Blockout blinds. Everyone wants them, because who doesn’t love a big sleep in? More to the point who doesn’t love it when a child has a big sleep in. Nothing better. We recently heard of a hack for creating DIY blockout blinds that deserves a big hard pass. No. Just Don’t. We can’t believe that Australian families are actually considering this “unhack”.
Renters – we feel your pain!
How much do blockout blinds cost? Not as much as you’d think. But we get it, you’re in a rental, you’re not about to pay for the landlord to upgrade their window furnishings. Here’s where you opt for cheap and cheerful, poorly fitted blockout blinds “off the shelf”. The problem is, poorly fitted blockout blinds don’t actually…well, block out. Instead they leave that oh-so-bright and oh-so-annoying sunlight edge that is just enough to wake the baby… or disturb your much anticipated weekly sleep in. It’s true, properly fitted blockouts cost more. Because they’re fitted. They’re measured up and created especially for your window. There doesn’t need to be “a bit of leeway” because they’re not one size fits all. That bit of leeway is where the sun shines in.
So you DIY your blockout blinds
You’ve paid for the one size fits all and now, even the slightest breeze causes your room to flood with sunlight. They’ve come from a cheap and cheerful department store so they’re probably kinda ugly. So you’ve invested in some pretty curtains to hide them and to try to stop the leaks. Still, not blocking out that pesky Queensland sun. This is where bad things happen to good people. You get an idea from a Facebook group. Someone has come up with a killer idea for blockout blinds. We’re not even kidding. We saw that post too.
Karen on Facebook suggested you superglue Alfoil to your windows.
Not kidding. Nope. This suggestion is what is actually coming up in Facebook groups and the members are lining up to ask Karen about the kinds of glue and brands of foil to use. You’re watching, in bed, on your phone, with a skinny ray of sunlight bouncing off your corneas. Desperate, you consider DIY blockout blinds.
All the reasons this is a TERRIBLE idea
- METH LABS DO THIS SO THAT THE NEIGHBOURS CANNOT SEE THE METH. YOUR NEIGHBOURS WILL THINK YOU HAVE STARTED A METH LAB.
- Your bond is likely MUCH higher than actual blockout blinds. Wreck a window and you’re not getting that bond back
- Your neighbours will think you’re trying to deflect spy signals from the CIA… They’ll expect to see you in an aluminium hat too.
- Aluminium foil tears easily and is easily “nicked”. It won’t take much to create little sunlight piercing holes in your blockout blinds
- You think your cheapy blinds are ugly, wait ‘til you see this in action
- One day you might actually want sunlight in the room, then what?
- Depending on how your window opens, you could either hinder its movement or simply trash all the aluminium foil, first time you try to get some fresh air.
- Aluminium reacts. It reacts with acids, with bases, with halogens… how much do you know about your glue? Is it halogen free? Are you about to create a slow leak of poisonous gas in your sleeping space?
- And finally, really? Really, are you considering this? Not really, surely.
This is NOT a clever blackout blind hack
So while we feel for renters unable to invest in our carefully crafted, guaranteed to fit just right blockout blinds, we also encourage you NOT to embrace this terrible hack. It’s true, there’s no good solution for renters. Nothing fits like a well fitted blind. Literally nothing. So, we feel for you but this is not the answer. We professionally fit blockout blinds in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Ipswich and, our own home town, Logan. It’s more affordable than you think, and a downright bargain if it means a good night’s sleep!