Tips to Maximise Light-Blocking & Stop Light Leaks from Curtains

 

Curtains add visual interest to a room through colour, pattern, and rippled silhouettes. However, their contribution to enhancing the visual appeal of a space is not limited to that. They also set the ambience by regulating the light inflow into the room, best demonstrated as bedroom curtains where they can colour the space with a moody elegance. No matter the degree of light control expected - whether it’s only to soften the harsh sun glare in a living room or to pitch the room in total darkness in a bedroom - we can all agree that underperformance and light leaks are annoying.

Fortunately, there are several means to maximise the light-controlling capacity of your curtains and minimise light leaks around their profiles. This blog arrays key considerations to be made before ordering the drapery, as well as remedial measures that can be embraced after installing the curtains. Whether optimal light-blocking is your forethought or afterthought, you will find reliable styling advice here. So, without further ado, let’s dive in - 

Add Blackout Lining

 

The process of optimising light control with curtains starts with the selection of the drapery fabric and its lining. Tight-woven thick fabrics should be preferred to provide maximum resistance to incoming light. 

If the goal is a high level of room darkening in a bedroom, nursery or media room for example, opt for blackout curtains, either as the front ‘face’ fabric or as the lining. So, whether you’ve chosen a humble cotton or a stately velvet, the blackout lining can help accomplish a dark, moody ambience when the curtains are drawn. 

However, there are nuances to this choice that require attention. Blackout lining will be most effective if the choice of face fabric also supports the goal of room darkening. To that end, here are a couple of tips to keep in mind to maximise the room-darkening capacity of your blackout-lined drapes: 

• OPT FOR DARKER COLOURS: Darker colours absorb light and block it better than lighter colours that reflect light and bounce it around. So, if you want the highest possible level of room-darkening, choose a dark-hued drapery face fabric, and then support it with blackout lining.
• OPT FOR HEAVIER FABRICS: You can expect a terrific insulator from a heavy cotton or velvet curtain with a blackout lining but not half as much from a loose-woven linen or lightweight cotton. So, choose a tight-knit thick drapery fabric and then back it with our blackout lining for maximum insulation.

Alternatively, you can choose blackout drapery face fabric itself which will provide room-darkening even without the use of a blackout lining. And, if you want to accentuate the insulative capacity further, you can also add a blackout lining behind a blackout fabric.

Install the Drapery Pole Higher and Wider

 

Light leaks from the curtain edges compromise the insulative capacity of the curtains, and for someone who needs an evenly darkened room to catch a wink, this can be bothersome. So, one simple technique to plug those leaks is to go for extended coverage on all sides. 

For this, mount your drapery pole/track at least 15 centimetres above the window trim. Also, extend it beyond the window’s frame by at least 15 centimetres on each side. This will ensure that the curtains overlap the window frame substantially at the top and the sides, drastically narrowing down the gaps through which light leaks in. However, to cancel light leaks altogether from the top and sides, other ideas can work in tandem which we explain ahead -

• INSTALL FRENCH RETURN CURTAIN RODS: Mitigating light leaks from the sides of the drapery need not be an afterthought. If you haven’t yet purchased your hardware, consider choosing French curtain rods, also known as self-return curtain rods. These rods do not have finials, instead they turn at a right angle and attach to the wall. Thus the curtains wrap around the window, leaving no gap between the curtain and the wall, cancelling chances of light bleeding in from the sides.

• USE THE HOOK-AND-EYE METHOD: If you have missed the opportunity to install French curtain poles, worry not. You can still minimise light leaks from the sides by covering the ‘drapery return’ that is, the distance between the wall and the curtain - with a simple hack. This simple DIY idea involves screwing in a small screw eye bolt, better known as ‘hook and eye’, on the wall right under the pole where the last pleat’s hook is. Then when hanging the curtains on the pole, feed the last pleat’s hook into the eyelet of the screw eye bolt. Thus the curtains will touch the wall on both sides of the window, seamlessly covering the return.

Opt for Floor-Length Curtains

 

Light also leaks from the bottom of the drapery, so being generous with the length helps to enhance the room-darkening capacity of your drapery. Opt for floor-length made-to-measure curtains rather than sill-length short curtains. And, for best results, go for the seamless coverage of floor-to-ceiling drapery where light can find no escape. 

Pay special attention to the drop-point. If the curtains float an inch or so above the floor, some light will seep in from under the drapes. For optimal light-blocking from the bottom, ensure that the curtains graze the floor lightly. For even better results, choose to break-puddle them, that is, extend them by an inch after touching the floor. Thus the curtains will make seamless contact with the floor, cancelling all risks of light leaks. We recommend this drop-point, especially for rooms with uneven floors where floating curtains cannot maintain a uniform finish, thus creating wider gaps at some points. Break-puddling minimises light leaks and also masks the defect of the unleveled floor.

Splurge on the Width and Ensure ‘Fuller’ Pleats 

 

Curtains, more than any other type of window treatment, are capable of insulating the room because they have something unique: the ‘pleats’. The rippled contours of the drapery bring multiple layers of the fabric at play, thereby multiplying its insulative capacity. In addition, the pleats create air pockets and the air trapped between the folds further enhances the curtains’ volume, and by extension, their capacity to block light. So, be generous with the width, and you will have ‘fuller’ pleats. And the denser the gather, the more effective your curtains will be at light-blocking. For a clearer explanation with examples of calculating the right width for maximum fullness, visit our Drapery Measurement Guide. 

Choose a Full-Coverage Heading Style

 

The heading style refers to the design of the curtain header - the top portion that attaches to the pole/track. There are over a dozen heading styles on offer at The White Window, each offering a unique combination of visual appeal and functional traits. Some heading styles are better than others at blocking light, so be wise with the choice when optimal light blocking is a priority.

For maximising the room-darkening capacity of your drapes, opt for heading styles such as double pinch pleats, flat panel tops, rod pockets, pencil pleats, etc, that feature a continuous coverage of the top without any eyelets, gaps or tabs - thereby minimising chances of light leaks from the top.

Styles such as tab tops, grommet tops and tie tops, on the other hand, feature fabric loops or eyelets through which light can pass, making them less-than-ideal options for blackout drapery. 

We recommend referring to our Drapery Headings Style Guide to go through each of the styles in detail before you make your decision.

Install Cornices or Valances

 

If you can incorporate pelmets, cornices or board-mounted valances into your decor style, note that they can be of immense help to optimise the efficiency of your room-darkening drapery. These add–ons that are often seen primarily as decorative additions, are in fact, great for containing light leaks from above the drapery. They seal all the gaps between the drapery and the wall and leave no scope for light to break through from the top.

The Bottom Line

 

Be it the bedroom where you want to unwind at the end of a long grind or the home office where you want to block the sun’s glare on the computer screen, drapes are expected to work to their best in blocking light at your desired level. This function is not met by merely selecting the right fabric, it is rather a team effort where several design decisions harmonise and synchronise to achieve the end goal of optimal light control. We hope that this blog has helped you identify all the key factors at play so that you can maximise the light control capacity of your drapery. If you’ve just embarked on your decor journey, pay attention to details such as fabric, lining, coverage and so on before placing the order. If you’re trying to enhance the light-blocking capacity of your curtains after ordering and installing them, take steps to close the light leaks around the drapery. And that’s how you maximise the light-blocking capacity of your drapes!