How can I stop ‘Light Leaks’ from Edges of my Blackout Curtains?

If you are very sensitive to light and need complete room darkening to catch some precious zzz’s, you may be looking for ways to block outside light from leaking through the top and sides of your blackout curtains. So here we are with our top tips to achieve this. We hope these help. If you have any follow up questions, don’t hesitate to drop us a line!

1. Avoid ordering grommet tops, tab tops or rod pocket style custom curtains because the styling of these heading types does not allow for complete light-control. Consider ordering pinch pleat styles or pencil pleat curtains instead with our blackout lining for best results.

2. When installing, hang your track or pole at least 8″ above the window frame. This will help massively in blocking light from the top.  In addition, we recommend extending the track/pole 10″ on each side of the window frame to stem the light leak from the sides.

3. Last but not the least, use our all-time favorite hook and eye hack. We recommend this not just for our blackout curtains, but for all our custom drapes to give you a more professional look. All you need is a hook and eye installed on the sides of the curtain wall underneath your drapery rod/pole. It should be screwed in where the last pleat hook is. Handy reference images are available on this blog post here (see section titled ‘Drapery Returns’) from blogger Seng Nickerson.

Light leaks can be annoying, especially if you work night shifts, or live in camper RVs where maintaining privacy and room darkening can be difficult. However, with these tips, we’re sure you’ll be happy on your next trip on the road, and whether you like to sleep in late or have kids who wake up with a single ray of sunshine kissing their faces, you will be able to achieve 100% room darkening in your rooms and catch up on sleep for as long as you want.

ALSO READ: DECORATING YOUR HOME WITH CREAM BLACKOUT CURTAINS