Hiw to black out japanese curtain rails in a rental home

14 comments

1. I bought black curtains at nitori and hung them on the line furthest from the window.

2. Switch the lace and actual curtains around? Actual curtains closest to the window?

3. [Someone DIY’d one.](https://moov.ooo/article/5de9bdea32fd1d7138c862b1)

4. Google this.
   カーテンの隙間・光漏れ対策！上・下・横・中央の場所別に手軽にできる対策をレクチャー

   Looks like びっくりカーペット has you covered. Figuratively and literally. Although I’ve not seen these in real life..

5. [deleted]

6. My cheap and lazy solution was to stick a pair of old towels up on top of the curtains. I also have issues sleeping if the room isn’t completely dark, and while I can’t get it as dark as I’d like, my janky solution blocks probably 95% of the light from sneaking through.

   With how my curtains are, opening them doesn’t even move the towels. If you find a less jank way to solve the issue, I’d like to know too.

7. How big are the windows? If not floor to ceiling, then maybe cover the glass with something (set something against it)–cheap and quick would be cardboard, boxes from the supermarket cut to fit. For something more elegant, visit a home center and make a couple panels to fit (again cardboard or something similar, but better-looking and fitting).

   If it’s only the top, then lay a bath towel along there after closing the curtains.

8. My roommate in college and I just covered the window with tin foil. Seriously.

9. Can you just get cardboard and cut pieces with a snap-off razor knife precisely the size of the opening on the top and secure it to two-sided tape? Can probably be done with a trip to Daiso for the knife and 2-sided tape and the local supermarket to fetch a cardboard box or two.

10. Probably simple enough to mount some black foam-core board that sits above the rails and blocks light coming over the top. Would also be a non-permanent solution, so you can leave your rental place as-is when you move.

    I’ve been considering the same thing for my place, but am too hot and lazy right now.

11. I can’t believe I’ve never noticed this before in my own apartment. I have blackout curtains, but the light beaming in at the top is so bright. My brain must have just been filtering it out…

12. Check if you have storm shutters (雨戸) on the outside. If so, you can just close them to block the light permanently.

13. Tokyu Hands sell rolls of black plastic sheeting the right thickness. Cut strips to fit and secure with black electrical tape.

14. 1. Go to Daiso/Watts/Seria/Can Do

    2. Go to art supplies section

    3. Pick up A4 or A3 black cardboard/thick paper x 2

    4. Pick up small exacto knife (if you don’t have already)

    5. Go to shipping supplies section

    6. Pick up wide tape

    7. Pay (should be 330-430 JPY)

    8. Go home

    9. Stick black card/paper to frame of window so that all the edges of the windows are covered by the card.

    You probably won’t need to cover the whole, inside part of the window, but see how you go, this should get rid of most/all of the light leaking in around the curtain edges.