STEP 2: ​CURTAINS

Curtains are a simple, attractive way to:

1. Add insulation to your room, without tearing into any walls
2. Divide a section of a bigger room to create a smaller room
3. Reduce heat loss via windows and doors

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Below we'll explore the best options for keeping your hot room hot. Pro tip: stay away from beaded curtains (you should also possibly stay away from this gal, yikes! ⬇️ )

First let's take a step back and make sure you know the height of your ceilings and the width of the space. Don't eyeball it. A good motto borrowed from the construction world is "measure twice, order once!"

Be sure to account for the drop of the curtain rod or track. And always err of the long side. You'll want the curtain to touch the floor, and it's better to have a little extra on the bottom than even a tiny gap, when your goal is to trap in heat.

(If you want to keep it super simple, you can grab these thermal curtains. They are built to trap heat, block light and have several options up to 12.5 feet wide x 9 feet long. If you have a tall room, these velvety thermal curtains have options up to 8 feet wide x 10 feet tall.)
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Otherwise, strap on your MacGyver-cap, because it's time to get creative! 

Trap more heat:

1. Car Insulation. This is a no-frills kinda product. I mean, check out what they named it. Car Insulation has 1 job (can you guess it??) and does it well. This is essentially super thick (1/4 inch) tinfoil with a heat absorption foam in the center. It is designed to keep the heat of an engine from getting into the cab of the car. But it works both ways, also keeping the engine heat in the engine compartment. It will keep your heat in your practice space, too! It's super lightweight and installation is simple using the clips for your curtain rods or tracks.  There are options of 4 feet with lengths from 4 to 75 feet.
2. Thermo-Tec. This is a 3/8 inch thick thermally insulated pad with a reflective foil heat reflector built in. It's built to block more than 90% of radiant heat up to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit!  A little overkill for our purposes, but it will do the trick. The only drawback to this product is that it only comes in 4'x6' sheets. But if you have a low ceiling or can stitch (or use strong utility staples) then you can get around that problem. The panels are only 3.55 lbs each, so even 2 put together should be no problem for a curtain rod.  You'll need clips as opposed to hooks, as this is not technically a curtain.

​If these didn't work for you, I'm going to step into a bit outside of the curtain box below.  Keep scrolling...

Other insulation options:

Yes, there are more options! The following come with their own adhesive, so they're great in case you would rather build a temporary wall and glue insulation directly to it.

WARNING: The adhesive on these is STRONG. So don't stick them to your mom's favorite cat butt tissue dispenser.
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1. Siless liner. This is a heavy-duty thermal closed cell PE foam built to insulate with an aluminum finish on one side and adhesive on the other. It's a bit over 1/8th inch thick and comes in rolls of 1.25 feet x 7.25 feet. It is light enough that it could be used as a curtain with clips or could be used to glue right to whatever you want.
2. Cool it. This is like thermal tar paper with a foil lining. The reviews are full of warnings about the strength of the adhesive. People adhering this stuff to car windshields during the summer only to have to break the windshield itself to remove! DON'T STICK THIS TO ANYTHING YOU'LL WANT TO REMOVE IT FROM LATER. With that caveat, it really does the trick at trapping heat (and sound, too.)  It comes in 5 feet x 3 feet, sheets and probably wouldn't be the best option for a curtain. However, if you're intending on building a temporary wall from pallets or plywood, this is THE ONE!  Due to its flexibility, this would also be a really great option for patching a pesky hole in your space that you can't seal in another way.

Congratulations! You've done the hard part of identifying the right room and dividing it off well enough from the rest of the house. Next up is a far simpler process of sealing off your space... getting closer and closer to some hot sweaty yoga!

NEXT: Seal your room
​GO BACK: Pick the right room or Find curtain rods and tracks
RETURN TO: Main menu