Tag Archives: Shades

Soundproofing with blinds or shades!

window blindsWhile most of the time we talk about curtains on this site there seems to be a lot of interest in blinds and shades and if they can help with sound issues. Lets dive into our options and take a look!

Curtains, The Best Option


Curtains will always be your best option in terms of blocking and reducing external sound. Curtains are usually thicker and have multiple layers compared to thin blinds which helps reduce noise a lot more. With blinds and shades there are slots between each one which will allow sound which you obviously don’t want! Remember from other various posts, when ever you can see light and space you basically have a hole in front of you that has a free pass into your entire house hold. However not all blinds and shades are the same and there are some that are thicker and thinner than others. We’ll go more over this later on.

 

Shades, The Best Alternative Option


Shades typically have much better protection against blinds as they cover most of the white space out so something at least is in the way even if they are thin. Costs can vary with shades so its hard to put a price figure on anything but go with the thought that the thicker and more extravagant they are going to be more expensive. When comparing prices to curtains the chances are the cost will be more for shades than curtains. Lets get to it though and look at some different types of shades!

The first being roller shades, which are going to be a common thing you run across in offices and various homes. These literally “roll” off a spindle at the top of the window and the fabric comes down. Now in some cases this fabric can be very very thick and soundproofing/sound reduction (exactly what we want!) however this is sadly rare due to cost and sizes available. If you’re a fan though of shades/blinds vs curtains these are likely going to be a favorite. They are simple and hassle free.

Another type of shade is roman shades which are a bit unique in the sense these “stack”. They are typically great at blocking out light (sound as well then of course) which makes them a good choice. Depending on the type of shades you get these can be very thick and even contain types of wood which will really block out sound! Though the downside is cost and weight though in some cases the benefits outweigh those. Various hardware stores can typically create custom setups for your house but be careful not to spend too much unless cost isn’t a factor but you could be looking at spending several hundreds just for one window setup.

The last type of fabric like shades we’ll be quickly looking at is cell shades. These are weird and different than most types of shades you see especially if you’ve never seen one before. Cell shades have a sort of honeycomb like weave that is typically between one cell to triple cells thick. While in a lot of cases they may seem thin the fact they are so thick with the honeycomb weave provides great benefits! Most important of course in our mind, noise reduction! The other benefits like blocking out light completely and insulating can really help keep heating and cooling costs down. I rarely see triple cell shades being used but when I do I think they look amazing even if they are quite thick and will likely take up an entire window sill. Definitely worth it in my book!

 

Blinds, The Okay Alternative Option


Blinds you’ve probably seen everywhere in your life especially in your very first apartment. Typically very very thin metal and will bend easily which brings in why they are so cheap and break easily. While an open window with no protection at all, metal blinds will help a decent amount with sound and light though in my mind its worth spending the little extra on curtains or a great set of shades. Now there are some not super cheap metal blinds that will help and some will be plastic or a mixture of various materials. You’ll want to look for blinds that close tight together and show very little of what’s behind them. Plastic will be the better option over metal if you want to help keep out sound as they are usually thicker. One special note is that the heaviest plastic blinds can actually be a bit too much for some people to open up so be careful on your selection. But if you never need to open that window or want light to come in from that window you’re in a perfect situation! Always want to look on that upside of things.

 

Overall thoughts


I’ll still prefer curtains over anything else as they look nicer and give a lot more variety of what you can put inside your house to make it look nice. Not to also mention the fact curtains block the sides of windows for noise and light and not all blinds and shades do this so lots of noise can just come in through there. Plus you’ll be more insulated with blackout curtains than your typical cheap blinds and that run up to the same price depending on where you buy them. Good luck on finding those perfect shades or blinds for your home!

Summer is here again so keep cool and enjoy it as much as you can!