Often, people who live on busy streets or other noisy environments are tired when they wake up in the morning because they do not sleep well. City residents toss and turn from the racket of vehicles and loud pedestrians, while country folks can have sleepless nights due to barking dogs and other critters. If you live in a noisy setting, here is how you can sleep better with noise reducing curtains.
Misconception
Most people do not understand what is meant by “soundproof curtains.” This type of curtain does not cancel noise. Instead, soundproof curtains simply absorbs noise rather than cancels it. This means they do not get rid of noise waves, but they remove some of the energy that is created from noise waves by absorbing it into their fabric.
Soundproof curtains are constructed of soundproof materials. They can be hung adjacent to windows or vertically along your walls. These curtains can also be set as panels that surround noisy items.
Materials of Soundproof Curtains
This type of curtain is constructed of thicker fabrics such as wool, velvet, twill, cotton and faux suede to ensure that your window treatment is both attractive and heavy enough to block out noise. There are some soundproof curtains that include a liner made of mass-loaded vinyl so that room acoustics are enhanced.
Thermal Blackout Curtains
Thermal blackout curtains were once only for blocking out light so people could sleep well by not being awakened by morning sunlight. However, today they are also considered as an outstanding choice for also blocking out sound.
In fact, thermal blackout curtains can reduce sound level by up to 40 percent. This is because they are constructed of thick material and are exceptionally dense.
Heavy Velvet Curtains
Heavy velvet curtains do an exceptional job of both blocking out light and sound. Besides using them in your bedroom to get a good night’s sleep, they are also ideal for living rooms. What’s more, they can enhance sound quality and are used in TV rooms, home theaters and other media rooms.
If you want a more elegant, formal style, choose a soft plush curtain. This is a velvet curtain that has a longer pile than normal, giving it a more natural-looking luster, as well as a richer and more polished color.
Considerations and Warnings
- Determine the location where most of the noise is coming into your room. In other words, which window or wall is letting in the most amount of noise? This is spot that you will need to install your soundproof curtains.
- When shopping for soundproof curtains, bring a large flashlight with you to determine if light can be seen through a fabric. You do not want to choose fabrics that are too light or sheer that in which light can shine through them as they will not be able to absorb noise.
- Hold the curtains in your hand or feel them. Consider that soundproof curtains need to have a thickness of at least 2 to 3 inches and should have a weight of at least 15 to 20 pounds.
- Be sure your drapery curtain rods and hardware are able to support your soundproof curtains as they need to be stronger than regular curtain rods.
- If you have a home theater, line both your front and back walls with thick velvet curtains, in addition to your side walls. This can greatly improve the sound reflection as it prevents having a back echo.
It can be challenging to find soundproof curtains in regular stores. Fortunately window repair and installation stores have a wide selection of window covering that can block out noise. You do not have to settle for sleepless night because you live in a noisy neighborhood.
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