Curtains in a rental property

nnb

I rent an apartment and my lounge has a floor to ceiling window as well as a balcony door. The window has standard vertical blinds and the door nothing. I put a tension rod with a voile over the door for extra privacy over the summer but now I've realised neither that or the blinds offer protection against the cold!!! I feel like I'm throwing money away heating the room up only for the window and door to be sucking it out, and my landlord won't allow me curtain rails. I'd need a special ceiling mounted one anyway for the window as there is no way of attaching those L shape brackets on normal rails, and I feel the wall is too wide to find a tension rod for and I'm not sure it would hold the weight of semi-decent curtains let alone my nice heavy ones from my old house that would be perfect!

So does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to keep heat in/cold out a bit better? And may offer a little extra privacy as I'm aware you can see through these a bit when the lights are on haha

Thanks in advance x

buggy_boy

nnb wrote: »

I rent an apartment and my lounge has a floor to ceiling window as well as a balcony door. The window has standard vertical blinds and the door nothing. I put a tension rod with a voile over the door for extra privacy over the summer but now I've realised neither that or the blinds offer protection against the cold!!! I feel like I'm throwing money away heating the room up only for the window and door to be sucking it out, and my landlord won't allow me curtain rails. I'd need a special ceiling mounted one anyway for the window as there is no way of attaching those L shape brackets on normal rails, and I feel the wall is too wide to find a tension rod for and I'm not sure it would hold the weight of semi-decent curtains let alone my nice heavy ones from my old house that would be perfect!

So does anyone have any ideas on what I can do to keep heat in/cold out a bit better? And may offer a little extra privacy as I'm aware you can see through these a bit when the lights are on haha

Thanks in advance x

They do a sort of cling film stuff to put over old doors and windows, I know it seems silly but it does work.

G_M

As a student I stretched clingfilm over windows as a cheap doube glazing. Works but it's not pretty! And may be hard with a wide floor to ceiling window......

If you are careful drilling holes for curtain rails (whether in wall or ceiling) and use strong rawlplugs and screws for the weight, you could put up curtains. Check what the paint is. When you leave, carefully remove the screws, plug the hole with filler and paint over to match.


Curtains from a charity shop......

pinkshoes

I had a HUGE window at uni and made these foil covered shutter boards that I just placed over the window. Reflected the heat back in, cheap to make and stacked on top of one another in the day to let light in.

MysteryMe

Would a couple of the heavy duty hooks with the Command strips be any good. You are supposed to be able to remove them without leaving any residue. You could stick them to the door frame and put a curtain rod across them to cover the door?

Below link just to illustrate what I am taking about, I am not familiar with the company

https://www.buy-stationery.co.uk/3m-command-jumbo-hook-with-command-strips-13m70534?x=gs1020439&vat=inc&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyK_zsIXA5QIVzkPTCh1q-wglEAQYBSABEgKg7fD_BwE

lookstraightahead

i feel your pain - I had this with an old house I owned when I couldn't afford to make any alterations. It's miserable. I would tell the landlord the lounge is not fit for purpose is the winter. Give them the opportunity to fit curtain poles.

bap98189

Have you asked the landlord if they would object to you putting up curtains. They may not if you either agree to leave the poles in place or to make good the screw holes when you leave.

Hexane

Over in the Green and Ethical forum there has been some discussion about "thermal honeycomb blinds" and related options and fittings. https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/6063242/thermal-honeycomb-blind-conundrum

uk_american

In addition, for the balcony door you can buy a roll of sticky backed foam 'tape'. You apply it to the door or the door frame and it helps to seal the gap. When you leave you can pull it off. Also, those 'draft dodgers' at the bottom of the door and on the window ledges help. You can make your own by stuffing old socks with rags or buy and fill with rice or rags.

PasturesNew

Look at command strips. They go up to quite a weight, although a bit ugly. To increase the weight carried, you just use more hooks.

A couple of beefy hooks at either end and that might work.

https://www.command.com/3M/en_US/command/how-to-use/product-weight-limits/

nnb

pinkshoes wrote: »

I had a HUGE window at uni and made these foil covered shutter boards that I just placed over the window. Reflected the heat back in, cheap to make and stacked on top of one another in the day to let light in.

Actually loving this idea! 100% avoids any damage or arguments with landlord so no risk at all to my deposit, plus I love to make stuff! What is it you actually used, how would I make this? I'm picturing one of those room divider things, like you can get changed behind?