Removable light proofing method for windows and doors: using your laundry/bathroom as

[l2oBiN]

Hi guys,

I am currently renovating and would like your ideas on how to lightproof a window and the door seal. In both cases it needs to be an "on demand" solution, meaning easily applied and removed.

It would be great to get your ideas and photo examples...

Cheers,

Marko

[mdarnton]

In my various darkrooms I have always thrown a towel against the bottom of the door and that's all the door needed. Right now I have one small window for which I cut a tight-fitting piece of cardboard, wrapping it with a black t-shirt for a seal, and that's working well. All of my other darkrooms have been more permanent and I taped thick black construction/contractor's plastic over the windows, but that won't help you in this instance.

How big are the windows, and do they have sunken frames that you can jam something into easily? If so, I'd find a light and hard material, such as foam insulation, that could be cut to fit and painted, then make a light sealing flange around the edge with black tape.

[ic-racer]

I recently renovated my office. During the renovation I installed a light-tight shade over a glass door. This eliminated the need to put up a wall between my office and connected darkroom space.
118090

[Liquid Artist]

In my last apartment I had light leaks all around the bathroom door, but was able to turn set up a black backdrop on the outside. It was all I needed.
In my present house I use the laundry room. If I am in there at night its perfect, however there are cracks all around the door and the sun shines right through. Wedging the ironing board between the door and the washing machine takes care of most of them and makes it less than ideal but still functional. I keep away from the little stray light on the far side and have never noticed any fogging.

[Jac@stafford.net]

mdarton's suggestions are all good, in particular the part about filling in the window with white insulating foam sheets - if the window is inset from the wall. Once I made the mistake of taping a black plastic sheet against a recessed double-pane window. Sun shining on the plastic created a hot-house which caused the plastic to sag and tear under its own weight. That would not have been minimized if I had added reflective insulation.

[Jmarmck]

I have a closet that I can make dark. The door is old cheap and a very poor fit. It leaks light all around the door. I drape a thin mat type blanket over the entire door, working it in around the hinges. There is enough slope in the fit that the door shuts snuggly sealing out the light. I then toss a towel at the bottom. Even after 10 minutes I cannot see light. This is a dry room and is used only to load and unload film. I still have not gotten a wet room blacked out.

[ROL]

I altered a utility room once upon a time in a way that may be useful to you. The sliding window panes were "blacked out" with cheap, black on one side white on the other, mat board (it's best use? ;)) cut to the pane size and gaffer taped in place inside the frames – the advantage being that the window could still be opened when the room was in normal use. I bought a cheap piece of dark, light proof naugahyde from Jo-ann Fabric to draw as a curtain (with rod) over the inside of the closed door. An oversize piece should drape nicely on the floor and around the sides to prevent door crack light infiltration. I used this multi-use space to develop 120 film for years.

[Jmarmck]

Thanks ROL. That is a start in the right direction for me. :cool:

[Ed Bray]

Can you make a small 3/4" frame around the inside of the window, just far enough away from the window to ensure that any handles/locks are window side of the frame?

If so, cut a piece of 1/4" or 3/8" Plywood or MDF (or any sheet material) to fit inside the window aperture and butt up against the frame. Depending on the size of the window, drill 8 in no (or more if a large window) 5/16" holes with one in each corner and one between them in the middle of each side, only just go through the plywood and make a mark in the 3/4" frame. Then fit 8 in no 1/4" Hanger Bolts (like these) (http://www.boltdepot.com/Product-Details.aspx?product=12146) in each of the marked positions (you will need a couple of 1/4 nuts to fit them without damaging the threads). You will then be able to fit or remove the blackout board by undoing the 8 wing nuts that you also purchased for the job. Fitting a thin layer of self adhesive insulating foam around the frame will also help stop light leaks when the board is snugged up with the wing nuts.

[Luis-F-S]

I used a similar setup to the post above in my first darkroom, except I put the plywood on the outside of the window case opening. Wrapped the plywood with a black felt cloth to keep leaks around the space between the plywood and the wall. A white foamcore board inside the window opening itself would also help. See my post #507 in the link below. L

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?56044-Lets-See-Your-Darkroom/page51

[Tin Can]

I am far from hurricane country, but I am looking at these (http://www.plywoodalternative.com/) for rock protection on my condo windows. Maybe this is overkill for you, but look at the fastening system. I think it's 3M and easy to use.

My darkening solution inside was foam core covered with this (http://www.homedepot.com/p/Reflectix-4-ft-x-25-ft-Double-Reflective-Insulation-BP48025/100052556).

I stuffed the slightly oversize window covers inside the frames without fasteners. I obtained blackout, heat reduction and a side benefit of sound reduction. I cannot hear road traffic anymore.

[ROL]

I am far from hurricane country, but I am looking at these (http://www.plywoodalternative.com/) for rock protection on my condo windows.

People are throwing rocks at you?!? …and I thought my work was unappreciated.:eek:

[Tin Can]

I had some scrap 1/4" steel plate to put up behind my glass brick for slowing bullets, but I could not get my buddies to help me lift them into place. They laughed. If I catch a bullet through the glass, it's now on them. I am very near the Chicago killzone, like 2 blocks.

The rocks are thrown from the new park across the street, that is 20 feet above me. Throw, run and now they have a downward angle to shoot from.


People are throwing rocks at you?!? …and I thought my work was unappreciated.:eek:

[Harold_4074]

It seems that I have used most of these lightproofing techniques at one time or another, and sometimes encountered considerable frustration when permanent modification was not an option. And then I realized that most of them can be made probably 99% effective. The remaining two percent is completely unacceptable, particularly if it is daylight. But I eventually realized that a black curtain is also at least 99% effective (also according to my finely calibrated guesswork) so combining almost anything with a black curtain will do the job.

The "door" to my current darkroom is a military-surplus wool blanket, clamped between two strips of wood at the top, hung on the "light" side of the doorway and draping to the floor. On the inside, there is a curtain of flame-retardant black Oxford cloth. At times, direct afternoon sunlight hits the assembly but if I have not left an open fold somewhere any light leakage is swamped by the glow-in-the-dark numerals on my timer.

[Ulophot]

I bought Panda-Film-Black-White-Poly plastic sheet, in the 10x10-foot size, to cover insulation foam board for my window blackouts. Thought someone might be interested. I found it on Amazon.

[Willie]

A lightweight insulation product called P2000 in one inch size works well. Has aluminized mylar on both sides. Cuts easily to size. I put a rope handle through the middle so I can lift in and out. 1/4 inch plywood piece on the other side for the rope to go through and so I don't pull it out when lifting.

Cut to fit the window. Gaffers tape around the edges. It fits well with friction and an added benefit is the heat reflecting surface. If you are worried about light you can always tape rolled black plastic 'drop cloth' material on it.

Am in cold country in an old farmhouse with poor insulation. Took out lath & plaster walls and put this between the wall studs. Two layers on 1 inch insulation and then full sheets covering the studs before the sheetrock. Great even in 40 below temperatures. In doing so I saw how it blocked light while being lightweight and made a light block for the kitchen window so I could use it for a darkroom before I finished mine in the basement.

Also makes an inexpensive reflector for photo purposes. Lightweight and stiff and available in silver and white surfaces.

[esearing]

I use black out curtains on a rod above louvered door to the garage. it is enough to keep out the light even when the garage doors are open in daylight. The black out curtains come in nice patterns these days so your spouse won't mind them. You may have to augment the window with cardboard as others have suggested.

[Alan9940]

For the window (large), I bought a couple of sheets of white foamcore board and taped together to a size about 4 inches larger than the inside window area. Then, I installed threaded anchors around the window and used furring strips with wing nuts to hold the foamcore board tightly against the wall. Takes a couple of minutes to remove, but it's easy to do. For the door, I installed weather sealing around the outside door jam and use a rolled up towel for the opening under the door. None of this is as easy as my old darkroom where I simply closed the door and I was good to go, but, at least, I can still work comfortably whenever I want.

Good luck!

[ic-racer]

Window Shade:

[AtlantaTerry]

A couple years ago when I was living in a different house, my solution to darken a bathroom window came from a Jo-Ann Fabric Store and my tool box:
1. extendable curtain rod
2. black out fabric
3. Nylon fishing line
4. two finishing nails
5. some spring-type wooden clothes pins

Tack the nails into the top corners of the window frame leaving some of each nail protruding.
Tie the Nylon line to the ends of the extendable curtain rod.
Use the clothes pins to affix the blackout fabric to the curtain rod.
Hook the Nylon line over one finishing nail, run the line across the top of the window frame then over the second nail and down to the opposite end of the rod.

The Nylon line needed to have enough slack in it to hang over the nails and top of the frame yet be short enough that the curtain rod remained above the opening to the window. A few minutes of trial and error was all that was needed.

The result was a fast to set up and take down darkout curtain. BUT it only was good between sunset and sunrise!

Now I am in a house where the bathroom has no windows but a skylight. So now I need to come up with a different solution. I'm thinking of using some self-adhesive white Velcro stickers that will be affixed to the corners of the skylight frame. Then I will buy some felt cut to size to fit over the opening and affix corresponding Velcro stickers to the corners of the fabric. If this works, I will be able to stand on the toilet to rapidly attach or detach the fabric. Again, this only a solution to use at night.

[umshaun]

I've had success with 6 mil poly sheeting and gaffers tape. It looks like trash though.

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[Jim Noel]

I have 2 methods.
1. if the window is set into the wall, I build a wooden fram which slide in. On top of this is a piece of plywood painted black on the window side which hangs over the edge 4-6" all around. Thisis in my current DR and has been for over 25 years. Mine even has a port through which I can open the window for ventilation when desired.
2. There used to be an extremely dense black plastic made to black out windows. It stayed on the glass via static electricity. Worked great. I just gave my last piece to a friend, or I would send it to you. Perhaps you can find some. One brand had a name similar to "Photographers Friend".

[Jim Noel]

I have 2 methods.
1. if the window is set into the wall, I build a wooden fram which slide in. On top of this is a piece of plywood painted black on the window side which hangs over the edge 4-6" all around. Thisis in my current DR and has been for over 25 years. Mine even has a port through which I can open the window for ventilation when desired.
2. There used to be an extremely dense black plastic made to black out windows. It stayed on the glass via static electricity. Worked great. I just gave my last piece to a friend, or I would send it to you. Perhaps you can find some. One brand had a name similar to "Photographers Friend".

[LabRat]

If you can leave it up, taping aluminum foil over the window works great, or there is a heavy, black construction plastic from your home store that is used (I think) as a moisture barrier for walls and roofing and comes in large enough sheets/rolls enough to make a wall inside a room...

Like Jim, I have made frames over windows using tileboard sheets that work well, but any hanging cover usually has at least one complex area to seal/cover, but OK for night use...

Good luck!!!

Steve K

[Paul Ron]

for the door... get the weather strip built into wood strips from home depot. it nails on with brads. the bottom of the door, i use a door sweep. these can be permenent and painted to match the room and looks finished.

ridgid foam insulating boards, blue or pink depending on the thickness you want, from home depot are cheap. comes in 4'x8' sheets, cut to size for each window and put self stick weather strip at the edges so when you jam it in the frame, it stays put.... otherwise tape it in place using painters tape.

[malexand]

for the door... get the weather strip built into wood strips from home depot. it nails on with brads. the bottom of the door, i use a door sweep. these can be permenent and painted to match the room and looks finished.

ridgid foam insulating boards, blue or pink depending on the thickness you want, from home depot are cheap. comes in 4'x8' sheets, cut to size for each window and put self stick weather strip at the edges so when you jam it in the frame, it stays put.... otherwise tape it in place using painters tape.

I second (or third) the use of foam insulation board - especially useful if you can get the type with a foil backing. This is 100% light proof. Can be easily cut to size and jammed in just about any opening without additional framing, tape or support. If you can find the foil-backed without the brand-name printed on it, even better. It also makes for great lighting reflectors too!