What Are Blackout Curtains Used for? What You Need to Know

If you ever crave the deep cave-like darkness that hotel room curtains provide, you might want to think about purchasing blackout curtains. Sometimes closing your blinds or thin curtains is not enough to block out the distractions from outside. Blackout curtains might be the answer. Blackout curtains are not just for shutting out light, but so much more.

Blackout curtains are mainly used for controlling noise, temperature, and light. These curtains are able to block out natural light, keep your home cool from the summer heat, or they can keep your home warm in the winter. They can also reduce noise from outside, but not completely. 

If you are someone who needs an extremely dark and quiet room to sleep in, or if you work late-night shifts, blackout curtains might be a good investment. You will be able to get good sleep and save some money in the long run. Read on to learn all you need to know about blackout curtains.

Noise Reducing Curtains

An important part of getting good sleep is not being disturbed by sounds. The normal sounds that often keep people up at night can vary from:

• Traffic 
• People 
• Echos 
• Nature and storms 

While blackout curtains are not designed for blocking out noise, it is a perk that comes with them. Blackout curtains will reduce noise due to their overall thickness, but they will not completely soundproof the room. It is important to note that blackout curtains and noise-reducing curtains are not the same things.

It will not be able to block out all of the noise from the outside world, but it will definitely help muffle it, making the room quieter as well as darker. Some blackout curtains are also labeled as soundproof if you want the best of both worlds.

If you are hypersensitive to noise, then you should consider buying noise-reducing curtains and soundproof windows. If you care more about the darkness of your room, blackout curtains will help more.

Blocking Out Light

The main use for blackout curtains is to block out light from outside. While some people enjoy the natural light the sun brings, there are many reasons you might want to keep light out of your room.

You might want a dark room if:

• You work at night and sleep during the day
• Can only sleep in an extremely dark room 
• Live in a place with a lot of sunlight
• You have a movie room
• To protect furniture 

If you work night shifts and need to get to bed during the daytime when everyone else is awake, blackout curtains will make it easy to get a good rest before your next night shift. There are many health problems linked with not being able to get good sleep–from headaches to depression and hallucinations. Sleep is extremely important. 

If you live in a city, street lights can be very bright and distracting, especially if they are on late into the night. If you are the type of person who needs complete darkness while sleeping, city lights can be distracting and cause you to not get a good night’s rest. Blackout curtains will completely cover any lights, no matter how late they are on. 

Certain places have an intense amount of sunlight during specific times of the year. During the summer, almost anywhere in the United States will have sunlight until late in the evening. In Alaska for example, summer days can last up to 19 hours! This could be bad for people who have to go to bed early and can not sleep in the bright light.

You may also want to block out light for entertainment purposes. If you have a home theatre room and want to recreate the ambiance of a movie theatre, then blackout curtains will certainly help you. 

Blackout curtains can also protect your furniture from getting slowly destroyed from sun damage. Sunlight can slowly fade away the once bright colors of your living room couch, carpet, or your wood floors. Blackout curtains will ensure that does not happen. 

Temperature Control

Making sure the temperature in your home is comfortable is very important, especially during extremely hot and cold months or if you live somewhere with lots of different kinds of weather. There are several reasons why you would want to maintain the temperature of your home. 

Reasons:

• To save money 
• To avoid the effects of extreme weather 
• To keep everyone in the house comfortable 

Blackout curtains can work wonders for maintaining the temperature in a room. During the winter, blackout curtains will keep the heat within your home without having some of it escape through the windows.

In the summer, heat will be reflected away from the room that the curtains are in, keeping a cool and temperate climate inside. According to InnuWindow.com, blackout curtains can block out 99% of sunlight, which can really help when protecting your room from the heat.

Saving Money and Energy

Due to their ability to maintain temperature, blackout curtains are also good for reducing thermal energy costs that would have been lost through your windows. Thermal energy is the energy created by heat. 

Even if your windows are intact, about 10-25 percent of air conditioning and heat can seep out of old windows, creating a loss of energy that you have to pay for. Blackout curtains can save you that 25 percent by stopping it from escaping through windows in the first place. 

Risks Associated with Blackout Curtains

Blackout curtains may seem like a dream come true to those who can not get a good night’s sleep or need some seriously dark home theatre curtains, but there are some risks involved that you have to be aware of.

If you want to avoid the risks altogether look for: 

• Blackout blinds 
• Non-vinyl curtains 
• No VOCs

Blackout blinds, as opposed to blackout curtains, usually do not have the chemicals that the curtains have. They are generally safer, but make sure to check the chemicals listed on the blinds. 

What makes blackout curtains risky is the use of chemicals that contain Volatile Organic Compounds, also known as VOC. These chemicals are contained in the rubber or vinyl used in most blackout curtains. Some people are more susceptible to the effects of VOCs than others. These chemicals are often linked with headaches, ear and nose irritation. More information about this can be found here. 

But, the good thing about these risks is that they are not all that risky. While VOCs may sound scary, they are not all that bad and will not affect your health too much in the long run.

If you use blackout curtains correctly and balance your use of them, then you should be fine. And if you are concerned, there are healthier options available with both blackout blinds, and VOC-free blackout curtains.

Conclusion 

If you need to block out light in a specific room in your home, then seriously consider purchasing blackout curtains. While there are some risks with buying blackout curtains, if you are able to do your research and find the right type of curtain then you will be on your way to having all the benefits of blackout curtains. 

You will be able to cut down on excess energy costs, while also keeping your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. You can find blackout curtains in most stores and many different price points, from Walmart to Macy’s. If having darkness in a particular room is something you need, then you need blackout curtains.