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

  1. #11
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Removable light proofing method for windows and doors: using your laundry/bathroo

    I am far from hurricane country, but I am looking at these 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.

    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.

  2. #12
    ROL's Avatar
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    Re: Removable light proofing method for windows and doors: using your laundry/bathroo

    Quote Originally Posted by Randy Moe View Post
    I am far from hurricane country, but I am looking at these for rock protection on my condo windows.
    People are throwing rocks at you?!? …and I thought my work was unappreciated.

  3. #13
    Tin Can's Avatar
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    Re: Removable light proofing method for windows and doors: using your laundry/bathroo

    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.

    Quote Originally Posted by ROL View Post
    People are throwing rocks at you?!? …and I thought my work was unappreciated.

  4. #14

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    Re: Removable light proofing method for windows and doors: using your laundry/bathroo

    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.

  5. #15

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    Re: Removable light proofing method for windows and doors: using your laundry/bathroo

    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.
    Philip Ulanowsky

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  6. #16

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    Re: Removable light proofing method for windows and doors: using your laundry/bathroo

    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.
    ” Never attribute to inspiration that which can be adequately explained by delusion”.

  7. #17

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    Re: Removable light proofing method for windows and doors: using your laundry/bathroo

    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.
    The magic you are looking for is in the work you are avoiding.
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  8. #18

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    Re: Removable light proofing method for windows and doors: using your laundry/bathroo

    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!

  9. #19
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    Re: Removable light proofing method for windows and doors: using your laundry/bathroo

    Window Shade:
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Shade.jpg  

  10. #20

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    Re: Removable light proofing method for windows and doors: using your laundry/bathroo

    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.
    Last edited by AtlantaTerry; 16-Sep-2017 at 17:31. Reason: Polishing my prose.

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