Blackout and light control

Shift workers, parents of young children, light sleepers and home cinema fans all want darker rooms. A blockout fabric is a start, but getting a room truly dark depends on how the covering is fitted and what it's combined with.

This is general information. We don't publish prices or recommend particular brands or businesses.

Fabric

Blockout fabrics are designed to stop most light passing through the fabric itself. Ask suppliers about samples so you can hold them up to a window.

Light gaps

Most light in a "blockout" room comes around the edges, not through the fabric. Inside-mounted blinds leave gaps at the sides; there may also be gaps at the top around the roller and at the bottom.

Ways to reduce light leaks

• Outside mount the covering with an overlap on each side.
• Cassettes or headboxes can cover the roller at the top.
• Side channels can close side gaps on some systems.
• Layering a blockout blind with lined curtains and a pelmet.

Heat and comfort

Close-fitting, lined coverings can also help with warmth. energy.gov.au suggests coverings lined with a light-coloured blockout backing to help reduce heat loss in winter and heat gain in summer.

Children's rooms

Young children's rooms need extra care. The ACCC warns that blind and curtain cords can strangle young children. Choose cordless or motorised options where you can, secure any cords, and keep cots and furniture away from windows.

Media rooms

For media rooms, think about glare on screens during the day as well as darkness. Combining a sunscreen and blockout (a double roller) can give flexibility.

Ask for samples

Colours and textures look different on a screen, in a showroom and in your home. Ask suppliers for fabric or material samples, and look at them at the window at different times of day. Hold blockout samples up to bright light to see how much passes through. Check sunscreen samples for the view out by day and the view in at night. Compare colours against walls, floors and furniture. If you're choosing for several rooms, keep the samples together and label them. Many people find that the sample they liked in the showroom isn't the one they choose at home.

Motorised options

Motorised blinds and curtains are operated by a remote, wall switch, app or timer. They remove cords and chains altogether, which many households with young children value, and they make large or hard-to-reach windows easier to use. They can be scheduled to open and close with the sun to help with comfort. Ask suppliers about power options (battery, rechargeable or hard-wired), how they are charged, what happens in a power outage, and the warranty on the motor. Hard-wired motors involve electrical work, which must be done by a licensed electrician.

Thinking room by room

Different rooms ask different things of a window covering. Bedrooms usually need privacy and darkness. Living areas need glare control during the day and privacy at night. Kitchens need coverings that are easy to wipe and won't be damaged by steam or grease. Bathrooms need materials that tolerate moisture. Children's rooms need cordless or carefully secured systems. Street-facing rooms may need privacy during the day as well as at night. Walk through your home at different times of day and note how the light falls, which windows face the street, and where heat or cold is a problem. That list becomes the brief you give to suppliers, and it helps you avoid choosing one product for every window when different rooms need different things.

Noise and comfort

Soft furnishings can help make rooms feel quieter and more comfortable by reducing echo. Heavier lined curtains and fabric blinds may help more than hard materials, though window coverings alone won't block outside noise like better glazing can. If noise is a major concern, ask a glazing specialist about options and treat coverings as one part of the solution.

Sun, fading and orientation

Windows facing north and west in Melbourne typically get stronger sun, and fabrics exposed to strong sunlight can fade over time. Linings, lighter backings and sunscreen fabrics can help protect furniture and floors as well as the coverings themselves. Think about orientation when choosing fabrics and colours, and ask suppliers about fabric performance in sunny positions.

Working to a budget

We don't publish prices, because they depend on the product, size, fabric, controls and installation. To make a budget go further, prioritise the rooms where coverings matter most, such as bedrooms and street-facing rooms, and stage the rest. Get written quotes for the same specification from several suppliers so you can compare fairly. Ask whether simpler fabrics or controls would meet your needs.

Questions to ask yourself first

Before you start, think about what you want your window coverings to do. Is the priority privacy, darkness, glare control, warmth, looks or easy cleaning? How often will each covering be opened and closed, and by whom? Are there young children in the home? Do any windows have handles, winders or unusual shapes? Do you rent or own? What's your timeframe? Short answers to these questions make it much easier to compare products and quotes, and to explain what you need to suppliers.

Where our information comes from

We base the safety and energy information in this guide on official sources, including ACCC Product Safety Australia, the Federal Register of Legislation, YourHome, Sustainability Victoria, energy.gov.au and Consumer Affairs Victoria, listed at the end of the page. Practical tips about products are general guidance only. Requirements and guidance change, so we show the date we last checked the page. Before relying on any detail, follow the source links.

Use the measuring planner

Our free measuring planner helps you list each window, record inside or outside mount sizes, and print a tidy sheet to take to suppliers. It reminds you about cord safety, and nothing you enter leaves your browser. It doesn't apply manufacturing deductions; suppliers do that based on their products.

Getting help from suppliers

Good suppliers will explain options clearly, bring samples, measure carefully and put everything in writing. Don't be afraid to ask questions, including why they recommend a particular product, what alternatives exist, and how the covering will be fixed and operated. Ask to see examples of similar installations. If a supplier can't answer clearly, or pressures you to sign on the spot, take your time and get another quote. A clear, unhurried conversation is usually a good sign that the rest of the process will go smoothly too.

Living with your choice

Once coverings are installed, give yourself a few weeks to see how they work through different weather and light. Notice whether rooms feel warmer, darker or more private, and whether coverings are easy to use. If something isn't operating properly, contact the supplier early rather than waiting. Small adjustments, such as tension on a chain or alignment of a shutter panel, are often simple to fix soon after installation. Make a note of anything you'd do differently for the next room.

Accessibility and ease of use

Think about who will be operating each covering. Heavy blinds, high windows and stiff controls can be hard for some people to use, including older people and people with limited reach or grip. Motorised controls, wands, lighter fabrics and splitting wide windows into smaller coverings can make daily use easier. Ask suppliers to demonstrate controls before you order, and consider where switches or remotes will be kept.

Sustainability

Choosing durable coverings, caring for them well and repairing rather than replacing can reduce waste. Ask suppliers whether replacement parts are available, whether fabrics can be cleaned, and what happens to old coverings when they are removed. Coverings that help reduce heating and cooling needs can also help lower energy use, as YourHome and Sustainability Victoria explain. Avoid vague environmental claims and ask suppliers to explain any they make.

Key points

• Blockout fabric alone doesn’t guarantee darkness.
• Most light leaks around the edges.
• Outside mounts, cassettes, side channels and layering help.
• Lined coverings can help with warmth too.
• Choose cordless options in children’s rooms.