Temperature stability is important for most of us, directly affecting energy bills and personal comfort. If you're considering purchasing blackout curtains, you may wonder whether they can actually block heat. We've looked into the benefits of blackout curtains, and in this post, we will discuss this topic in further detail.
A quality set of blackout curtains can be effective at blocking out heat from the sun. Some brands even claim to block up to 90% more heat from sunlight, which can have a tremendous effect on a room's temperature. The curtains' ability to block out heat will depend on various factors, including the curtain's thickness, color, material, and overall quality.
Blackout curtains can provide a sufficient amount of heat reduction to your living space. They're also great for reducing the amount of light that a room receives, which can be beneficial if you sleep during the day or prefer more privacy. Continue reading to learn more about the benefits of blackout curtains.
Benefits of Blackout Curtains
It shouldn't be surprising to know that most homes lose anywhere from 10-25% of their thermal energy from their windows. Blackout curtains can help you reduce thermal energy loss within your home and potentially reduce your energy bill by up to 25-30%. During the warmer summer months, they have the ability to reflect heat and prevent it from entering a room. During the colder winter months, blackout curtains can help keep the room's heat from escaping through the windows, saving you money on heating costs.
How Blackout Curtains Work
Blackout curtains are made with a tight weave that blocks light from entering a room; conversely, it also blocks heat from escaping a room. Most of the heat that touches the curtains' surface will be reflected, resulting in lower temperatures inside the room. The color of your blackout curtains will help improve their effectiveness.
For example, if you get blackout curtains of darker hues such as black, grey, or blue, they will typically have better temperature control abilities than blackout curtains of lighter hues such as white, beige, or off-white. That being stated, you can also add liners to your blackout curtains to increase their effectiveness. We'll discuss this in more detail later.
3 Best Blackout Curtains
We've searched the web for some of the best blackout curtains, according to consumers. Let's take a look at three highly-reviewed curtain options.
BGment Blackout Curtains Grommet Thermal Insulated Curtains
This blackout curtain includes a set of navy curtains and six grommets. They're estimated to block out anywhere between 85% to 90% of sunlight in UV rays. These blackout curtains are also thermally insulated, which can help to save on energy costs. You'll also be happy to know that they can help protect upholstery and floors from color shading due to direct sunlight--not to mention they can also work as great sound reduction barriers.
Check out these curtains on Amazon.
NICETOWN Thermal Insulated Grommet Blackout Curtains
This 42-inch curtain set also comes with six grommets and has a soft feel. They're heavy enough to provide awesome terminal benefits without the help of a curtain liner. These blackout curtains can help save on energy costs, reduce the heat that enters your room, and they are made to last. If you're looking for blackout curtains that are easy to maintain, check out this machine-washable set.
Learn more about these blackout curtains on Amazon.
NICETOWN 100% Blackout Window Curtain Panels w/ Black Liner
If you're looking for a set of blackout curtains that have an elegant appeal, here's the perfect set for you. These curtains are easy to install and have a black back liner to block out harmful UV rays and penetrating sunlight. They're also great noise reducers and can absorb over twice as much sound as typical window curtains.
Find out more details about these blackout curtains on Amazon.
What kind of fabric is used for blackout curtains?
You'll find that blackout curtains are typically made of heavy-duty fabrics that let very little light through. However, you do have a variety of fabrics to choose from. For example, you can choose semi-transparent fabrics or ones that offer complete light-blocking protection--these are typically made from higher quality and thicker materials. Polyester is the most commonly used fabric for manufacturing blackout curtains. Not only is it strong and durable, but it's one of the least expensive fabrics so you can purchase.
Polyester is also easy to clean and holds up well against wrinkling and shrinking. You can find it available in blackout curtains as a standalone weave or mixed with other fibers such as cotton or rayon. The thicker and denser the fabric is, the more light-blocking protection it'll offer.
Heavy-duty microfiber is also a great and commonly used fabric for blackout curtains. Due to its thin nature, it's usually made from triple weave stitching. It's also durable and easy to clean as well.
What's the difference between thermal curtains and blackout curtains?
Sometimes you may hear the terms blackout curtains and thermal curtains used interchangeably. However, they are two very different types of window dressings. Let's discuss each of them as well as their differences.
Thermal Curtains
Thermal curtains are manufactured to insulate the inside space of a home. These curtains are usually made of heavy triple or double-weaved fabric and backed with insulating material to form a solid barrier in front of windows. Thermal curtains are typically made of cotton, polyester, wool, or poly blend fabric.
They may also include a soft polyester vapor barrier for additional insulation. They have thick batting, which also makes them perfect sound insulators as well. People often use them to mute loud noises from high-traffic streets or keep loud interior noises from escaping from outside a room. Most thermal curtains are fairly easy to clean and can be dry cleaned or hand-washed using a mild detergent.
Learn more about this thermal curtain set on Amazon.
Blackout Curtains
The sole purpose of blackout curtains is to prevent light from entering a room. However, because of their thick nature, they can also provide insulating benefits to a room similar to that of thermal curtains. Blackout curtains are typically made of polyester or poly-blend fabrics and are usually triple weaved to ensure that little light passes through them.
That being stated, they may not be as thick or as heavy as thermal curtains. Most blackout curtains have a synthetic lining to help block out sunlight, making them more delicate when it comes to maintenance and care. You'll usually find that blackout curtains are best cleaned using steaming, spot cleaning, or professional cleaning.
If you are unsure whether you need thermal or blackout curtains, it's best to start with your main goal. Is your main goal to provide insulation in your home during the winter months? Or perhaps reduce your energy bill during the warmer months? Or, are you mainly concerned with keeping the light in the room to a minimum?
Do blackout curtains have to be black?
Blackout curtains do not have to be black for them to be effective. However, the darker the curtains are, the more light they'll be able to block out. That being stated, blackout curtains come in a wide variety of colors. You can also find lighter-colored curtains that are triple-layered and super effective at blocking out the light.
Another consideration is to add blackout liners to the curtains, and many may come with them already included. These liners are usually made of plastic and will help to provide additional light-blocking ability.
Do blackout curtains save energy?
While blackout curtains' purpose isn't to reduce heat, they can be a great option for regulating temperatures in rooms with windows, particularly in the summer months. In the summer months, the curtains can prevent heat from coming through your windows in the form of sunlight, and it can prevent heat from escaping through the windows and the colder months of the year. This temperature regulation can result in energy savings throughout the year.
Wrapping Things Up
To sum things up, blackout curtains can play a vital role and keeping sunlight out of your room and helping you save a few bucks every month on heating and cooling costs. Not only do they offer unmatched light control and privacy, but they can also keep your home more comfortable and help to reduce noise. If you're looking for a window covering that's both effective and versatile, blackout curtains are certainly an ideal choice to consider.
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