While some blackout liners are sewn directly onto the curtain, other liners are a separate structure, one side looking like vinyl, the other like fabric. The fabric side faces the window to help protect the coated side, although the blackout feature works regardless of the lining's direction.
Feel the surface of blackout or dimout lining; one side will feel smooth, and one will feel rougher. The rough side is the right side, and it should orient to the road. (“Rough to the Road”).
Use an inside mount for the most light-blocking capability. Blackout curtains are installed in the same way as standard curtains and drapes. To get the most out of the room-darkening qualities, measure a couple of inches beyond the window frame on all sides.
Blackout fabric isn't black. Both sides of the fabric are white. One side has a finish and the other side doesn't. The finish is sewn to the outside, which means the finish will be closest to the window when the drapery is hung.
Most curtain rods are hung at least 4 inches (10 cm) above the top of the window frame. You may want to hang yours even higher to give the illusion of height to your windows and make the room seem taller. Don't add more than 8 inches (20 cm) to the length, as hanging curtains this high can look awkward.
Blackout Backing is an opaque fabric lining that has the distinctive quality of blocking light, and comes in two forms: 2-pass and 3-pass. Two-pass has two "passes" of foam on a fabric, a black layer and a white layer. With only two passes, the black layer of foam will be visible on one side of the backing.
Blackout curtains are thick, so they also help soften outside noise. Blackout curtains are available in a range of colors and sizes. Since you can't see through blackout curtains at all, they increase privacy better than other curtain types.
How High to Hang Curtains. A rule of thumb (from Architectural Digest) is that curtains should be hung between four to six inches above the window frame, so install your curtain rod accordingly. When you hang the curtain rod high, it will make the window appear taller.
Each curtain panel should be at least as wide as your window. Measure from the spot you plan to hang the rod (usually four to six inches above the window, but a minimum of two inches) to the floor to figure out the length of the curtains. Add more length if you want the drapes to pool.
Here's the difference in a nutshell: Blackout shades use a fabric that blocks 100% of all incoming light, while “room darkening” usually refers to almost any shade that uses a fabric that blocks between 95% and 99% of the light that enters your room.
The moment the sun goes down and lights come on inside the house, sheer curtains can completely expose you to outsiders. Semi-sheers are less translucent and their weave is denser.
Blackout curtains and shades will reduce the amount of heat which is transferred via your windows by as much as 24 percent, keeping the rooms where they're installed cooler in summer and warmer in winter. This will allow you to use your heating and cooling system more efficiently and save energy.
Blackouts block more light from entering the room. Even during the winter months, they can help to block out the glare of streetlights and even passing cars' headlights, allowing for a rested and peaceful night's sleep. Surprisingly, blackout curtains can also help to reduce outside noise from entering the room.
Blackout regulations began to be enforced in Britain in 1939. They required that all windows and doors were covered at night so that not even a glimmer could escape to eyes of enemy pilots. The government ensured that blackout material was available and affordable for every household.
Light blocking strips (or Light Blockers) are an adhesive vinyl strip that can be attached to your window frame and will obstruct those pesky gaps. These are typically used in tandem with blackout window treatments but can be used to simply reduce the light coming in from the sides.
Aluminum foil is probably one of the cheapest ways to blackout the windows in your home. With one roll, you should be able to cover the windows in your room and still have enough leftover to wrap the kids' sandwiches for school. The foil will reflect the light as it tries to make its way through your windows.
The standard distance from the window casing to the end of the curtain rod (excluding finials) on each side of the window should be four to 10 inches. As a general rule, drapes will be open during the day, so make sure the curtain rod extends at least four inches on each side of the window's inside frame.
The answer to this question is important because it can affect the way we do our decorations. Yes, curtains should be long enough to touch the floor. With a few exceptions, the longer the curtains are the more stylish and elegant it will look. This is why most standard ready-made curtains are lengthy.
The proper position is ½ inch above the floor for free hanging curtains. This distance allows for mopping and cleaning while creating the illusion that the curtain touches the floor.
Where to put curtain tie backs. The rule of thumb here, as with hold backs, is to position curtain tie backs a third of the way up from where the curtain ends. So, you would take the full curtain drop length, divide by three and position one third of the way up from the bottom.