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[oldsheep]

I've spent a fortune on black out curtain lining but am still woken every day at 4.30 with the light coming round the edges. I've read about an American guy who sells (only in America) black out cloth fixed to velcro, and the velcro fixed somehow to the window frame.
I have a double sash window which makes it slightly more complicated.
But how can you fix velcro to wood, and also how do you fix it to black out cloth? If you sew, you make holes...light?
I'm not feeling at my cleverest at the moment but need to do something fast.

[honeybun]

Velcro has two sides. The one that sticks and the other one if you get my drift. You would have to stick one side to the window frame. Does a blackout blind not work or maybe an eye mask if you could put up with it.



Honeyb
x

[Morwenna]

I cut blackout lining material to a size bigger than the window frame, with an excess of about six inches around the sides and the bottom, slightly less at the top. Sewed velcro to the top edge only and fixed the other half of the velcro strip to the top of the existing venetian blind with super glue.  Once the material is attached by the velcro to the top of the venetian blind I 'push' the excess fabric around the sides of the window into the recess, it being stiff enough to hold its shape and not flop loosely, thereby cutting out any light which might creep round the sides. I use these customised 'blinds' when I have been working nights - they're not pretty but do the job!

[oldsheep]

I cut blackout lining material to a size bigger than the window frame, with an excess of about six inches around the sides and the bottom, slightly less at the top. Sewed velcro to the top edge only and fixed the other half of the velcro strip to the top of the existing venetian blind with super glue.  Once the material is attached by the velcro to the top of the venetian blind I 'push' the excess fabric around the sides of the window into the recess, it being stiff enough to hold its shape and not flop loosely, thereby cutting out any light which might creep round the sides. I use these customised 'blinds' when I have been working nights - they're not pretty but do the job!

  I've read this 3 times, trying to work it out!
I have curtains over a double sash wooden recessed window. Can you stick velcro to wood? I have some ancient black out blind material that I bought many years ago but haven't used.

yes Honeyb I use an airline eye mask but they come off in the night. I always wake up with the damn thing on my head!

[honeybun]

You can stick Velcro to wood but how you would eventually remove it is another story. It would have to be strong glue as you would be pulling it off and on every day.

Hope you find something that works.


Honeyb
x

[oldsheep]

I'm wondering about a black out blind (roman? better than roller?) but suppose I'd have the same problem with leakage.
I sooooo wish we could have french style shutters.
I even thought of driving to Calais to Leroy Merlin (B&Q with knobs on) and buying french roller blinds and then having the carpenter we use to fit them here.
It's a flat in a conservation area too, so can't retro fit anything that changes the facade without major aggro.

[honeybun]

I used blackout roller blinds in my kids rooms when they were young. They always over hung the frame and did not let any light in at all. As long as they are wide enough you should not have any problem and combined with the curtains you already have it should not let any light in.


Honeyb
x

[Joyce]

Because our daughter lives in a rented house, they were a bit restricted at what they could do, so daughter found a black out sheet with stick on suction pads. Works quite well so long as the suckers stay stuck. 

[Greyhoundgal]

We have black-out roller blinds in our bedroom - hubby had to cut them slightly so that they sit right across the window and they don't let in any light.  We got ours from a well-known DIY store and they were easy to fit.

[tiger74]

I always struggled with being woken up by light 'leakage' in the summer months.  We now have blackout roller blinds, plus lined curtains with additional separate blackout linings and this combination does work.

As per others' comments, could you have backout roller blinds fitted?  Some can be fitted so that they come down within a wooden or metal slot - this is what they do in some businesses and educational establishments in rooms where they use projection equipment.  Not cheap but what price for a good night's sleep?

Morwenna's idea sounds effective too.   

As for the dawn chorus waking me in the summer months - the only solution to that was triple glazing!   

[CLKD]

How about a 4 poster bed so that you can close the curtains  - I've been waking at 5.20 ish but think that's due to my bladder rather than the sunshine 

[Joyce]

My dawn chorus are still twittering away. Solution would be to close windows, but it's too warm for that.

[CLKD]

I LOVE the Dawn Chorus, it only lasts a few weeks ..........

[oldsheep]

I always struggled with being woken up by light 'leakage' in the summer months.  We now have blackout roller blinds, plus lined curtains with additional separate blackout linings and this combination does work.

As per others' comments, could you have backout roller blinds fitted?  Some can be fitted so that they come down within a wooden or metal slot - this is what they do in some businesses and educational establishments in rooms where they use projection equipment.  Not cheap but what price for a good night's sleep?

Morwenna's idea sounds effective too.   

As for the dawn chorus waking me in the summer months - the only solution to that was triple glazing!

Thanks everyone! Nice to know I'm not alone!
Do you mean a blind within an internal shutter? I've seen one co that advertises that but was put off by the 8 week lead time.
I have ordered some fabric that can be made into a roller or roman blind and will take it from there.
I take it that it's better to put the roller above the window rather than in the recess?

[tiger74]

http://rollertrol.com/images/blackout-roller-blinds/blackout-roller-blind-u-channel-close-up-350x319.jpg

This is the type of thing I meant, used in projection rooms e.g. when people have cinema rooms in their house.  I just picked up this photo on Google images.  The blind unravels into a channel at either side so no light leakage.

Good luck and I hope you sleep well.