What Are Welding Curtains?
Welding curtains are necessary for the hazardous conditions of welding. Welding curtains and welding screens act as a shield of protection in the welding workspace. All the time welders and the equipment are at risk of inquiring about themselves and others. Welders make up over half a million employees of the US workforce. Welders must use protection in their everyday life! Welding curtains provide that protection!
Welding curtains are made to avoid exposure to harmful UV light or the risk of flash burns. To ensure safety in the welding environment, welding curtains can create safe enclosed spaces designated only for welding purposes. Welding curtains are typically required in areas that do not have a separate welding facility. Welding curtains create a safe enclosed area for all welding purposes.
In this article, we’ll be discussing the uses and benefits of welding curtains. They’re great to use in the right environment. Welding curtains may be for you! First, let’s discuss what welding curtains are made of.
What Are Welding Curtain Made Of?
Welding curtains are largely made of PVC and are made to contain flame-retardant chemicals that help prevent any material from catching fire when it comes into contact with stray sparks. There’s a special compound that absorbs ultraviolet rays in the seal of the curtain.
Most think of welding hazards mostly being flame conducive but there is the harm in UV projection as well. These flame retardant chemicals and UV protection are important because of welding arcs. Welding arcs deliver large bright (UV) light that can harm a bystander’s eyes in case he or she isn’t wearing the suitable eye security.
When looking to purchase welding curtains, you’ll notice the variety of colors and sizes. Most curtains come in solid or transparent colors. The color doesn’t affect the quality of protection. Choose whatever size and color you like! The options are available to suit your needs and to make choosing fun!
Using A Welding Screen vs Welding Curtains
In the welding profession, there are a few options to choose from when it comes to welding safety. You may have heard before of welding screens along with welding curtains. Both can serve a great purpose in preventing hazardous events. But what’s the difference? How do you know which to invest in?
To gain clarity on which option is the best fit for you, we’re breaking down the similarities and differences between welding screens vs welding curtains. This quick comparison may surprise you!
Similarities:
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Both make an enclosed space for safe welding practices
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Both come in different sizes and colors
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Both provide great welding safety zones to block UV projection and other hazards when using machinery
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Both are made of PVC, vinyl, and plastic covered by different thicknesses of protected tight-knit fabric to block UV projection
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Different colors absorb different rays of UV projection
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Both can be used as dividers
Differences:
Welding Screen:
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Welding screens are portable
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They are lightweight and not as thick as welding curtains (Provide slightly less protection and coverage than heavy-duty curtains)
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Welding screens can be in individual panels or tri-fold panels
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Typically you buy the screen frame and welding screen separately
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They are more cost-efficient for budget-friendly options with individual panels available when needed
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You will need more than one panel for a safe welding zone
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Welding screens do not cover the floor to ceiling
Welding Curtains:
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Movable on hanging tracks but not portable
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Floor to ceiling coverage
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Typically bought in one large curtain (One or two curtains will be sufficient for a full coverage safe welding area)
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Available in transplant striped curtains
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Must by hooks and/or tracks separately
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Slightly thicker and heavy weighted
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Great for permanent sectioned welding areas
Pros and Cons Of Weld Curtains
There are a couple of pros and cons of welding curtains to consider before purchasing. You want to make sure you have the best tools for the space and projects you’ll be working on. Are welding curtains a good choice for you? Let’s look at a few pros and cons of using welding curtains and then what color you should consider buying.
Pros:
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Temperature control
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Noise reduction
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Clear and defined welding space
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Full coverage ceiling to floor
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Keeps welding sparks and UV rays
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Different colors have different welding protection uses
Cons:
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Not portable in most cases if hung
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Blocks out a lot of light when using an enclosed curtain
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Not the most budget-friendly option but still a great alternative to more expensive welding protection options
Welding Curtain Colors
Did you know that different colors absorb different types of hazardous rays! It is fine to pick your favorite color or a company color and welding curtains, the first thing you should consider is what color curtain you will need to protect your work environment.
Here are the most common welding curtain colors and their uses and correlation with what they absorb:
Yellow:
Yellow is great for low safety zones with low welding. Yellow colors protect up to medium amperage and can be a good cautionary color for most work zones.
Orange and Red:
Orange and red are light reflective and protect up to medium amperage of welding hazards. Again, just like Yellow, it is great for cautionary work cell phones but allows less light into a work zone.
Dark Blue:
Dark blue is ideal for blocking out light for UV protection and covers up to medium and high amperage. For significant work zones, welding in dark blue curtained areas is ideal.
Dark Green:
Dark green is perfect for high-risk welding jobs. Just like the dark blue color, light does not enter as much as the lighter colors for UV protection. DArk green is ideal for areas that require welding jobs such as plasma cutting and laser welding. Dark green welding curtains block almost all light and are the most protective welding curtain color!
Today we have gone over all of the common colors of welding curtains and why you should consider purchasing a welding curtain or welding sheets. We hope this article has clarified what is best suitable for your welding needs!
