Tag Archives: Tips

Double Soundproofing curtains really does help! Here’s how!

You’ve put up some soundproofing curtains and yet its still too noisy in the area at night especially and think there’s nothing more once can do besides putting up ugly blocks of soundproof padding? Well guess again! You can put up dual curtains rod setups to help out! As stated lightly before hand on the site this can be a big helper against sounds / noise you don’t want coming into your house.

The basic setup

Something like the following will get you started towards this awesome setup.

Double curtain rod set
Double Curtain Rod SetDouble curtain rod set

Once you put this up then you can get those soundproof curtains in place. With the double curtain rod setup you can do a few options. If super noisy and you don’t care about seeing light come in or rarely look outside then definitely go with two very heavy soundproofing curtain setups, remember if unsure look for blackout curtains as they will typically help out most with blocking sound. If however you wish to let light in a bit at times or see outside when it may not be as noisy outside then get a nice heavy curtain and a lighter one. Avoid sheer as this won’t help block noise at all but with a lighter non-blackout curtain you’ll still be stopping some noise but definitely not as much. Does allow also to let some light and possibly look outside even if just a little.

Curtain placement

The best option on how to place your soundproofing curtains is mainly determined on who the heavier curtain or blackout curtain is. If both are of similar type then your choice and decision on which setup does the best job. However if one of the curtains focuses on soundproofing while the other doesn’t then put the soundproofing curtain closest to the window/door. This way more of the noise is blocked before it can continue through to the rest of the room. Another reason to do this is when you have the curtains open the soundproofing curtain is still along the sides where the most sound comes through and helps stop that.

If you’re still looking for a good light soundproofing curtain to put along side your more heavier curtain, highly recommend Best Home Fashion’s curtains:

soundproofing curtains

Good luck on setting up your awesome curtains!

Methods of silencing sound in every day life

Sound is a constant in every day living. No matter where you go or where you stay, there is always sound. Some sound may be welcome, but more often than not there is always some kind of unwelcome noise in your dwelling. The good news is there are many different ways to soundproof your space which can drastically reduce all sorts of noises and sounds.

The first thing you need to do is make sure the area you wish to soundproof is not empty. Sound travels through vibrations, and an empty room means that sound is going to vibrate on every empty space (and eventually in to your ear.). Fill your space with furnishings, and welcome soft materials that will absorb the vibrations. Accent Pillows, blankets, even bean bag chairs and stuffed animals are all great options for absorbing vibrations. There is never too much of these as long as you don’t feel cluttered. Each item reduces more and more of unwanted noises bouncing from object to object. Carpets are also a great noise reducer, especially in situations where you live above someone else. Larger and thicker carpets are the best choice, but these can often be more expensive. If you don’t mind the idea of it, try to find one in a second-hand store. Your walls are the next focus of attention. Bookshelves or cabinets with books or knick knacks, posters, and even fabric art are great ways of reducing the amount of vibrations bouncing to and fro. Just remember to put these items firmly in place, as loose objects on a wall can cause more noise.

Last but not least, remember to seal as many edges to your living space as you can. If the noise you want to stop is coming from a window, draft door blockers on the edges of your windows, combined with thick curtains can reduce vibrations from even entering. The same draft door blockers are great for their original purpose as well, under your door and blocking out excess noise. If cancelling the noise does not work for you, finding an alternative, more welcomed noise can also be an option. It is a good idea to keep anything that can create white noise in mind, as this is a consistent frequency and vibration that can absorb and cancel out other noises. With all these options in mind, I believe anyone can soundproof their home with the right combination. If all else fails, however, there is the foolproof option of noise cancelling headphones. These are guaranteed to work, as long as you don’t mind them over your ears.

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!

Thermalogic

What kind of curtains help to keep a room cool?

With the insanely hot summer here you’re wondering to yourself, “what kind of curtains help to keep a room cool?” Well lets take a look deeper into the real problem of summer as there’s two main schools of thought of whats causing the warmth.

Sunlight and Outside Air.

Lets dive a bit into the problems with Sunlight. During the day for sure sunlight is going to be your main cause of warmth unless you have the windows completely open. Immediately you maybe thinking well if I just buy really dark curtains then it will be much cooler. Yes and No unfortunately. As you see black curtains will just absorb the sunlight and then get warm themselves to the point that you now have hanging heaters near your windows. It’ll reduce heat a bit since the sunlight won’t be able to actually fill up the room but it will still keep things pretty decently warm. Time to move to the upgraded version of curtains, white backed/thermal insulated curtains. These curtains have a special backing to them that faces the outdoors that reflects the sunlight and heat far greater than any other type of curtain. There will be a considerable feeling of difference between these and normal curtains because all the heat from the sun just goes right back out the window. The good thing is these types of curtains aren’t that much more expensive than the normal curtains, you just got to look out for them. Curtains in general also help keep a barrier between the rest of the room and the windows so it does help even with the smallest and thinnest of curtains. But we always recommend going for thermal insulated/white backed curtains for all seasons. Plus for winter they help keep heat in when you want it. 🙂

Another thing to consider along side your curtains is just typical blinds. Usually a type of plastic of sorts these will help even more considerably because they are usually closer to the windows than what a curtain can do. Thus having both curtains and blinds will be a live saver in terms of keeping out the heat especially when you live in the southern states where the summers are brutal.

Outside air can be an issue but its not as big of an issue as sunlight. Any curtains unless they are just pure thin silk will help alleviate warm air from coming in past the window. The thicker the curtain though the more protection you’re going to have. If you don’t get much sunlight but get really warm still. What to do really is not worry about curtains so much as making sure your windows are sealed tight. Feel around the edges of windows and if there’s any sort of air movement get out the calking gun or make sure to push down tight on your windows. Make sure that things completely close as even just a small amount of air flow can make a huge difference. Not to mention an increase in air conditioning costs!! If your windows are really worn down it may be a good idea to get replacements. It maybe a bit costly up front but it’ll save you so much money in the next few years especially if you have long summers. Newer windows in this day and age are wonderful in that technologically they are more weather proof, soundproof, and insulated to keep your summers cooler and your winters warmer.

Thermalogic Ultimate Curtain LinerWhat to avoid: Silk! Silk curtains really won’t do you much good if they are super thin. They will help a bit if you’ve opened the windows and want to keep a bit of sunlight out just to air out the house. But they won’t do anything for you on those super hot days because the sunlight will still find a way right through them.

Other options: Thermal additions like a curtain liner is another good alternative. These go behind your curtains to help insulate without having to replace your current curtain sets. Maybe you have that absolutely lovely set of curtains that work all year round and look great inside but during the summers they really don’t help out. Well you’re in luck because companies like Thermalogic make curtain liners to help out.

You can purchase some of these here: Thermalogic Ultimate Window Liner for less than a typical curtain panel, especially compared to an expensive blackout set.

Thank you all for reading and I hope you all have a fun and cool summer!

To wash or not to wash curtains!

Washing: Your curtains got dirty from just dust or perhaps someone spilled something on them. Now if they are your favorite, be on the safe side and get them dry cleaned. Often times even if a curtain says machine washable, they really aren’t. Or if they are, make sure they don’t go through the normal cycle. The delicate cycle will always be your best bet even if they are extra dirty. Not 100% sure why a lot of curtains say machine washable just to turn out not to be. You can tell after a washing if the colors have faded or you have small pieces of fabric missing. Very little damage will likely occur if it does but its still best to be careful. Some curtains will however rip and destroy themselves but those almost 99% of the time will say Dry Clean Only.

 

Drying: Then the dryer after cleaning. Make sure to always use just non-heated air especially if you have a thermal backing on the curtains. Soundproof curtains have such a backing and if you put these in the dryer they will likely melt and you’ll have ruined curtains afterwards. After all these backings are usually a type of plastic that melts really quickly. Plus with little room in the dryer there’s a good chance the curtain won’t move around enough to evenly distribute the heat. Instead you’ll have one part heat up a lot more than the others. If something starts to smell, turn off the dryer immediately!

 

After Cleaning: You may notice that after cleaning your curtains that they do not smell like the fabric softener or even the washing liquid you used. Sadly you can’t prepare for this happening besides unless you just do dry cleaning. The best option in this case is just let them hang and wait as the smell will go away. Otherwise a few squirts of febreze will help out greatly!

 

Keep those curtains clean and smelling fresh!