Blackout blinds solution - help needed

That's the trade-off with blackout blinds on some windows if they can't be fitted tight. At the end of the day they don't promise that light can't enter around the sides.

Try look at roman blinds and have them fitted into the recess.

I have ones fitted into Velux windows and they do a decent job, but believe it or not, a little light still sneaked in. But just a little.

I have kids rooms, which suffer the same issue as the op. Hanging them up on curtain poles leaves the blackout blinds inches away from the window, and light is going to get in.

For full blackout, you'll need something that completely covers the glass of the window. I have something like this in my bedroom:

These will completely block out the light, with the caveat that the windows will need to remain closed.

For my kids rooms I bought some of this, cut to size and put either side of the blind to act as a guide for the roller

You stick it on its side with the opening facing the edge of the blind. You can also use it on the bottom but I just closed the blind beyond the window board instead.

For the top you could do similar with some wider L shape profile.

These are excellent, no light bleed, total darkness.

https://www.blocblinds.ie/window_blinds/blocout_info?source=nav

At the risk of seeming dumb, I can understand not being able to open one of those inward types but why can you not open an outward opening casement window?

We have the bloc blinds, really good at blocking light. They create such a tight seal though that pressure from wind/doors opening or closing will wreck them.

curtains?

That's what our blinds fitter said if yiou want a full blackout you need shutters outside or to hang curtains

1970`s style curtains with the fabric ran across the top of window.

Not a problem in our experience. It's rare enough though that we would have the blind fully down and the window open. Even with that, it only pulls the blind slightly towards the window pane, takes about 5 seconds to guide them back into the rail.

No solution is perfect, but compared to the black out blinds which we had professionally fitted in other rooms, the bloc blind actually does what you expect it to do.

I use magnets on the blackout bedroom curtains. Four on each side, bought in Lidl or Aldi a few months ago. They were sold unpacks of 6. The magnets lock onto the edges of the reveal (I think that is what is called??) ...the right angled edge between the wall and the widow recess. Perforated metal edging is used to get a clean edge on some or all windows. I think it is called angle bead or trim. It works well for me.

We would love to buy those, looks ideal, looks like something similar here, but no pricing..

https://oknoplast.ie/roller-shutters/sol/#start

Yes but light still comes in where the curtain is hung on the track. We've pleated curtains, so less light than eyelet ones, but still some light coming in.

We live in a brick built bungalow house. Have Ikea blinds fitted on the inside of the window lintel area but there is a slight gap between the window frame and the blind. How close can you drill to the window frame without damaging the plaster?

Other option is we replace the blind with a larger one that fits above the lintel and goes over the whole window opening.

Have a kid so want to avoid having curtains if we can.

https://www.blocblinds.co.uk/?bgredirect=1

Why not? I have bloc blinds in several rooms and some of the windows are open all day. Granted on a very windy day the wind will blow the blinds. Having said that on windy days I'd only want the windows on the latch

We get wider blinds and fit outside the window frame under the curtain rail. Blocks pit more light but some deffo still leaks out. Add curtains too and helps a lot.

Just check u leave enough space below the curtain for the blind to roll up.