How do I block light coming from my neighbors TV?

May 3, 2014 7:48 AM

My neighbors watch a lot of television. In fact, they leave it running for the entire night. During the winter I can manage because just lower my blinds all the way. The problem is during the summer, when I need to keep my blinds up to let the AC blow into the room. I have used a sleep mask, but I am curious if there is something aesthetically pleasing or neutral (i.e. not cardboard) that I can put in between my window sill and bottom of the blinds to block any light coming from outside. Here is an image of I need to block.
posted by helios410 to Home & Garden (18 answers total)

I wonder if you could trim the blinds so that when they are pulled all the way down the AC is not covered. Can you cut a rectangle shape out of the blinds?
posted by Houstonian at 7:51 AM on May 3, 2014

How about a throw pillow or two? Or a nicely colored blanket? Or a piece of wood cut to the right dimensions, painted with whatever color you like? Or a wall made out of LEGO bricks? Or, pretty much anything, really....
posted by dfriedman at 7:54 AM on May 3, 2014

Personally I would buy a black sheet or remnant of black material, double it over and attach it to the bottom of the blinds with clothes pegs (leaving the aircon uncovered). A sheet because I've found it's a cheap and easy way to get a piece of black material (something from a fabric shop would also work) and clothes pegs because they're often in the house already and easy enough to get from a two dollar shop if not (binder clips or similar would work too).

I have a black sheet pegged to the top of my bedroom window where the blinds don't fully cover the sides. It was easy to assemble and works well.
posted by shelleycat at 8:08 AM on May 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

Plants?
posted by papayaninja at 8:11 AM on May 3, 2014

> something from a fabric shop would also work

You can buy blackout fabric at most fabric stores, which would do an even better job. It doesn't look great, but you could just put it up at night.
posted by The corpse in the library at 8:23 AM on May 3, 2014

Seconding some nice broad-leaf plants.
posted by greta simone at 8:26 AM on May 3, 2014

What about curtains? You can pull one side all the way to the a/c unit.
posted by xingcat at 8:30 AM on May 3, 2014 [2 favorites]

I nth the plants idea. Or books. Or get a valance or two that you can use a tension rod to go from the window frame to the air conditioning unit.
posted by Yellow at 8:36 AM on May 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

Maybe this?
posted by ddaavviidd at 9:23 AM on May 3, 2014 [4 favorites]

I think throw pillows could work well and look nice.
posted by J. Wilson at 9:30 AM on May 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

I would do a tension rod (I can't tell how wide the window is, you can get a skinny one up to about 50 inches or a fat one for 70+), for zero damage, and then hang fabric over it, doubled if necessary.
posted by Lyn Never at 9:40 AM on May 3, 2014 [2 favorites]

That's an awfully nice bookshelf you have there, especially for all these oversized coffee table art books I have sitting here.
posted by carsonb at 9:52 AM on May 3, 2014 [2 favorites]

I have a similar set up and I use black foam board from the office supply store. I just lean them in the window at night and take them down when I get up. But I do like the idea of using the space for a bookshelf. Good luck!
posted by harrietthespy at 10:07 AM on May 3, 2014

Black foamboard cut to size is classier (and stiffer) than cardboard. I use this too.
posted by zeek321 at 10:29 AM on May 3, 2014

I would put up a curtain rod just above the height of the AC, and make a short curtain to cover the area. In fact you could even use a tension rod between the AC and the window frame so that when the AC is taken down fir the winter, you take the curtain down too, so it's only there when it's needed.
posted by 5_13_23_42_69_666 at 12:42 PM on May 3, 2014

This is a job for privacy window film. You'll want a darker film to block out the glare...
posted by politikitty at 4:30 PM on May 3, 2014 [1 favorite]

In a fit of unfanciness, I have used aluminum foil in similar circumstances. I was desperate.
posted by crankyrogalsky at 11:52 PM on May 3, 2014

I've used posters as window-covering before, mostly because I had tall skinny panels of a bay window, and a set of tall skinny posters. It worked well to block out street view but I could still use the blinds to let in light through the top half or not. Or you could just go to a craft paper store and pick something pretty (or wrapping paper) Depending on the paper, it could be anything from fairly dark covering to soft diffuse filtered light.

If you want something that isn't there all the time, so you can have a view out during the day, consider tacking a rectangle of fabric to the bottom of the blinds; when the blinds roll up, the panel is blocking part of the top pane of the window, and you can see out the bottom pane.
posted by aimedwander at 8:32 AM on May 4, 2014