Having a blackout curtain is one of the best ways to prevent light or sun rays from entering the room. It is also one of the ways to beautify a room. A room without a curtain will forever lack that beauty curtain gives to the room.
However, it’s not about having curtains on your windows, it’s about having the correct measurement of the curtain you wish to hang on your window and hanging it well. Trust me, it is one thing to get a correct curtain measurement, it is another thing to hang it correctly. Therefore, in this article, we will explain how to measure for blackout curtains.
To measure for blackout curtains, measure the top of your window and ceiling at least 4 to 5 inches up onto the window frame. Measure from the window frame down to the floor to get the exact length the curtain should be and measure at least 2 to 3 inches on both sides of the rod.
Table of Contents
Blackout Curtains
Blackout curtains are those types of curtains that are made of either tightly woven, double line, or layered fabric such as suede, felt, velvet., which when hanged in your room, completely blocked any form of sunlight and UV rays from entering into the room. They are the perfect curtain to use to block light from entering the room.
One thing to note about blackout curtains is that it is usually dark. You can never find a white blackout curtain in the market. And the reason why it’s usually black is to ensure it does its job of blocking any form of sunlight from coming inside the room.
Blackout curtains are very handy for nursing mothers or those that work night shifts and sleeps during the day. With the blackout curtains, you can easily sleep during the day. The curtain will block every light in the room, making the room to be dark as if its the nighttime. With this, the person can comfortably sleep.
The same goes with a nursing mother. A nursing mother can install blackout curtains to help her kid sleep during the day. The curtain will make the room look dark as if its night time, the child will calmly sleep thinking its night time while the mother continues her day-to-day chores.
How to Measure For Blackout Curtains
Here are how to measure for blackout curtains:
- Get a measuring tape
- Measure the top of your window, between the window and the ceiling. You can measure between 4 to 5 inches.
- Measure the wideness of your window space, give some extra space of at least 2 to 3 inches to allow the curtain to cover the window very well.
- To get the exact length the curtain should be, measure from the top of your window where the curtain rod will be installed to the floor.
With these measurements, you can proceed to cut the curtains and hang them. To hang curtains is not hard. But if you cannot do it, I suggest you call someone that can help you do it. It doesn’t necessarily have to be someone you can pay. A friend or a family member can help you hang the curtain.
How Wide Should Blackout Curtains Be?
Blackout curtains should be wider than your window to cover the whole window. The wideness of your blackout curtains depends on how wide your window is, therefore, you need to first measure the wideness of your window to know how wide the blackout curtains should be.
Should Blackout Curtains go to the Floor?
Yes, blackout curtains should go to the floor to be able to cover the whole window space. Also, blackout curtains should touch the floor to prevent any form of sunlight and UV rays from entering the room from the bottom of the curtains.
Pros of Using Blackout Curtains
The advantage of using blackout curtains in the room are:
1. Blackout Curtains Beautifies the Room
One of the pros of using blackout curtains in your room is to beautify the room. Since the curtain is black, it gives some color to the room and since black goes with every other color, it complements your furniture, paintings, and decoration to give your room the beautiful look it deserves.
The way the curtain comes from where the rod is installed to the floor is amazing. It adds beauty to the room.
2. The Curtains Can Block sunlight and UV Rays
Blackout Curtains are specially made for the sole purpose of blocking sunlight and UV rays from entering your room when not needed. In fact, this is the work of blackout curtains and it does it well.
Once you measure your window properly and correctly install the blackout curtains in your room and close it, no single sunlight can enter that room again. It can help you sleep, it can also help your baby sleep.
3. It Can Protect the Room Furniture
Since your furniture is not exposed to any sunlight and UV rays, they tend to be protected and tend to last longer. Once a blackout curtain is hanged in the room, it will ensure that it blocks every light, thereby protecting the furniture you have in your room.
4. Blackout Curtains Can Aid Sleeping
As reiterated earlier, a nursing mother can hang blackout curtains to help her baby sleep comfortably during the day while she does her chores. The same goes for someone who works the night shift. As it blocks the sun rays from entering the room, the darkness will calm you to sleep comfortably.
5. It Prevents People from Seeing Your Room
Another pro of using blackout curtains is the fact that it is not a see-through curtain. Once you hang it in your room, it will not only block sunlight and UV rays, it will also block people from seeing through. This will give you more privacy.
Blackout Curtains are not like sheer curtains whereby you will be looking for how to make sheer curtains more private. No, once you hang blackout curtains, it gives you that privacy you deserve.
6. Blackout Curtains Eliminates Glare on TV Screens and Computer Monitors
With blackout curtains in the room, you are sure that the glare that always happens when the TV or computer monitor is on is eliminated forever. This will however enhance your viewing experience.
7. It Can Soften Outside Noise
One of the characteristics of blackout curtains is how thick they are. That thickness is of advantage to you because it will help softens the amount of noise coming inside the room from outside.
8. Blackout Curtains Improves Energy Efficient
Blackout Curtains are known to improve energy efficiency by helping to insulate the room.
Cons of Using Blackout Curtains
- Blackout curtains can make your room look darker or pitch black. Sometimes this can be very frustrating, especially those times you need sunlight into the room. You will have to open the curtain before any form of light can enter the room.
- Blackout curtains are heavier than other curtains in the market, therefore, require you to hang them with sturdy rods.
- The fact that blackout curtains always come in dark colors is frustrating. This means that the colors are limited. All blackout colors must come in dark shades to be able to completely block out the light rays.
Final Thoughts
Since we have explained how to measure for blackout curtains, take note of all of the measurement tips and follow the procedure. Ensure there is enough space at the top of the curtain, at the sides of the curtain, and ensure that curtain goes all the way down to the floor to completely block any sun rays from entering into the room from that place.
