Yes, noise-blocking curtains really work. Soundproofing curtains have a significant impact on the noise. They cannot entirely stop sounds from entering your space, but they indeed absorb most of the sound waves. With the help of a noise-blocking curtain, you can expect up to 75% of the soundproofing effect.
However, adding other soundproof methods or applications on the curtains can give you a much more deadened effect.
- Soundproof curtains really work effectively for sound deadening but cannot be reliable as complete sound blockers.
- Practically, this means the curtains are best for lowering the echo sound in a room but inefficient in reducing the decibel level of sounds coming in the room.
- If you experience a lot of outside sounds, like road noise entering a room, then noise-blocking curtains will be an effective approach but not as helpful as a soundproof window.
- However, applying the curtains is a simple and efficient way to reduce the level of sound and make the problem less. It’s an ideal way to keep sound low and maintain an echo-free atmosphere in the room.
This article will guide you with valuable insight into noise-blocking curtains and their effectiveness in reducing sound levels. So, let’s dive in.
What makes soundproof curtains soundproof?
Soundproof curtains show their characteristics of soundproofing due to various reasons. These curtains have a porous surface, enabling them to absorb sound waves to make the room silent. A tightly woven, heavy curtain that runs from the wall ceiling to the floor with a thick layer of several inches of fabric on each side of the window, the curtain is truly effective with high-quality soundproofing results.
There are several more reasons why the soundproof curtains have such amazing properties for soundproofing, such as:
- Soundproof curtains are larger in size than normal curtains.
These curtains tend to be big, with a drop length that touches the floor and thick width covering the window with extra space. This makes them cover a vast area around the window, from where most sounds come in the house. This can make a significant difference by reducing a lot of sound from entering your premises.
According to research, a smaller window area that is left uncovered by 1% let through 50% of sound to enter the room. So, soundproof curtains save you here.
- Soundproof curtains are extremely thick and dense.
Similar to traditional quilting, the thicker and denser the material, the more of the sound wave energy it blocks to pass from it, reducing the volume of sound entering your room. The thick and dense layer provides an ultimate layer of coating, blocking most sound waves and making your room quieter.
- Soundproof curtains are porous, rough, and have deep pleating.
These characteristics of the soundproof curtains play a significant role in dampening the sound.
- Sounds are vibrational wave energy that travels through air, hits some object, and bounces off it.
- The flatter the surface sound hits, the more cohesive sound waves come back. This is why you get echoes in places where there’s no surface to deflect back the sound waves.
- However, soundproof curtains’ rough surface and deep pleats effectively break the sound waves, absorbing some of the vibrational energy and reflecting the remaining in all directions, reducing the sound volume entering your room significantly.
Do soundproof curtains block noise?
Yes, soundproof curtains block noise. It acts as a substantial barrier against sound that adds a significant amount of noise blocking between partitions. When layered with any other curtain material, soundproof curtains will not be as effective as you expect.
- For lessening the noisy sound waves coming from external factors, you need to find the best soundproofing curtains.
- This is because it helps to block out the certain volume of sound level, or at least dampen it better than the regular curtains.
- The pores stop the small wavelength sound waves from passing through
- Thick material and multiple fine layers absorb the sound
- They convert some amount of sound energy into heat energy
How much do soundproof curtains reduce noise?
The quality of the soundproof curtain, its properties like thickness, density, porosity, and price play a key role in deciding how much sound it can block altogether.
- Soundproof curtains reduce noise by 21 decibels to 25 decibels, which could reduce noise similar to that of a telephone dial tone.
- Several independent lab tests have shown that they blocked for about 60%-80% of exterior sound to give valuable insight on how much sound these soundproof curtains block.
- These curtains create a good effect on the sound waves, as you can expect up to 75% of the noise-blocking effect from these curtains.
- The curtain absorbs a lot of sound waves but cannot stop them from coming in entirely.
Will thick curtains block sound?
Yes, thick curtains block sound, but not entirely. Sound-absorbing curtains can block out a certain amount of sound but are unable to block all of them. This is why these curtains are made much heavier and thicker than standard curtains to increase their effectiveness in blocking more sound.
The thick curtains are mostly porous with high density, enabling them to reduce sound efficiently. The thicker the curtains, the more its porosity, the better will be its ability to trap or block sound waves.
Do room darkening curtains block noise?
Yes, room-darkening curtains make block noise to some extent. However, room darkening curtains may not be as effective in blocking sound as the soundproof curtains.
- You may find it confusing at times because room darkening curtains are often referred to as soundproof curtains.
- With the room darkening curtains, the exterior sound will still muffle around the room as it may be inefficient to wipe off every possible sound wave that comes across your window, which can still be heard.
- Even if these curtains are not considered 100% soundproof, some brands claim their room darkening curtains to be effective in reducing up to 7 decibels of sound.
Do black-out curtains block noise?
Yes, blackout curtains make block noise, but they are not suitable to do it alone. These curtains are made with simple and thick fabric with an effective liner on the back to absorb sound waves and echoes as much as possible.
- The dark coloring effect of the blackout curtain and the thick material used in its manufacturing are the two most effective factors that make it considerably an average option for blocking sound.
- You may find several soundproof curtains being advertised as blackout curtains. Soundproof curtains usually act as the blackout curtain due to their massive structure and thickness, performing effective sound-absorbing functions.
- This way, you enjoy both the sound-insulating as well as the room darkening property from your curtain.
Do velvet curtains reduce noise?
Yes, velvet curtains do reduce noise. Any heavy curtain made of a material like velvet is mainly used to absorb sound waves.
- Most experts agree that velvet is the best choice when it comes to curtains with sound-absorbing fabrics. Velvet is a porous and heavy fabric consisting of textured surfaces, enabling them to absorb a vast amount of sound waves significantly.
- When in need of a soundproofing element fabric, velvet curtains are the right choice. The reason behind it is because the velvet in the curtains has several thick layers.
- The more layers of velvet fabric, the more sound will be reduced or kept on the other side of the curtain.
Below is a table representing the various types of curtains, their soundproofing qualities, and their STC level of rating.
For PVC curtains other commercially available curtains:
| Type of Curtain | Soundproofing Qualities | STC Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Quite curtains fire-rated lining | Multiple layers of fabric coating | 17 |
| NOISETOWN dual-layered drapery | Blackout curtain with three-layered coating | 13 |
| PVC coated polyester fabric | Thick and highly dense PVC-coated fabric insulation | 21 |
| Quite curtains great lakes textile vinyl sheet | Vinyl lamination for string resistance from sound | 20 |
| 100 % pure PVC sheet | Optimal layer coating with great thickness | 21 |
For acoustic quiet curtains:
Note: Here we measure sound with NRC rating, which is the measurement of how well the material can make the room quieter. NRC rating of 0.90 is best, 0.80 is better, and 0.70 is good. NRC rating less than 0.70 is not effective in soundproofing.
| Type of curtain (material) | Soundproofing qualities | NRC Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Crescent Velour | Highly porous Great thickness | 0.85-1.00 |
| Vara Velvet | Heavy, thick and dense | 0.75-0.90 |
| Visa Velvet | Mostly thick with pores | 0.55-0.70 |
| Solitaire | Blockout fabric | 0.40-0.65 |
| Nova Suede | Exceptional strength and resistance | 0.50-0.65 |
Conclusion
A plethora of options are available in curtains for soundproofing. Being easy to install, they may serve as a cost effective way to soundproof your room or your house.
Happy soundproofing!
