Blackout Blinds: Casstyle vs Shy Zipscreen vs Hunter Douglas

[ic-racer]

The top cassette was suspended so I could work with it and get the mounting holes correct. There was less then 1/8 inch error needed in the mounting location. Any error in mounting could cause the shade to bind in either side channel. If it is not perfectly level, the shade can drift to one side or the other when it goes up and down.

 

[ic-racer]

There happened to be a stud right on the edge of where the mounting hole needed to be. I wound up getting about 4 different types of blind nuts to find one system that would deploy in that setting.
For the record, this is the type that worked for me:

 

[ic-racer]

Finally mounted to the wall:

 

[ic-racer]

Almost ready to go:

 

[ic-racer]

Installed, but...it is not totally light tight!

 

[ic-racer]

It took as much time to make it light-tight as it did to install:

 

[ic-racer]

Looks pretty ugly here with all the black tape, but once I finish the walls, I'll fill the gap between the side channel and the wall so I won't need the black tape.

 

[Mike Wilde]

I am much lower tech. I cut foam core board to fit the openning, and then paint one side of it (usually the outside) flat black. Some times if I need black out in full sunlight I might glue balck construction paper to the front of the foam core. Wrap the edges with black masking tape (b&h sells it).

 

[Chuck_P]

Your new blackout blinds look good---I was wandering if they were going to be light tight as installed, looks like you have that taken care of that.

 

[Stephanie Brim]

DUUUUUUUDE. This is what I need to do. You are *awesome*.

 

[ic-racer]

I am much lower tech. I cut foam core board to fit the openning, and then paint one side of it (usually the outside) flat black. Some times if I need black out in full sunlight I might glue balck construction paper to the front of the foam core. Wrap the edges with black masking tape (b&h sells it).

Some communities have ordinances against back shades (black facing outward, that is).