ᐅ How to darken windows as effectively as possible at night?

Hello,

we have built a detached house with a pitched roof, ground floor and first floor, and brick-clad exterior walls. On the ground floor, we have roller shutters.

We are now looking for a solution to darken the windows on the first floor as much as possible, so that hardly any light from outside (streetlights, etc.) comes in. Window films are not an option because they would darken the rooms continuously. Unfortunately, we have noticed that many retrofitted blinds often have small gaps at the edges, allowing a lot of light to get through. It is also challenging that one window is integrated into the roof slope.

Can you recommend specific products that, based on your experience, almost completely block out light during the night?

For the (Velux) window in the roof slope, there are track-guided blinds available. These can be very effective at blocking out light if you choose the right fabric.
Something similar should also be available for regular windows.
That said, a simple roller blind mounted in front of the wall can work quite well too. Heavy curtains are also an option, but they might be considered outdated.
Sleeping in complete darkness is something you have to get used to, and I wouldn't recommend encouraging this habit for children in particular.

Roller shutters ... just simple roller shutters. They are also available for skylight windows.

I agree – it's best not to get used to complete darkness and absolute silence; that usually doesn’t work well in hotels, holiday rentals, or other places, and it can create unnecessary problems.

Blinds are generally not completely opaque; roller shutters tend to be better for that, but then no air can flow through.

Alternatively, there are blackout curtains.

Nice-Nofret schrieb:

Otherwise, there are blackout curtains.

Exactly that, combined with blinds, and it is properly dark.

For a standard window, we have a gray roller blind from Ikea in a room. It blocks out all the light.