Best/easiest blackout blind option?

twopenny

Lovely Vic.

I did look into these and they were going to be really expensive as they are fitted right into the window frame and I have a large bay window.

It's a thought to go into a local store and use their demo model with a lamp behind to see what happens.

I get sunrise which is an incredibly strong light and can get through a pin hole. Lovely in winter at 8am. Not lovely in summer at 3am!

Neither do you want an eye mask in the heat

blizeH

jonnydeppiwish! said:

We have shutters with built in blackout blinds - they are exceptionally good and reduce light really well.
They are a tad more expensive but they look good as well (IMO!)

Thanks! Do you have any pictures? And mind if I ask where you got them from?

SadieO

Simonon77 said:

If you fit the blind so it rolls down from the back of the pole, this lets it sit pretty much flush against the wall down to the window sill and blocks a lot more light 

This is genius! So simple and makes total sense yet it wouldn't have occurred to me. 

vic_sf49

jonnydeppiwish! said:

We have shutters with built in blackout blinds - they are exceptionally good and reduce light really well.
They are a tad more expensive but they look good as well (IMO!)

I was toying with the idea of that set up as it was rather nice (Sandersons?) but kitty-cat sleeps on the deep windowsill, so didn't want to disrupt her routine. 

PlatinumChaos

I don’t think I’ll ever see it in my lifetime, but I’m really hoping that the UK begins to appreciate the ingenuity of German-style roller shutters on the outside of windows (known as “Rolladen”). I spent 27 years in Germany and they’re amazing. You find them on almost all residential buildings. They stop the sun’s rays from even penetrating the glass in the first place. So if you’ve had the blinds down for hours, the inside of the glass will still be cool to the touch. You can get them in aluminium, wood or plastic. And they’re so flexible: You can lower them only part way or completely, and because of their slatted construction, you can lower them sufficiently to allow some light through small gaps between the slats, or completely for total blackout conditions. They help keep the heat out in summer, the warmth in in winter, and also provide a bit of extra security. You can operate them manually using a strap on the inside, next to the window, or electronically from a control panel, even enabling the shutters on all your windows to be raised or lowered simultaneously. Seriously, it’s one of the things I miss most since I left Germany.

Eldi_Dos

PlatinumChaos said:

 Seriously, it’s one of the things I miss most since I left Germany.

What about six pen marks on a beer mat on a warm Friday evening?

PlatinumChaos

Eldi_Dos said:

PlatinumChaos said:

 Seriously, it’s one of the things I miss most since I left Germany.

What about six pen marks on a beer mat on a warm Friday evening?

A very good point! Haha!

vic_sf49

PlatinumChaos said:

I don’t think I’ll ever see it in my lifetime, but I’m really hoping that the UK begins to appreciate the ingenuity of German-style roller shutters on the outside of windows (known as “Rolladen”). I spent 27 years in Germany and they’re amazing. You find them on almost all residential buildings. They stop the sun’s rays from even penetrating the glass in the first place. So if you’ve had the blinds down for hours, the inside of the glass will still be cool to the touch. You can get them in aluminium, wood or plastic. And they’re so flexible: You can lower them only part way or completely, and because of their slatted construction, you can lower them sufficiently to allow some light through small gaps between the slats, or completely for total blackout conditions. They help keep the heat out in summer, the warmth in in winter, and also provide a bit of extra security. You can operate them manually using a strap on the inside, next to the window, or electronically from a control panel, even enabling the shutters on all your windows to be raised or lowered simultaneously. Seriously, it’s one of the things I miss most since I left Germany.

I would kill for one of those right now. I have a very odd looking bit of fabric hung outside over one window, because in this sunny weather, the heat on the glazing bakes the lounge.

The window is too close to the conservatory and corner of house, for external shutters, and an extendable awning could only be a smidge wider than the window due to the eaves, so wouldn't shade the window enough. 

Also, insect screens as a permanent / nice fitment wouldn't go amiss. 

CJamesS123

I recently bought some roman blinds with a blackout lining from a company called british made interiors, they let some light through the sides but with the curtains we have the room is now very dark.