Read This Before Buying Blackout Curtains !

by Adina on September 25, 2011

What Are Blackout Curtains ?

If you are asking this question you are probably thinking on getting a batch of blackout curtains for your home or workplace and in this case there are general things that you should be educated in before attempting to get one for yourself.

The simple answer would be: blackout curtains are a special type of curtains that are constructed with the purpose to block the light.

The more complicated one would sound like this: A blackout curtain is in most of the cases created from special fabrics that have a high density ( will help against the solar razes ) and are generally made in three layered structures.

Why three layered structure for blackout curtains panels?

A normal curtain is made from simple fabrics but this type of curtains are made from coated fabrics which means that they are made from standard ones and at this is added a layer of the best opaque rubber.

The rubber is generally applied to the rear of the fabric as this provides awesome absorption of light molecules.

The process of making a blackout curtain ?

Making some great coated fabrics require knowledge and skill so when creating them, in general a liquefied rubber polymer will be applied in a single layer to a simple curtain fabric.

After this step is completed, the next step would be the dry fusion which means that the heated roller will be used in this process.

To make it simpler, just imagine that a laser printer will apply toner to a sheet of paper just before making the dry fusion.

Blackout curtains

Blackout curtains

After this first process is completed, the fabric resulted is considered 1 pass coated or more generally termed as blackout or dimout.

The last two names come from the simple fact that this process will help the fabric’s ability to absorb light at 50-70% which will be improved if the process is repeated to a number of three times.

After the 3 times completion of the coating process, the fabric is considered 3 pass coated and this is sufficient for blocking even the brightest source of light, namely 100% of any direct light source will be blocked.

What are they really good for or why should I get one for me and my family ?

So if you really want a dark environment for you or your family, you can use these curtains in places like living room, baby nursery, bedroom or other places because you can find many different styles and colors just like normal curtains but these will give you an edge over the normal ones just because of their ability to block 100% the UV razes, their insulation against cold or heat ( thermal insulated ), their ability to be energy efficient and save your wallet from the energy bill and even noise reduction.

These advantages are just a few because the most important one is after the corner, namely the privacy that it gives you. As many people want to have total privacy or a feeling of being safe from stranger’s eyes, these curtains are the best solution to this matter.

We are evolving and the future at this moment is going after the privacy as you can see it on the internet, on TV, and even on the road. Many cars are getting dark screens to protect from other traffic eyes, why shouldn’t you get a curtain that can provide you with this feeling, especially if you are seeking this.

Now you know it, this is why these fabrics are named blackout curtains or blackout coated.

 

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Blackout Material for Curtains – Tips

A good recipe for well resting sleep would be a comfy bed, peace and quiet and the absence of those annoying sun rays in the morning. If you are a late sleeping type, you will surely need some solution for powerful light in the shape of efficient blackout curtains. But not all curtains are efficient if the blackout material for curtains is not blocking light completely. Here are a few tips for choosing the right ones.

You may go out one day to buy blackout shades, install them and notice the next day that quite a lot of light filters through, which means that the material is not really blocking the sun’s rays. This means that you need to learn what a proper material looks and feels like before you buy it. First of all you should try purchasing from manufacturers which make curtains exclusively because there is a greater chance that the material will be professional.

The material should be quite thick and heavily threaded which makes for the blocking characteristic. The best material is rumoured to be polyester in a larger percentage that other fabrics. Other used are vinyl and sometimes really thick cotton. A really good and aesthetic blackout material for curtains should always have three layers. Usually a layer of white foam is applied to a fabric followed by a second layer of black foam and finally another of white foam for aesthetic reasons and because the lighter colour reflects sun rays better.

The thickness provided by so many layers causes these blackout curtains to be less flexible and too stiff to create nice folds or

Blackout Material for Curtains

Blackout Material for Curtains

cascading creases. Thus, though it can be just hung up as a normal curtain as it is, the material is often sown to regular curtains to provide the blackout effect which the curtain takes care of the aesthetic. This type of material is called a lining and it can be sown in place or fixed with hooks on the curtain. It needs to be the same size as the curtains as not to leave any spots through which light can pass.

Blackout Material for Curtains – Additional Stuff

In addition to blocking light, blackout material for curtains also provide good heat insulation by keeping it cool inside in summertime and warm in the winter by being thermal lined. This leads to advantageous heat bill cuts. Another useful characteristic is that it partially reduces outside noise like traffic or noisy neighbours making for a more peaceful environment.

Colour wise, most blackout materials for curtains are either black or white, but there are those which have nice, detailed patterns or special designs for the baby’s room or the kitchen. Thus, you have a wide variety of colours and patterns to choose from, if you want a stand-alone curtain from blackout material.

Making your own curtains from blackout material for curtains or as a lining for your regular curtains is better than buying ready-made blackout curtains because it is significantly cheaper. It is a really useful household item, especially for bedroom use, for the baby’s room and maybe for creating a specific atmosphere.

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