Do Soundproof Curtains Work? Choosing a high quality soundproofing curtain. Tips on getting the best from your sound deadening curtains.
You just moved into a new apartment in a beautiful city located near all the action, coffee shops, bars, and small convenience stores. The only thing that you did not account for was the road noise that comes from people talking and having fun, cars driving pass at speeds and school kids talking loudly on the street. Now you wonder if soundproof curtains can help to deaden the sound coming from the street?
You want a bit of soundproofing in the rooms facing the road really fast, to make it quieter, to give yourself a little peace of mind, a bit of sanity. Then you thought of an idea, the quickest solution that came to mind was to use soundproof curtains, but do they really work?
Soundproof curtains are the most inexpensive solution in terms of monetary cost and time cost to dampen the sound in a room. Soundproof curtains tend to be extra thick and well insulated to reduce sound transfer within a room. They are cheap to buy and very easy to hang. But is it job done?
The most important question is, do soundproof curtains work?
I have used it before and in my experience, soundproof curtains are very effective for deadening sound but it will not create a soundproof haven of total silence where sound cannot get in or out of the space. The main purpose of soundproof curtains is to absorb sound and improve acoustic qualities in a room.
Soundproof curtains will reduce sound coming in the room by a few decibels. It will not do more than that. True soundproofing comes by sealing all air gaps to prevent sound from entering or leaving the room. Sound deadening curtains are very good at reducing echoes in a room or personal space.
If you want to prove this, try taking down all the sound dampening curtains and play your favourite songs and listen to how annoying that sound is. Alternatively, make a phone call in the bathroom with your phone on loudspeaker. Your friend or the other person on the line will soon start to complain about the echoes.
Now try making that call in the carpeted bedroom, with the drapes on the windows and you will get fewer complaints about poor quality sound. The simple answer is that soundproof curtains really works but only to dampen sound and not really to soundproof the space to get rid of all sound entering or leaving the room.
Choosing a High Quality Soundproof Curtain
If reducing the noise level from outside by a few decibels and prevent your neighbours from hearing our phone conversation then a good quality soundproofing curtain may help. It is important that you choose a good quality soundproofing curtain and not just a thick curtain.
A good soundproof curtain must cover the window entirely to prevent as much sound as possible from passing through the window, it should be tightly woven, go from floor to ceiling and extend several inches past the window. The curtain must still have pleats in it in order to better diffuse sound in the room.
If you want to go down the route of using soundproofing curtains then I would recommend the Nicetown soundproof curtains, it is at a very good price and with over 4500 five star reviews on Amazon. The Best Home Fashion Thermal Insulated Blackout Curtains and the flamingo P 100% Blackout Curtains for Bedroom, Thermal Insulated Lined Curtains are also good options with good reviews.
Getting the best sound reduction effect when using your curtains
In order to get the best effect and look buy four panels instead of the regular two. Four panels will ensure that you fit the curtains more snugly together. The more density between the room and the window will increase the sound deadening effect. Plus you will have more leverage to adequately cover the corners of the windows for the best sound reduction effect.
Get the curtains that extends from the floor to the ceiling. The curtains tend to measure 84 inches or 96 inches, get the one that will adequately reach from the floor to the ceiling. If it is too tall then you may have to adjust it but it is important that you get the one from ceiling to floor, it just looks better and is more effective.
When the curtains are being fitted fit the brackets are close to the ceiling as possible for that look. If your wall does not have to support then you can fit the ceiling mount curtain brackets. You can choose the one that most effectively block the sound from entering or leaving the room. You want to keep your nosy neighbours from listening to your conversations.
Things to look out for when buying your noise cancelling curtains
There are a number of important things to look out for when buying your noise cancelling curtains: window measurements, materials, ease installations, Weight
Window measurement
Ensure that you measure your window perfectly. Remember that you want curtains that extend from the floor to the ceiling. The width must also extend beyond the corners of the windows for the true noise reduction effect. If two panels it not enough then four may do the trick.
Materials
The curtain must be tightly woven to prevent as much sound as possible from passing through it. The curtain will also have a thermal layer to prevent sen rays from passing through, ensuring that you can close the curtain and sleep during the day without excessive light in you eyes. These curtains are made of different materials and normally have a thermal layer making them perfect in the winter months to keep in as much heat as possible.
Weight
The soundproof curtains tend to be heavy. As a result make sure that the curtain rods can handle the excessive weight. You can use a roof rods in the normal curtain rods is not strong enough. Using ceiling mounted brackets to hang your curtain may be good to carry the extra weight and still put the curtains close to the ceiling.
Ease of installation/ care
These are in general easy to install however, the installation of the roof brackets may be a bit difficult. You may have to get a professional to ensure that you do not mistakenly damage any wires in the ceiling. If you are sure that there are no wires where you plan to install the brackets then you can go ahead with caution. The brackets should be installed on one of the cross beams that can bear the weight and not on the weak ceiling board.
Fully blocking the sound from entering or leaving the room through the windows
If fully blocking the sound from entering or leaving the room is what you want then you may have to consider installing a triple glazed window. It is very expensive and maybe overkills. This would not be a job for a weekend do it yourselfer but a professional and could take weeks to complete.
The quick solution is to continue with the soundproofing curtains like the nicetown mentioned above.
Conclusion
Living in a quiet space is good for mental health. Nobody wants their sleep pattern to be disrupted because of cars driving pass late at night or people walking by the window talking loudly at night or even the neighbours knowing that you are home because the television is blaring.
Soundproof curtains may not be truly soundproof but they do reduce echo and reduce noise by a few decibels. Having a quiet sanctuary is always good for mental health and for such a cheap price, there is no excuse for not doing something about noise pollution.
Good luck with your DIY project.
