3 Types of Blackout Curtains: What are they?

Blackout curtains are especially popular in Thailand due to our country’s hot, tropical climate.

Blackout curtains are curtains made with fabrics that are able to block out sunlight and ultraviolet radiation more effectively and efficiently than traditional curtain fabrics. However, there are 3 main varieties, and each of them have differing qualities and benefits. They are not only popular among hotels and resorts, they are also highly popular among condos, apartments, and houses.

The varieties of blackout curtains are foam backed, silicone backed, and black yarn woven. Let’s look at the different varieties and assess their key similarities and differences.

Foam Backed Blackout Curtains: The foam backed curtains are made from curtain fabrics that have been bonded with acrylic foam material at the surface layer. This foam lining is used to protect against sun rays as well as provide insulation from the cold and the heat. The benefits of using this variety of blackout curtains are that they provide extra insulation against the cold, and not also completely block out sunlight, ensuring that our rooms are dark and cool even during the brightest and hottest afternoons. The drawback of using foam-laminated blackout curtains are that they are relatively prone to disintegrate or crack after a lengthy period of time or during cleaning. Their relatively shorter life span means that they would have to be replaced sooner than other forms of curtains. There are also questions about their safety in terms of the potential health hazard of being constantly exposed to acrylic polymer. Another drawback is of using foam-backed curtains is in terms of aesthetics. Since these curtains are lined with relatively stiff polymers, they are not as flexible and pliable as 100% fully fabric woven curtains.

Foam Backed and Silicone Backed Blackout Curtains: Photo Credit BaanLaeSuan.com

Silicone (Rubber) Backed Blackout Curtains: Silicone backed blackout curtains (also known as rubber backed blackout curtains) are made of curtain fabrics that have been lined with latex rubber material. The rubber is also used to protect the interior from sun radiation and the environmental temperature differences.  The benefits of using this variety of blackout curtains are similar to that of foam backed blackout curtains, the only difference is the material being used. The drawbacks are also similar to in terms of being prone to cracking, causing sunlight to be able to seep through the cracks. Rubber backed blackout curtains are also not as flexible nor as pliable as 100% fully fabric woven curtains, so they would not be able to drape as beautifully.

Triple Weave Blackout Curtains: Photo Credit TheHouseOfEmily.com

Triple Weave Blackout Curtains: This variety of blackout curtains uses black yarn weaving as the filtering layer helping to protect homes from the ultraviolet radiation and the sunlight. The black yarn is woven into the curtain fabric, creating three layers where the the black yarn threads are sandwiched in the middle. The benefits of using triple weave blackout curtains are that they look aesthetically pleasing on both sides of the fabric. In fact, certain triple weave blackout curtains are manufactured to be able to use both sides of the fabric as the front face of the curtains. Because this type of curtains is 100% fabric woven, they are also as flexible and pliable as traditional curtain fabrics. They are also not prone to crack as they are not backed by any external material, so they have a significantly extensive life cycle. The primary drawback of using triple weave blackout curtains is that they are not 100% sunlight blocking. They only block 80-90% of the sunlight, with darker color fabrics being more able to block out sunlight than lighter color fabrics. Because they do not completely block out the sunlight, some people prefer to call them “dim-outs” instead.

The preference for each type of blackout curtains depends on the purpose and individual taste. Some people prefer to get foam-backed or rubber backed blackout curtains for the function of being able to completely block out sunlight, while others do not require curtains to be able to block out the sunlight completely, but they still prefer that the curtains can block out significantly more sunlight than traditional curtains. All the three types of blackout curtains are popular in the Thai curtains market, ranging from hotels and resorts to modern houses and condos.

Fabric Plus Co Ltd (ATM Decor) offers made-to-measure blackout curtains to our customers in low prices, made with the best quality triple-weave curtain fabrics of choice. We choose to sell the triple weave variety because of their lengthy lifespan and for the mass market’s preference for aesthetically pleasing curtains. Our curtains are tailored to drape all windows and glass doors beautifully and have a highly durable and long lasting performance.

Our curtain fabrics store offers a wide variety of blackout curtain materials and fabrics at wholesale prices. We order these curtain fabrics straight from the curtain textile factory. We provide made to measure curtains to fit perfectly on every windows and we also offer installation services for all residents living in Bangkok at the best prices. Our curtain fabric shop is located right next to Phahurat (Pahurat) Road which is popular for being the road of “Little India” (India Town). Our shop is on the same side of the Pahurat Road as Indian Emporium, and is right across China World facing the main road. The Little India market and Chinatown market are world-renowned markets for selling all kinds of goods and products at low prices, please visit our shop to view all the curtain fabrics and materials we have on offer. At our shop, customers can get a free price quote for any custom made curtain.

You can always call us at 02 223 4828

Fabric Plus Curtains Shop is on Phahurat Road, Little India