How to leave curtains when away

sharkie

maplin were (are???) selling mains timers for around £3. put one on a lamp and another on a radio/tv etc.

another give away is empty dustbins and may also move door mats to lean up against the door.

Am interested in Missile' barking dog!

System

which reminds me, there is something on the market, maybe Maplins, that is a square lamp that flickers like the effect you get from a TV, so if left on (timer) upstairs, it looks as though someone is watching tv.

cally1_2

My neighbour has his curtains on an electric thingy that opens and closes them in response to the light/dark. He didn't tell me about them though, and it really freaked me out when I went into feed his fish daily. Sometimes they were open, and sometimes they were closed?! It really spooked me and it took me about 4 days to work it out!

I always leave them open but do have a light or two on timers.

mazinmouse

If you only wish to put up net or voile curtains as a temporary measure then, as long as the window width is not too wide, you can use sprung net rods. Although, of course, only putting them up when you are away might, over time, signal that you are away!

27col

With reference to my previous post #10. It was quite interesting to see the curtains close as it got darker outside. The lights are standard lamps on intermittent timers. He also leaves a radio turned up loud, on a timer as well.

ormus

http://www.automaticblindsdirect.co.uk/electriccurtain.php

example

shown73

For what its worth, I've found that the digital timer switches are rubbish, but the old fashioned ones where you set the sequence with little switches on the front dial have been really reliable. They're a bit noisy, whirring and clanking, but they work, and keep on working.

busiscoming2

I don't think you can ever get it right. I don't have curtains in my lounge (town house - lounge 1st floor) and leave a lamp on timer so it probably always looks the same. I shut all the internal doors and leave all the other curtains open.

If you put nets up just when you are away any potential burglar who keeps an eye on the locality would surely know you are away? Just like the car not being on the drive.

Reeves

Leave the radio on ????

A burglar will know straight away if the house is empty if you are trying to fool them into thinking people actually listen to the radio in the evening lol.

27col

Reeves wrote: »

Leave the radio on ????

A burglar will know straight away if the house is empty if you are trying to fool them into thinking people actually listen to the radio in the evening lol.

We don't all spend every night watching the goggle box.. A few years ago I spent nearly half an hour trying to get my wife to answer the door. I was sure that she was in, because I could hear the radio. Turns out she had gone up the road to baby sit for an hour. Just because it is not normal to go out and leave the radio on was precisely the reason that I was fooled.