Anything made of wood, fiber or leather is sensitive to U/V light, and even the low-levels that make their way into an average living room can be extremely damagine over time. Furniture doesn't have the ability to heal itself the way living skin does, so every little bit of U/V radiation adds up and eventually can cause fading and even cracking in the material.



The best known product that proctects against U/V is Scotchgard, although many people think of it as a harsh product and it's often relagated to automotive interiors. MasterSeal is probably the most popular for high-end furniture, but some of the better, commercial-grade products are now becoming available to consumers. Some of them are used by furniture retailers to back up their warranty programs.

The really great thing about many of these furniture protectants is that you don't have to use them on a regular basis. Some of them recommend twice a year at most while others you only have to use once. In fact, for people that don't want to go through the hassle of doing it themselves there are actually companies that will come to your home and spray the furniture professionally, then warranty the finish for sometimes up to 7 years.

When it comes down to it, most people could save a lot of money in the long-run by taking care of their furniture when it's young. Instead of spending money on a new couch ten years down the line they could be sitting on the same couch looking good-as-new and watching their new big screen TV.