furniture and us
Curtain
A curtain (in the US, also known as a drape or drapery) is a piece
of cloth intended to block or obscure light, or draughts, or water in
the case of a shower curtain. Curtains hung over a doorway are known
as portiéres. Curtains are often hung on the inside of a building's
window to block the travel of light, for instance at night to aid
sleeping, or to stop light from escaping outside the building
(stopping people outside from being able to see inside, often for
privacy reasons). In this application they are also known as
"draperies." Curtains come in a variety of shapes, materials, sizes,
colors and patterns, and they often have their own sections within
department stores, while some shops are completely dedicated to
selling curtains. An adaptation of the curtain may be a blind or, in
warmer countries, such as Spain, wooden shutters that are fixed to the
outside of the building to provide privacy and still keep the building
cool inside. Curtains are a form of window treatment, and complete the
overall appearance of the house. Window treatment helps control the
ambiance and flow of natural light into the room. The effect of
drapery or curtains, is best seen in daylight, and with proper indoor
light positioning, it can look attractive even at night.
Heat Insulation
Curtains can be made from varying thicknesses of fabric, each with a
differing degree of light absorption and heat insulating qualities. A
sheer or net curtain is one that is made from translucent fabric, such
as a loosely woven polyester voile or a cotton lace. Sheer curtains
allow a majority of light to be transmitted through the fabric, with
the fabric weave providing a basic level of UV protection whilst
retaining maximum visibility through the curtain. Sheer curtains are
sometimes referred to as privacy curtains in reference to their
screening abilities; during the day most sheer fabrics will allow
people inside the home to see the outside view whilst preventing
people outside the home from seeing directly into the home. Due to the
loose weave in sheer fabrics, these types of curtains offer very
little in the way of heat insulation.
Commercial Curtains
With the increase in single family homes during the last century, the
curtain and drapery industries have witnessed simultaneous growth in
the demand for their products. Commercial interests also grew during
that time as many companies tried to supply institutions, hotels, etc. |