CurtPalme.com Home Theater Forum

irridion · Joined: 25 Dec 2006 Posts: 80 Location: toronto

is there an inexpensive way to comepletely blackout windows? I live in an apartment and have floor to ceiling windows in my living room, I can't seem to find anything to seal out the light that won't get me evicted!

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 7:23 am Post subject:

Use what I use. It makes it look like a marajuana grow op from the out side but when the police show up they are stunned by the picture quality of the CRT displaying Adam 12, Streets of Sanfrancisco, Car 54 Where Are You? Kojack and Hawai 5-0 re-runs. Then all is ok Smile

8)

Home Depot or Rona in the insulation section. Buy the silver bubble wrap and some duct tape. Roll said insulation over big windows and tape in place. Also good for keeping heat in and sun out. Make sure to leave small section where you can remove insulation. This is where you put the house plants. No not those house plants. The leagal kind Smile

OR goto a restaurant supply place and buy some rolls of aluminum foil and tape them up.

Alternatively goto Fabricland and ask for blackout cloth. Use some to make your screen and use the rest to block the light from your windows. If you are feeling adventurist you can make drapes out of it. I'd go with the duct tape personaly. Or the foil tape. It works wonders too. Doesn't leave as much of a residue either.

Check out the screen forums for a cheap and easy screen made from black out cloth.

By the way the bubble wrap isn't all that cheap, the aluminum foil may be cheaper or maybe not. The blackout cloth would be the least expensive I'd guess. Or go dumpster diving at clothing manufacturers and see what kind of odd and ends of fabric they have. Carpet rements would work too. Hell you could even hang nice area rugs up as curtains. Use your imagination. You'll find something.

Tom.W · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 6637

Do a search on flea bay for blackout curtains .

irridion · Joined: 25 Dec 2006 Posts: 80 Location: toronto

Is there some type of paint I could just roll on? Erm...and that would be easy to get off?

Maybe a silicone paint, then I could peel it off when I move/get evicted/graduate?

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 5:20 pm Post subject: Re: painting the windows?

Tom.W · Joined: 09 Mar 2006 Posts: 6637

Not that I know of but Blackout material is the easiest and cheapest solution . Here's a link....

http://search.ebay.com/search/search.dll?sofocus=bs&sbrftog=1&catref=C6&fcl=3&from=R10&satitle=Blackout+curtains&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D2&sadis=200&fpos=80465&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=&fsop=2&fsoo=2

Bruce 09 · Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 5:47 pm Post subject:

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 5:57 pm Post subject:

irridion · Joined: 25 Dec 2006 Posts: 80 Location: toronto

Went to Fabricland, odd is not the word. I was the only guy there and kept getting stares from all the ladies with blue hair rinse. Matron salewoman comes over and asks if I require assistance, but made it sound like "What are you doing here?"

I tell her I need fabric to cover my windows that blocks out all of the light from coming into a room. She raises an eyebrow and walks me over to her curtains section and shows me black velvety curtains and says with a lining would work.

I ask if a lining will make any fabric work, and she says yes, impatiently. Tired of the attitude I ask her if I can have 5 metres of Purple fake fur so my curtains will look like I've killed and skinned a Muppet and hung it up! Smile

Um...she doesn't laugh...but a customer does!

Anyway they have stuff. They laughing customer tells me that they have a "special members only sale" in 2 weeks 60% off, or something like that on fabric I can use.

Who has a Fabricland membership?...ya, thought so.

I am going back next week with a high powered flashlight and girl who knows how to sew things together and has a fabricland membership. I am still worried about some light penetrating my funeral parlour for muppets, come (forum deleted myproper useage of "C UM) home theatre curtains.

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 6:58 pm Post subject:

Hey I shop there for hallowe'en costume materials. I think at one time myself and 2 of my friends had memberships. It's ok man, it doens't make you less of a man. Trust me LOL

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 7:04 pm Post subject:

Oh yeah I forgot to add:

Don't forget the gold piping. That's the braided gold chord they had on the drapes in Gone with the wind. You could do an angora version of those curtains. lol

irridion · Joined: 25 Dec 2006 Posts: 80 Location: toronto

I'll use it 4 curtains and wall/sound insulation, then I'm going to add a BIG FAT Crystal Chandelier hanging from my PJ Wink

ack...chokes...

*runs away from fabricland and into home depot*

**AnalogRocks** · Posted: Sun Dec 31, 2006 8:02 pm Post subject:

So did you get the membership?

imjghook · Joined: 29 Jul 2011 Posts: 3 Location: Dallas

Try this stuff from DBox inc. Its called Glass Masking Paint. You paint it on and when your ready to take it off you just peel it off. I comes off in one big sheet. Really cool product. Property managers use it for vacancy windows. Looks real clean and professional. Here's a link: http://dboxinc.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=99&Itemid=87

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273

Yeah, and at almost $200 a bucket I'd say f*ck***.

imjghook · Joined: 29 Jul 2011 Posts: 3 Location: Dallas

Yea a bit pricy but it works. One bucket covers allot of windows. Have you priced drapes lately?

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273

I would hate to think any home theater as having 'many' windows. Ideally, we'd expect none, but in most homes I would imagine one, maybe two. Also, how do they address (or even acknowledge) heat build up in two/three-pane sealed windows. Will the elevated heat build-up cause the seals to leak--thus lowering their efficiency?

imjghook · Joined: 29 Jul 2011 Posts: 3 Location: Dallas

What I understand is that its a breathable film and does not cause heat build up. I use it on my vacant shopping center windows and my house in Dallas. We have had over 29 days over 100 degrees and no problems for me. Maybe if you call them they can sell a smaller qty? I have not seen anything like this product before. Just trying to answer Irridion's question above, not looking for a debate.

WanMan · Joined: 19 Mar 2006 Posts: 10273

I wasn't suggesting that the painted material had any relevant heat capacity to store heat, but rather the exterior-facing would reflect at the glass (instead of beyond the glass in an air gap).

garyfritz · Joined: 08 Apr 2006 Posts: 12026 Location: Fort Collins, CO

I wouldn't expect much heat buildup between the outside pane and the paint on the inside of the inside pane. Not like e.g. if you cram styrofoam into a window well and there's a gap inside the window. As long as the paint is white or some other very light color, it should reflect a lot of the sunlight as light instead of converting it to heat. The solar energy never gets past the inside of the inside pane so there should be very little inside heating.

Obviously painting the outside of the outside pane would be ideal, because that way the heat never gets inside the glass. But also obviously that has wear/weather issues. I would think paint on the inside pane should work pretty well.