A major problem that conservatory owners often face is that their furniture and flooring can quickly start to fade due to UV (ultra-violet). This is because conservatories are designed to get sun throughout the day; as a result objects inside the room are at an increased risk of having their colours faded.
This is something that we notice all the time; when a customer has moved their furniture out of their conservatory so that we can fit their blinds. We can often see where the different items of furniture were because the floor has faded around them; leaving distinct un-faded “furniture shapes” on the floor.
Why does the sun fade colours?
The fading of colour is because of the ultraviolet rays that make up part of the sun’s light. The UV rays break down the colours on a chemical level, with a bleaching-like effect. This is especially bad for dyed fabrics, like those found in leather sofas and some types of conservatory furniture.
Although at it’s worst during the summer months; this process continues all year round. As long as there is daylight, UV will be present fading your furniture.
Once the fading has happened it cannot be reversed, so it’s important to prevent it from happening in the first place – which is where made-to-measure conservatory blinds can make a real difference.
How do blinds help stop the fading?
Our exclusive Solar Design™ fabrics have been specifically designed to filter out the UV light from the sun while still letting in visible light, so your conservatory does not get too dark.
Roof blinds will normally make the biggest difference, although window blinds also contribute to UV transmission as well, particularly if your conservatory is quite tall or has full height glazing.
Depending on the fabric, UV transmission can be reduced to less than 1%.
Won’t the UV light fade the blinds? Solar Design™ and Duette® fabrics are literally designed for use in the sun with a “colour fastness” level of 6-7, which is the highest possible achievable rating. The rails are all made form powder coated aluminium so will not fade either. Even the plastic components have UV blockers in the polymers and are dye-injected so will not fade when exposed to sunlight.
This is just one example of how genuine conservatory blinds are quite different from domestic blinds.
