Blackout curtains ruined?

[Cathy*]

I put our blackout curtains in the washing machine on a cool short wash, stupid I know now. So, now I'm wondering is there any product I can spray on to repair the rubber blackout material that has come off? I have read that liquid latex is a possibility but I don't want to make a bad job worse.

 

[MontyMariner]

Maybe Rubber Spray Paint
Rubber Spray Paint Satin Black - Rubber Spray Paint Film Coating | eBay

 

[justanothersailboat]

Blackout lining cloth wasn't terribly expensive last I looked, it might end up costing similar to replace the blackout part vs. trying to recoat, sorry.

 

[Boathook]

Blackout lining cloth wasn't terribly expensive last I looked, it might end up costing similar to replace the blackout part vs. trying to recoat, sorry.

Whilst the material is relatively cheap the labour costs to make new curtains isn't, unless you make them yourself.

 

[Alicatt]

Whilst the material is relatively cheap the labour costs to make new curtains isn't, unless you make them yourself.

That is what my wife is thinking of, making new blackout curtains for Hunter, especially for the windows at the front of the salon, the existing ones are in good shape but they don't fold together when open and cover too much of the window if you have to use the lower helm, they obstruct your view a lot.
Only used the lower helm the once for about a half hour while we made our way to a mooring in the dark, the control for the searchlight is at the lower helm.

 

[justanothersailboat]

ok, if you're not going to make them yourself it's expensive. But it might be very difficult to recoat them at all well without unpicking seams anyway. And if you're physically able to sew at all, it's about the easiest sewing job to take on.

 

[Cathy*]

I've washed all the curtains (I think 11 in total) and the backing has come off in places on 3 of them so I don't really want to replace the whole lot. If going for new I'd choose a material without this rubber backing. I'm going to pick up some pva today and try it on a scrap of material to see if it's feasible.

 

[Boater Sam]

I put our blackout curtains in the washing machine on a cool short wash, stupid I know now. So, now I'm wondering is there any product I can spray on to repair the rubber blackout material that has come off? I have read that liquid latex is a possibility but I don't want to make a bad job worse.

Cut your losses and buy new? Or how about a lining inside the old ones?

 

[wonkywinch]

I wear an eye mask when sleeping on the boat in the summer and in hotels where the blackout isn't very good. A half decent one that stands away from your eyelids is good. Might be a cheaper option!

https://amzn.to/3VePFTl

 

[Sandy]

Have you considered using close cell foam cut out to the shape of the window? Stops light and condensation?

 

[thinwater]

Have you considered using close cell foam cut out to the shape of the window? Stops light and condensation?

Good idea!

Or, as I do, the covers go on the outside. My boat came with curtains, and they took up space and created a cluttered look IMO. I visited with friends that had a sister ship without curtains, and took mine down the same day. I saved them in a bag for the next owner.

The advantage of external covers are insulation, heat reduction in the summer (a big deal here), UV protection for the glazing, and they keep the bird bombs off. In fact, most sailing days I just leave them on the sleeping cabins, since we aren't living in those rooms.

External covers can be insulating with the addition of some foam.

---

As for blackout curtains, I've never wanted them. When the sun comes up I get up, no alarm clock needed. When I get tired, it's dark, I go to bed. They seem unnatural to me. But my wife likes them, so she wears a mask. All I want are something to dull marina lights and to lend some privacy, and external covers do that.

 

[MontyMariner]

As for blackout curtains, I've never wanted them. When the sun comes up I get up, no alarm clock needed.

More to stop sun bleaching than to aid sleeping, as you do with external covers.
I have an external cover for the forward (pilothouse) windows and made internal fan fold blackouts, sandwiched around Venetian blind slats for re-enforcement. They sit along the bottom of the window then rise and hook on at the top when deployed.

 

[thinwater]

A simple way to attach external covers is with YKK SNADS (yes, that is all caps--I'm not yelling).
SNADS

 

[Neeves]

Cut out cardboard templates - drill the appropriate hole in the middle and affix sucker into and through the hole. You now have the basis for a blackout device - your challenge is how to use it.

We took hardboard and simply covered the hardboard with an appropriately coloured fabric. If you are never going to remove the black out - use heavy duty (thick) double sided tape.

Some window frames are standard production and for the opening windows can be supplied with fly screens, simply place hardboard on the fly screen.

Make sunshades, lots of fabrics, that attach to the exterior with press studs.

We knew an owner who built his own catamaran. He was fastidious and faired all of the interior of the saloon - he had no windows - the simple reasoning was (in Australia everyone wants to cut out the sun, heat and light reduction being the priority).

If the yacht is a keeper - darker acrylic windows.

So many options.

Jonathan

SNADS - a fancy name for a sucker I confess I did read thinwater's post but did not check the link. But I did at least read all the posts apart from checking the links before I posted.

 

[Neeves]

Whilst the material is relatively cheap the labour costs to make new curtains isn't, unless you make them yourself.

The forum is sponsored by Practical Boat Owner

Jonathan

 

[Sandy]

Good idea!

Or, as I do, the covers go on the outside.

I've also got covers for the outside of the roof hatches, stops the sun bleaching the internal woodwork.

A poster poo-pooed them in a post I made several years ago, but in a traditional wooden interior they really do work and extremely useful if you are trying to get some sleep after an 0300 - 0600 watch.

 

[LittleSister]

Whilst the material is relatively cheap the labour costs to make new curtains isn't, unless you make them yourself.

You don't need to make complete new curtains, you just replace the lining material. My ex did this with the curtains on our previous boat.

By the way, 'blackout' lining doesn't have to be black, nor surface treated. White (and cream, etc.) coloured 'blackout' lining is widely available. It depends on the close weave of the fabric, rather than the colour, to stop light passing through it.

 

[Boathook]

You don't need to make complete new curtains, you just replace the lining material. My ex did this with the curtains on our previous boat.

By the way, 'blackout' lining doesn't have to be black, nor surface treated. White (and cream, etc.) coloured 'blackout' lining is widely available. It depends on the close weave of the fabric, rather than the colour, to stop light passing through it.

I made my curtains from a light cream colour black out material. Didn't bother lining them and now towards the end of their second year still doing well. I'm now taking them off for the winter and putting the old scruffy ones back in place to try and prolong the life of the new ones.
I made mine about 1.3 times the window width. Looks a bit flat and funny when covering the window, but they take a lot less space when pulled to one side.

 

[LittleSister]

I made my curtains from a light cream colour black out material. Didn't bother lining them and now towards the end of their second year still doing well. I'm now taking them off for the winter and putting the old scruffy ones back in place to try and prolong the life of the new ones.
I made mine about 1.3 times the window width. Looks a bit flat and funny when covering the window, but they take a lot less space when pulled to one side.

Yes, making the curtains solely out of lining is one way of doing it.

The curtains we replaced the lining of were a really nice deep red material that very much suited the 'traditional style' wooden interior of that boat. But that red material faced only inboard. The outside (window facing) side was white lining material, which in places was beginning to get frayed and holes from decades of UV (albeit only at UK and nearby levels), while the red curtains themselves were in good condition. We just bought an appropriate amount of new white lining material (not expensive), and my ex unstitched the old linings, and machine-sewed the new linings in place. I didn't observe that operation closely, but I certainly didn't get the impression that it was a big job, and seemed rather less of one than making curtains from scratch.

 

[Ian_Edwards]

A slight digression.
The windows on the Southerly have wooden frames on the inside.
I made blackout boards out of light weight foam sheet, cut to an interference fit in the frames. They are painted black.
I simply push them into the frames and get more or less complete blackout.
They are light, store flat and provide additional insulation.
I realise that's not for everyone, but if the windows have internal frames, it might be simple and relatively cheap option.
In the middle of the summer in NW Scotland we only get an hour or two of complete darkness, so they have proved to be very useful.