Most of us know about blackout curtains that darken our bedroom so we can get a good night’s sleep. They are particularly useful for shift workers who need to sleep during the day, but can also help eliminate car headlights and street lights shining into your bedroom at night. That’s all fair and well for reducing light in the bedroom, but what about reducing noise?
What are noise reducing curtains?
Also known as soundproof curtains, these are thick, wide, lined or insulated, oversized curtains that help to cancel out noises from outside your home. Dogs barking for hours on end, and builders banging hammers, drilling and shouting to one another can drive anyone crazy, even if you aren’t trying to sleep. These curtains can also help to dampen noises within your home as well, which is perfect if you need to work in a home office or study during the day.
If you want a little extra peace and quiet in your home or a good night’s sleep, then noise reducing curtains might be your best solution. In fact, these soundproof curtains are becoming very popular due to the fact that they are also eco-friendly. The increased demand for green homes and the popularity of sustainable construction have acted as drivers for noise reduction curtains. The reason is because these thick, wide and insulated curtains also have high thermal regulation. This means that they help to keep your home cool in summer and warm in winter – reducing your energy bills accordingly.
Tips for selecting soundproof curtains
Usually when you buy curtains they are sized to fit your windows. With noise reducing curtains however, you want them to be much wider and longer than the windows. In fact, you can even have them reach from the ceiling to the floor and all along the wall for maximum effect. As far as the material for your curtains is concerned, opt for thick, insulated materials, something that’s heavy with good thermal regulation. The thicker the curtains, the better the noise reducing factor, so go for thick and insulated every time.
For these heavy curtains, you will want sturdy rods, but another tip here is to use wrap around rods to eliminate any gaps between the curtains and the walls. You could also use double rods or ceiling mount brackets that achieve the same effect.
The material for your noise reducing curtains needs to be thick, so consider suede or velvet with an inner liner, but you could also opt for curtains designed with an inner thermal layer. Another tip is to hang the same soundproof curtains on multiple windows in a room, as this gives the room a stylish consistency.
You can also hang sheer curtains against the windows so that you can let in light when needed, whilst retaining your privacy when the soundproof curtains are open. Also, if you match the colour of your noise reducing curtains to your wall colours, you can practically make the curtains disappear into the background. This is perfect for a minimalist look, whilst still using these heavy sound proof curtains to reduce noise in your home.
For help selecting noise reducing curtains for your home, call us on 03 5941 8070.