Cheap source of black drapes?

[gyro_gearloose]

Slightly off topic, but still relevant. If you are completely blacking out a room, what are you doing about the requirement for emergency exit lights?

[Karel Bata]

Silver foil - nice idea. I'll use gaffa tape.

[david.elsbury]

Are you planning to gaff the windows?

[ontoprigger]

if you just want to rent something then talk to Blackout or Acre Jean, its a lot more cost effective to rent if its for less than a couple of months and you will probably get a better quality product, and they will install it if needed.

 

https://www.blackout.co.uk/

 

http://www.acrejean.com/

Edited November 22, 2019 by ontoprigger

[Karel Bata]

Sorry for delay.

David - I'll gaffa some silver foil over the windows as a first blackaout layer.

Onto - thanks for the links.

Gyro - good point about exit lights. Someone will be present all the time outside with an infra-red camera and monitor keeping an eye on things, but it's a good question.

 

[timsabre]

Sorry for delay.

David - I'll gaffa some silver foil over the windows as a first blackaout layer.

 

You don't need to gaffer it. Read his post, the water spray method he describes works really well and leaves no residue on the windows.

 

[Karel Bata]

It's got to stay up for a month, and the surface - frames - isn't that even. A bit of tape will do the job.

 

 

[timsabre]

You just stick it to the surface of the glass with the water, it is really quick, stays stuck until you peel it off, and it's a lot easier than mucking about with tape.

 

Rather you than me trying to stick foil with gaffer tape and getting it off cleanly afterwards.

 

[the kid]

+1 for acre jean

 

and +1 for the foil and spray bottle on windows

 

Are you doing a blackout blackout ? Having done a show in a 100% black out (the kind where you could be in a cave as your eyes cannot see light ever) light soapy water sprayed on windows, then foil. THEN small dabs of tape where you see light. THEN drapes.

 

Tape on a window will be horrible to remove if its in the sun even in winter. And could easily start to fall off in the winter with condensation.

 

If you are doing a full black out it took 4 people 2 days to do a room. The issue if it is full blackout is light appears from the strangest places.

[david.elsbury]

 

Rather you than me trying to stick foil with gaffer tape and getting it off cleanly afterwards.

What he said! ;)

 

I had to do the foil trick at an apartment I lived in. It must have been up for almost 6 months no issues and came right off. Give it a go at home sometime and leave it for a week- you’ll see what I mean

Edited November 27, 2019 by david.elsbury

[Karel Bata]

OK.

 

Great tips.

Fortunately the venue is already almost blacked out. It's the top floor of an old warehouse called Bargehouse behind the OX tower in London. Great location. Rather crap inside. But hey...

Here's a pic

 

 

Whoah - that pic's come out big!

I'll be using the space from the windows back to the second girder. So lightweight curtains all around (cos they're cheaper) and heavier curtains at the front across the space with an entrance. With the room you can see beyond (another artsy installation that requires the wearing of 3D specs) this will need 42m x 3.4m of blackout material!

 

This is a video of the install I'm putting in. https://vimeo.com/75155968

 

It's evolved a bit since then.

It's going to be a part of something called Mars and Beyond in February.

 

A big challenge.

[TomHoward]

Silver foil sticks rock solid to windows with water and the bigger issue will be getting it off rather than getting it to stay on.

We've order thomann tabs in the 160g/m, 300g/m and the 'euro' polyester 320g/m

The 160g/m cotton we have a few for diving the end off a large dining room. It would be okay for dressing against a wall where the windows have already been silvered over behind but I'd expect to see the outline of the windows behind it if they weren't blacked out first.

The 300g/m cotton we use as theatre drapes for masking etc. They are not a huge amount better than the 160g as they're still probably best against a wall so I wouldn't recommend spending the extra on the 300 over the 160g. The 300g we have aren't a great black and have faded quite badly.

The 320g/m 'euro' polyester is a fair bit thicker and blacker than the 300g/m. I would buy the 160g or the 320g polyester.

 

If I remember tomorrow I'll shine the same torch through all 3 types and see how they compare.

Edited November 27, 2019 by TomHoward

[Dave m]

That floor would be nice after a sanding!

[timsabre]

The floor looks like what's left after the parquet blocks have been removed...

[Andrew C]

If you're trying to black out windows; use a mister spray bottle and mist water onto the windows. Then smooth aluminium foil on. The water will stick the foil to the windows.

 

Top tip - don't leave it on too long, the windows look fogged after, and it doesn't clean off! I did this at home, hoping the kids would sleep past sunrise in the summer. Nasty patches on the windows many years later.