Thick curtains for windows: varieties and tips for choosing material

Owners of apartments and houses prefer to cover windows facing south with thick curtains that do not allow light to pass through.

Light-proof fabric is most often used in bedrooms and children's rooms so that children and adults are not awakened by direct sunlight in the morning. In addition, such curtains prevent the room from heating up on hot days.

Today, specialized stores offer a large selection of blackout curtains for windows, from which you can choose a product suitable for a room with any design.

Characteristics of Blackout curtains

Blackout is a fabric for curtains that does not transmit light, which can be two or three layers. The densest are three-layer products that do not transmit either light or heat. They consist of three textile bases, each of which has its own weave of threads. When combined, the layers form a dense fabric with unique properties.

Blackout curtains can be plain or colored . They can imitate the texture of satin, silk or have photo printing . They can be hung in the bedroom, children's room and kitchen, as the material is fireproof and does not emit toxic substances .

Blackout fabric can be used as standalone blackout curtains or as a lining for curtains made of viscose, taffeta, linen or cotton . It will protect materials from fading and improve their reflective properties.

The advantages of such curtains are:

• shade from sunlight and protection from heat;
• good density;
• resistance to burnout;
• strength and long service life;
• heat resistance;
• hypoallergenic;
• ease of care;
• soundproofing properties.

The fabric lends itself well to cutting and sewing, and products made from it hold their shape well. Thanks to such unique properties, Blackout curtains are popular all over the world.

Features of care

To keep your curtains looking attractive and tidy, you don’t need any special care, dry cleaning or expensive products. To remove dirt, it is permissible to give preference exclusively to a natural stain remover.

There are other instructions as well.

1. When washing in an automatic machine, select the delicate cycle.
2. It is forbidden to use the spin cycle. If there is an urgent need to dry the product, then set the minimum speed.
3. When folding, you need to be especially careful to prevent creases.
4. Drying should be done unfolded in the shade.
5. Curtains are washed extremely rarely. This is all thanks to the presence of resistance to dust and dirt.
6. Dry cleaning is acceptable. To do this, use a vacuum cleaner with a brush attachment.
7. When wet processing fabric, it is better to use a neutral soap solution and a soft sponge.

If such curtains are located in the kitchen, it is recommended to lift them while cooking. This will prevent the absorption of odors.

Blackout curtains are a truly universal option that can easily fit into any interior, regardless of its stylistic decision. It can be: hi-tech, classic and even art deco. The advantages are quite obvious, but there are practically no disadvantages.

Roller blinds Blackout

Today, simple and easy-to-manage roller blinds are very popular, which are ideal for small windows. They can have varying degrees of transparency and be either as dense as possible or translucent. In their manufacture, metal coating is used, which makes the material sun-protective, resistant to fading and other negative external factors.

Dense roll sheets have many advantages:

• they can be mounted on the ceiling, behind the window frame or inside the frame;
• can be used for glazed loggias and arched windows;
• the canvas tightly fitting to the window completely blocks the light;
• material with a metallized substrate reflects up to ninety percent of heat;
• the fabric practically does not get dirty, and dust and dirt can be easily removed with a damp cloth;
• To install the canvas, you only need a small cornice and hooks.

Wool curtains

Due to its increased density, wool also serves as an additional soundproof barrier. Therefore, it is considered the most popular among residents of megacities, since even metal-plastic windows with several chambers do not protect from street sounds.

When caring for wool curtains, you should remember a few rules:

1. Do not wash wool at high temperatures. The material will shrink and may stretch in places, deforming the original parameters of the curtain.
2. The maximum temperature for washing is 300C, mode – delicate or for woolen fabric.
3. Regular detergents are not enough; you need to choose powder and conditioner for woolen fabrics.
4. Soaking wool for a long time is highly not recommended.
5. When ironing, select the minimum mode or move the lever to the “wool” indicator on the iron.
6. It is best to iron woolen items through gauze or any other thin material.
7. When ironing, you should actively use the hot steam humidification mode, which will smooth out small “wrinkles” on the fabric.

Using blinds

Horizontal or vertical light-protective blinds consist of slats with special impregnation. Their outer side has a silver or light shade that reflects sunlight, and a special impregnation protects them from fading. With the help of blinds you can achieve complete darkness of the room.

Advantages of blinds:

• the ability to isolate the room from sunlight and prying eyes;
• a large selection of interesting designs with which the interior of the premises can be made more interesting;
• the ability to turn sunlight from direct to diffuse by turning the slats;
• durability of operation;
• easy to maintain, as the impregnation has dust-repellent, antibacterial and antistatic properties;
• fire safety;
• resistance to changes in temperature and humidity.

Blinds with such properties are ideally suited for the kitchen. Wooden or fabric products can be used in bedrooms, offices and children's rooms.

Roman curtains

Roman curtains are becoming increasingly popular for decorating windows and protecting rooms from sunlight. They come in two types:

• frameless ones are gathered into folds in the center and sides;
• frame ones have parallel folds.

Roman blinds are made from dense fabrics that have antibacterial, dust-repellent and water-repellent properties. They look elegant and sophisticated on any window and pair well with thinner curtains. When raised, Roman curtains create beautiful waves, so they can be used for the bedroom and living room. They are very convenient to use; all you need to do is pull the special cord and close the window completely or halfway.

Blackout curtains for the living room

In the room where the whole family gathers and receives guests, curtains are hung, which not only protect from prying eyes and sunlight, but also decorate the room itself. To make them, you can use a wide variety of fabrics:

1. Thick silk forms beautiful folds and hardly wrinkles. Light protection and additional volume to the curtains will be provided by a gasket.
2. Dense and soft corduroy with small or large rib drapes well.
3. Velvet with dense pile will protect from the sun and create an interesting play of light and shade.
4. Shiny and slightly stiff taffeta retains its shape well. You can sew luxurious lush curtains from it.
5. Satin provides excellent protection from the sun and drapes wonderfully. It has a matte back side and a shiny front surface.
6. Silk dense damask fabric has jacquard weaves with shiny and matte patterns. It is used to make curtains and blinds.
7. Heavy brocade with metallic threads will become the basis for magnificent curtains with waves, folds and luxurious patterns.

Solar control curtains for the bedroom

In a room intended for sleeping and relaxation, curtains are selected that should have good sun protection properties. For them, a calm material is selected to match the furniture, capes, bedspreads and blankets. You can choose blackout material, artificial or synthetic fabrics, thick silk or cotton with a thick lining.

To give the bedroom interior a unique look, you can use drapery, silk ribbons, fringe, and lambrequins. Synthetic materials decorated with rhinestones will add creativity to the room. If the bedroom is made in a classic style, you can use satin, brocade or velvet. The room will look like a royal chamber if you hang curtains with voluminous taffeta folds in it.

Why do you need protection from light?

Light-blocking curtains can be useful in the following cases.

• If the bedroom windows face east, and the morning sun wakes up the owners of the house long before the alarm clock.
• If you live in northern latitudes, and a day that lasts six months does not allow you to get enough sleep.
• In conference rooms and business centers, where presentations are accompanied by slides or films.
• In schools, colleges and universities, if educational films are shown during a lesson or lecture.
• In medical institutions where complete darkness is required to make a diagnosis.
• In nightclubs and cinemas.
• In photo laboratories, so as not to expose the film or print high-quality photographs.

Light-blocking curtains for the kitchen

For the kitchen, a material is selected with impregnation, which has heat- and dust-repellent properties and also does not absorb odors. Kitchen curtains must have the following characteristics:

• fire safety;
• ease of care;
• should not make cleaning difficult;
• should not interfere with the opening of a vent or window.

It is best to choose roller blinds or blinds that are easy to open and close and easy and quick to clean.

For making curtains for the kitchen, the following are best suited:

1. Synthetic fabrics made from acetate and polyester that have high strength, water and fire resistance.
2. Eco-friendly dense flax is durable and has increased rigidity. However, it wrinkles easily and fades in the sun.
3. Cotton treated with heat- and water-repellent impregnation is a natural material, but quickly fades when exposed to sunlight.
4. Cheap and durable canvas is ideal for making blinds or roller blinds.

Curtains for a children's room

To ensure that nothing interferes with the daytime sleep of small children, windows should be covered with thick curtains, which can be made of cotton, viscose or synthetic materials.

Cotton is a soft natural material that comes in different colors. To prevent light from passing through, the curtains are sewn with a lining.

Made from natural materials, viscose does not cause allergic reactions, so it is ideal for children's rooms. Lightweight and soft fabric is durable, drapes well and does not electrify. However, like cotton, viscose wrinkles easily, fades quickly in the sun and is prone to shrinkage after washing.

Synthetic fabrics of different colors and textures do not wrinkle, have dust-repellent properties and do not require frequent maintenance. Depending on the type, they may not transmit light at all or be almost completely transparent. The disadvantage of synthetics is the deformation of some fabrics from exposure to heat.

Color solutions

The colors and patterns of curtains depend primarily on the following factors:

• General color scheme of the space;
• The side facing the windows;
• Room dimensions.

So, a white thick curtain can visually make a room larger and more spacious. You can combine white tone with almost any other interior colors.

Thick curtains of different shades of brown are easier to combine with natural wood furniture and warm tones of other textiles. They can visually make a room facing north a little “warmer”.

The blue color of thick curtains, on the contrary, can visually “cool” a room facing the sunny side. A shade that is too dark will make an already small room even smaller. Like too dark brown.

Manufacturers

Many companies produce special sun-protection curtains. The most famous are:

1. Velux . A manufacturer from Denmark produces Siesta curtains, which darken rooms by 100%. They are made from easy-to-clean, stain-resistant polyester. On the reverse side, the products have an aluminum coating, which has heat-shielding properties. The models have more than forty colors, from which it is easy to choose the one that suits your room or attic.
2. Master . The Russian company produces roller blinds from Blackout and fabric canvas, which are equipped with Dutch lifting mechanisms with a remote control. Photo printing techniques are widely used on products.
3. Apolena . A manufacturer from Turkey produces polyester curtains designed for bedrooms and living rooms. Models can be either plain or colored.
4. Roto . Roller blinds from a German manufacturer are made of three materials, which are impregnated with a special substance that is resistant to light. Easy to maintain, the products are fixed in three positions and tightly attached to the frame, which enhances their light-protective properties. Models have 37 variants of different colors.

Light-protective thick curtains not only give you a sound sleep, but also protect monitors from glare, and also create a romantic atmosphere in the room. The fabric for such curtains should be selected in accordance with the required properties and interior of the room.

Originally posted 2017-12-21 06:37:23.

Design and combination options in the interior

There are 2 ways to decorate an apartment window:

• classic blackout curtains (open in opposite directions from each other), installed on any type of curtain rods, they can be combined with curtains, as they are high-density, light-proof, for this reason their combination with transparent curtains is welcome in many rooms;
• roller blinds that block light: they are often used without curtains.

Classic blackout curtains come in 2 versions: single-sided (moved to one side - left/right), double-sided. To increase their efficiency, suction cups are provided - with their help, the product is attached to the PVC frame for a tighter fit to it.