The short answer: light leaks around blackout curtains at the top, the sides and the middle. Mount the hardware high and wide — or use a ceiling track — let the panels overlap in the middle and reach the floor.
Where the light gets in
At the top
A rod a few inches above the frame leaves a gap between the curtain and the wall, and light spills over it onto the ceiling. Fixes, from best to simplest:
- A ceiling track — the curtain starts at the ceiling, so there’s no gap. See ceiling track or wall rod.
- A rod mounted close to the ceiling, with the panels hung as high on the rod as the rings allow.
- A valance or cornice over the rod to cover the gap.
At the sides
A rod that stops at the window frame lets light in on both sides. Extend it at least 8 to 12 inches past the frame, so the closed curtains overlap the wall. Wraparound (return) rods curve back to the wall at each end and close the side gap almost completely.
In the middle
Two panels that only just meet will separate a little. Order enough width for the panels to overlap by a few inches when closed. On a track, overlap arms let one panel pass in front of the other.
At the bottom
Panels that float well above the floor or stop at the sill leave a band of light. For a dark room, go floor length — just touching the floor.
Double rods and layered shades
- A double rod lets you pair a sheer for daytime with a blackout panel for night — one set of brackets, two layers.
- A blackout shade inside the window recess plus curtains outside it is the darkest combination. The shade blocks most of the light at the glass and the curtains catch what gets past the edges. See blinds and shade installation.
NYC things to plan around
- A radiator under the window. Floor-length blackout panels shouldn’t rest on a hot radiator. Use brackets that hold the rod far enough out for the panels to clear it, or a ceiling track set forward of the radiator.
- A window AC unit. Don’t close heavy curtains over a running AC — it blocks the airflow. Leave room for the unit to breathe, or plan the rod around it.
- A steel lintel above the window in prewar buildings can stop a rod where you want it; mounting above it or on the ceiling usually solves both the lintel and the light gap. More in curtain rods in prewar plaster and brick.
Heavy curtains need solid anchors
Lined blackout panels are heavy, and they’re pulled every night and morning. Use every bracket that comes with the rod, add a center support on wide windows, and match the anchors to the wall: drywall, plaster, brick or concrete each need a different one.
ArtFixPro installs curtain rods, double rods and ceiling tracks in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens: $100 each up to 8 ft on drywall or brick and $150 each on poured concrete. We can hang the blackout panels during the same visit and check that they close without gaps.