Category Archives: Tips

Soundproofing Quick Tip #1

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Here is a soundproofing quick tip dealing with acoustics.

When talking about acoustic soundproofing or acoustic treatment of a room you are looking to improve the quality of sound within the room itself. This is done by breaking up the sound waves and so there is less reflections/bouncing of sound which in return helps eliminates things like echo. Common types of materials that can do this are various foams, certain types of ceiling tiles, and even egg boxes. However just because you are able to put up foam or egg boxes doesn’t necessarily mean that noise from the outside will be blocked. This is a very common misconception that putting up acoustic related items will have the same effect as soundproofing materials.

If you are looking to help stop noise from within the room itself foam and egg boxes can help greatly. You may also want to look at removing various objects in the room that have just a flat surface as sound loves to bounce of these. But if you are looking to stop noise from the outside world coming in, lining your ceilings and walls with egg boxes won’t be able to do what you need. It may reduce it slightly but most likely it won’t be enough if soundproofing is what you’re looking to accomplish. A good sturdy set of curtains will help a lot more against a single-pane window than egg box city. You may also want to invest in soundproof drywall if sound coming in is a huge issue.

Types of Curtain Materials and Fabrics

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Here is a listing of various types of curtain materials and fabrics you may come across.

  • Acetate – In a sense pretty much like silk except its artificially made and doesn’t fade like silk does.
  • Acrylic – This is a lightweight and soft curtain material that is considered warm and strong.
  • Bamboo – Very soft and absorbent fabric. Since the fibers of bamboo are quite short the fibers normally go through a process involving chemicals which then it gets the name bamboo rayon. Recently in the last two years there has been a crack down on naming bamboo rayon as natural bamboo fabric as its misleading.
  • Calico – Cheap type of cotton that comes in solids or various prints.
  • Chenille – A quite thick and soft yarn commonly cotton that is manufactured by placing yarn between two more piece of yarn and then twisting it together.
  • Cotton – A common and popular curtain material that woven into many different forms. As a curtain material its soft and breathable.
  • Damask – Usually made from silk and has a very unique weave to it. Damask is also very durable.
  • Dupion – Silk with a textured surface but can also be artificial silk.
  • Grosgrain – Like silk but with a stiff ribbed surface.
  • Linen – Flax spun to make a very strong cloth.
  • Satin – Silk or synthetic cotton curtain material with a very smooth surface.
  • Silk – Material made naturally from silkworms which usually fades in sunlight.

 

We will keep adding to the listing as time goes on. If you notice any mistakes or suggestions to add one please lets us know in the comments below! 🙂

Sound Absorption and Soundproofing. What’s the difference?

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This quick tip is to help you out to determine what you are looking for. Note that in many places people use these two terms synonymously which can be confusing. If however when looking at a product it’s stated for one or the other the company usually knows what they are specifying.

Sound Absorption: With sound absorption you are looking to improve sound quality by removing noise that comes from within or close to the room. Sound likes to go everywhere you don’t want it to go especially while you want clear sound clarity.

Good example of this is while during a meeting you can hear people from the room next door or if while on a call there is complaints of hearing echos over the phone. Studio foam or acoustic panels are commonly used to help with sound absorption. Do note though they still can help while soundproofing a room but not as well as actual soundproofing material like drywall and foam.

 

Soundproofing: Usually meant for stopping noise coming in or out of an area. Here is where you wish to stop or reduce noise from traffic like roads or railways. At the same time something around you within your house maybe the cause of the noise like an HVAC system or type of loud machinery. Soundproofing with various materials can help block and isolate sound to make living within your home a lot more enjoyable.

There is soundproofing for pretty much everything like walls, doors, pipes, and windows. If looking to really invest in reducing noises coming from outside your house make sure to look at all various soundproofing methods to do everything you can to stop the noise.

Coated vs uncoated curtains and what to look for

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While looking at various types of curtains you may have noticed some say uncoated on them or coated with a number but not sure what exactly they mean by this.

 

Uncoated – Composed of polyester or cotton or even a combination of both can help provide a nice touch to the living room. These are usually very tightly woven fabric that does provide some benefits like heat insulation and some light absorption. However most of the time since the fabric is not thick enough or closely woven enough it is unable to block out all of direct sunlight. You will likely see a variable amount of  light coming in depending on the time of day(or night) and thickness of the curtain itself. Curtains of this type do not block out noise as well as coated curtains which is why looking for blackout curtains is usually a better bet as those are coated 90% of the time.

 

Coated – Similiar to an uncoated curtain with the same fabric types however coated has a pass or three of a liquefied rubber polymer. Coated curtains usually shoot for two main benefits, blackout and heat reduction. On a single pass of coated fabric you are looking at 50-60% blackout. After three passes though you get a wonderful 99-100% blackout which really means no light will be coming in, in any situation. You sometimes can notice this coating on curtains usually on the backside(or what faces the window) where the coating took place as it feels a bit different from the front.

 

When looking for a good set of curtains if you’re deciding between two selections and one states that it has been 3 pass coated vs the other then definitely go with that one. It will not only save you money but allow you to have a much more enjoyable sleep anytime you want to.

Curtain Rod Selection

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If you are looking what types of curtain rods to get a few tips here should help you out.

  1. If you are looking to get very thick and heavy curtains then you should shoot for a 1-inch diameter rod especially if you plan on scaling across a big window. A good example of such a rod is like this: 1-Inch Diameter Rod Set
  2. 3/4-inch diameter rods can still support a lot of heavier curtains but you may want to check out reviews before buying to make sure there are no complaints about bending with certain types of curtains.
  3. 1/2-inch diameter rods should be avoided at all costs as most will be flimsy, cheap, and something is going to give way when you’re putting up your nice set of curtains.
  4. Double Rod Sets are something you don’t see in every household but it can help put another barrier against sound as you now can put up two curtains. However usually one layer is usually sheer or a light curtain but if you don’t care for style you can do what ever you like.
  5. Umbra and Levolor are great brands for curtain rods and always have positive reviews. The various Umbra curtain rods we tested are of high quality and very solid.
  6. Watch out to make sure you don’t accidentally purchase a shower curtain rod.