your office furniture and décor, while not restricting the amount of natural light that you’re allowing in, window films are the best solution.
High-quality solar films block up to 99 percent of all UV rays, and also help safeguard an office from solar heat, two of the biggest factors associated with fading. What’s more is that window films are affordable, easy to install and unnoticeable if they’re installed properly. They're an ideal preventative solution to manage fading.
Think you don't need window films because your decor isn't exposed to direct sunlight? Think again, as UV rays can bounce off of things like trees and neighboring buildings to enter your office and cause your furniture to fade. It's similar to how UV rays can bounce off the water at the beach or in the pool.
Window films are a great addition to any office that wants to get more of a return on investment from its fabrics, furniture and accessories. With window films, even if you decide that it’s time to redecorate after 8 years or so, your furniture and office items that you part with will be worth much more than the typical 14 percent resale value.
So does window film stop fabric fading? While it may not be the be-all, end-all solution to all the causes of fading, it can protect it from UV rays.
Reach out to our experienced window film experts and they can better explain how window solutions can lengthen the life of your office furniture, while keeping your employees comfortable.