How to make a window as blackout as possible?

The truth is, it depends on the window, but basing it on a completely straight window that’s got a real recess, we do full cassetted blackout blinds. Now, this gives a channel all the way around the window and it’s a blackout roller blind that comes up and down. Light is pollution, so it still bounces back and forward and you can still get 1% light through a full cassetted blackout blind but it is still the most effective way of keeping most light out. The way of guaranteeing 100% blackout is then sticking another blind over the top, like Roman Blinds or Curtains over the top. Then you’ll get a serious blackout window, and it will also insulate the window really well, stopping heat from leaving the room, but also keeping the room cooler if it’s hot outside and you’ve closed it.

Other ways you can do it are with shutters and wooden plantation shutters. But then you can add a blackout blind which runs down the back of the frame, stopping again 99% of light coming through, which is normally enough for most people if you wanted it 100%, then again, layering the window if you didn’t want fully cassette lines. The trouble is, anything that’s really for the blackout is also a full wind block, so you can never leave a window open with the blinds down.

Blackout blinds that let in air

If you wanted a full blackout window but you still wanted some breeze to come through it, or a small amount of breeze to go through it, the best way would be to layering it and layering it with lots of options, each of which allows some light to come past them and some air to come past them. Roman blinds normally block out more than 90%, probably 95% of light, just a guess, and it still lets the air around the outside edges. The great thing about it is if you leave a window open, it’s windy, and it’s not going to make noise when it goes backwards and forwards. Then you could turn around and stick blackout curtains over the front. To make sure it’s really dark, you could then stick a pelmet over the top of that so there’s no light coming above. Obviously making the curtains full-length is going to help you there as well.

Bay windows and shaped windows

Now, talking about bay windows and shaped windows, this is a completely different animal and the reason I say that is because you can’t use fully cassetted blackout blinds on bay windows very easily. If you do want to go down that route, it’s less attractive because you’ve got to build bay posts into the window and it will block a lot more natural light when the blinds are up, which you don’t normally want to do. Though you want maximum blackout at night, you want to let in a lot of light during the day and you want it to look neat. For bay windows, the best way of getting blackout would be fitting blackout roller blinds.

How to guarantee 100% blackout blinds

Normal roller blinds around the bay, which isn’t very dark at all. It still lets a lot of light in around the edges and then adds curtains or shutters over the top. Then just to make sure the light isn’t coming over the top of that add a pelmet over the top of that. Now that can give you an extremely dark room, but there’s no way guaranteeing 100% blackout.

We’d always try our best and it’s an area that we specialise in blacking out windows. The truth is coming out and looking at your window is going to be the best way of advising you and helping you and seeing what we can do in your room as well as making it aesthetically pleasing at the same time, which is obviously important for our clients. If you’re after fully blackout windows, feel free to get in touch. We’d love to help you and we’ll give you the best advice we can.

Sound like blackout blinds are for you?

You can get in touch by emailing us at info@inspiringyourhome.co.uk or feel free to give us a call on 0203 893 7777.

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Alternatively, read our blog on Curtains, Shutters or Blinds – Which Works Best?

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