I've had similar experiences with heavy curtains, especially velvet—they're great for softening voices or TV sounds from neighbors. But yeah, when it comes to deeper bass or vibrations (like footsteps or music beats), curtains alone usually fall short. I once worked on a project where we tried combining dense velvet curtains with mass-loaded vinyl behind them, and the results were pretty impressive overall. The curtains handled the higher frequencies beautifully, while the vinyl tackled those stubborn low-frequency noises.
But I'm curious, has anyone experimented with layering different materials—like insulation plus heavy curtains—to see if that combination noticeably improves sound-blocking performance compared to using just one solution alone? I've heard mixed opinions from colleagues, so it'd be interesting to see what others have experienced in practice...
I've actually tried something similar in a recent remodel—layered recycled denim insulation behind thick linen curtains. It wasn't a miracle fix, but definitely made a noticeable difference compared to curtains alone. Voices and TV sounds were much softer, and even bass vibrations felt less intrusive. Your velvet and vinyl combo sounds pretty solid though...might have to give that a shot next time around.
Interesting approach with the denim insulation—I considered something similar but ended up going a different route. When I renovated my old Victorian (aka the money pit), I tried acoustic foam panels behind heavy velvet curtains. Honestly, it was underwhelming. Sure, voices got muffled a bit, but bass still rattled the windows during movie nights. Maybe it's just my creaky old walls, but I'm skeptical any curtain-insulation combo can fully tame deep vibrations. Still, your vinyl idea intrigues me...might be worth experimenting next time I'm feeling brave enough to tackle another DIY project.
I feel your pain on the bass issue...tried something similar myself when I renovated our old bungalow. Went with recycled cotton insulation and thick blackout curtains, hoping to block street noise. It definitely helped with voices and higher-pitched sounds, but those deep vibrations from passing trucks still came through. Honestly, I think heavy-duty materials like vinyl or mass-loaded barriers might be the only real solution for serious bass issues. Curious how your vinyl experiment turns out if you give it a shot!
"Honestly, I think heavy-duty materials like vinyl or mass-loaded barriers might be the only real solution for serious bass issues."
Yeah, vinyl and mass-loaded stuff can help, but honestly, sometimes rearranging furniture or adding thick rugs can surprisingly cut down vibrations too. Worth trying before dropping cash on specialized materials...worked pretty well for me!
