Guide · Blackout
To your wishes
In the picture
From the fabric to the cassette — roller blinds made to the millimetre for your window.
The benefit
Not every dark roller blind really blocks out the light. Two things matter: an opaque fabric — and how the blind is guided at the edge of the window.
A genuine blackout fabric is coated on the back and lets practically no light through its surface. dimout fabrics only darken strongly — they let a residual twilight through.
Calculate the price in the configurator
Most residual light comes in past the edge, not through the fabric. With a cassette at the top and side guide rails the blind runs guided — the light gap is reduced to a minimum.
Calculate the price in the configurator
For shift workers, light-sensitive sleepers, the afternoon nap in the children's room or the projector room — wherever dimout is not enough.
Roller blinds for the bedroom
The light-coloured, coated back reflects part of the solar radiation, before it heats up the room. Kept closed during the day, it stays noticeably cooler.
View all roller blindsFor context: A Roman blinds or a Blackout curtain looks more decorative, but never achieves the darkness of a guided blackout roller blind. Many combine the two: the roller blind for darkness, the fabric for looks.
Buying advice
The first point is the fabric. A genuine blackout roller blind has a fabric coated on the back through whose surface practically no light passes. To be distinguished from this is dimout: these qualities darken strongly but allow a soft residual twilight. Anyone who thinks they bought blackout and is still woken in the morning usually had dimout.
The second — and often underestimated — point is the guidance of the blind. Even a perfectly light-tight fabric is of little use if light gets past all around. In practice most residual light comes from the gap at the sides and top, not from the fabric. With a cassette at the top and side guide rails the blind runs guided along the frame — light ingress is reduced to a minimum.
From this follows the mounting recommendation: if you want maximum darkness, do not mount inside the reveal but in front of it on the wall or ceiling and let the blind extend generously beyond the window opening at the sides. Inside the reveal a fine edge gap always remains for structural reasons. For rented flats there are clamp brackets — the blackout effect is somewhat weaker there, but no drilling is needed.
A welcome side effect: the light-coloured, coated back reflects part of the solar radiation and thus acts as heat protection. Kept closed during the day, the room stays noticeably cooler in summer. The blind is cleaned simply with a damp cloth — the coated surface makes this straightforward.
How dark it actually gets in your home depends greatly on the window. During the free home consultation in the canton of Zurich we look at the reveal and recommend the mounting that gives the best result.
Customer testimonials
I can only warmly recommend Maiko! From the first consultation to the final installation, everything was professional and friendly. He took the time to understand my individual needs and offered me tailor-made solutions. The quality of the products is excellent and the workmanship first-class. Many thanks for the great collaboration, Maiko!
Great service and wonderful made-to-measure curtains.
I had an excellent experience with Maiko! He responded quickly to all my questions and was incredibly polite and helpful throughout the entire process. The curtains arrived exactly as described and the quality is outstanding. Highly recommend this seller to anyone looking for great products and great service!
Frequently asked questions
Blackout is coated on the back and lets practically no light through the fabric surface. dimout darkens strongly but allows a soft residual twilight. Anyone woken in the morning despite "blackout" usually had dimout.
Through the fabric yes — most residual light comes in past the edge. With a cassette and side guide rails the gap is reduced to a minimum; entirely without guidance a fine rim of light always remains all around.
Not inside the reveal but in front of it on the wall or ceiling — and let the blind extend generously beyond the window opening at the sides. Inside the reveal an edge gap always remains for structural reasons.
Yes, as a side effect. The light-coloured, coated back reflects part of the solar radiation, before it heats up the room — kept closed during the day it stays noticeably cooler.
Yes, with Clamp brackets on the window sash — ideal for rented flats. The blackout effect is somewhat weaker than with a guided wall or ceiling mounting, because more light gets past at the sides.
