Curtain and blind advise please

[Christie9723]

Hi folks. I am looking to cover the windows in our boat and would appreciate any advice. I originally wanted to make curtains for our 9 windows but trying to find poles for the top and bottom is proving difficult and also what type of material is best. Do you do them in a pencil pleat style or eyelet style? Do you do thermal or blackout? Then I came across a few forums whereas people swear by blinds. This got me thinking. 

Our windows are currently nude with no fixings. We are new to boating and I have no idea how you would secure them to the wall and stop them from hanging away from the window and wall. Should they be fixed in to the recess??? Sorry if this seems naïve but if you don't know, you don't know. 

Many thanks in advance 

[IanD]

I used these roller blinds everywhere -- unobtrusive, blackout (good for bedrooms), secured down with a magnetic fitting, and slow retraction. Not cheap though... 😞

 

https://www.blindsforboats.co.uk/product-page/copy-of-roller-blind-slow-rise-blockout-fabric-1

 

 

 

 

Edited February 9 by IanD

[Guest]

18 minutes ago, Christie9723 said:

Hi folks. I am looking to cover the windows in our boat and would appreciate any advice. I originally wanted to make curtains for our 9 windows but trying to find poles for the top and bottom is proving difficult and also what type of material is best. Do you do them in a pencil pleat style or eyelet style? Do you do thermal or blackout? Then I came across a few forums whereas people swear by blinds. This got me thinking. 

Our windows are currently nude with no fixings. We are new to boating and I have no idea how you would secure them to the wall and stop them from hanging away from the window and wall. Should they be fixed in to the recess??? Sorry if this seems naïve but if you don't know, you don't know. 

Many thanks in advance 

 

You can modify standard blinds by sewing small magnets into the fabric and have a corresponding metal fixing on the outside of the window frame. If you wish you can add metal fixings at different heights.

 

Edited February 9 by MJG

[David Mack]

With curtains you can use any normal curtain rail or pole for the top, although smaller sizes are better in a boat. For the bottom you want a rail to hold the curtain back close to the window/cabin side. Some boaters use slats of wood for this, others metal rods or off-the-shelf towel/hanging rails. You also used to see the stretchy curtain wire used for this, but it's a bit of an old-fashioned look.

For narrowboat windows you probably want relatively thin curtain fabric as otherwise the open curtains take up a lot of space either side of the window.

You can also use roller or venetian blinds. The magnet trick is good for when the blinds are completely closed, but doesn't really work if you want them half way down. Some boaters have put vertical rails either side of the window to hold the blind against the cabin side, at any height.

And some boats have horizontally sliding wooden shutters across windows.

[Hudds Lad]

A lot of older boats have brass rods above and below the window, rings on the top rod to accept standard curtain hooks, curtain tucks behind bottom rod to keep it flush to side of boat.

If you're having to start from scratch this soon gets expensive as a quick look at Midland Chandlers website will tell you.

Something from this selection

So thats two rods and four end posts minimum per window, all depending on window size. Plus suitable rings and fittings, plus curtains.

 

Whichever way you go, they definitely need to stay flush with the side of the boat somehow.

 

Added pic of one of ours as example from when J made new curtains. 
 

 

Edited February 9 by Hudds Lad
Add pic

[Slim]

23 minutes ago, MJG said:

 

You can modify standard blinds by sewing small magnets into the fabric and have a corresponding metal fixing on the outside of the window frame. If you wish you can add metal fixings at different heights.

 

You can also get adhesive, magnetic tape. (rather like Velcro) One pole on the bottom edge of the blind, the other pole on the side of the cabin side

 

 

[Guest]

1 minute ago, David Mack said:

With curtains you can use any normal curtain rail or pole for the top, although smaller sizes are better in a boat. For the bottom you want a rail to hold the curtain back close to the window/cabin side. Some boaters use slats of wood for this, others metal rods or off-the-shelf towel/hanging rails. You also used to see the stretchy curtain wire used for this, but it's a bit of an old-fashioned look.

For narrowboat windows you probably want relatively thin curtain fabric as otherwise the open curtains take up a lot of space either side of the window.

You can also use roller or venetian blinds. The magnet trick is good for when the blinds are completely closed, but doesn't really work if you want them half way down. Some boaters have put vertical rails either side of the window to hold the blind against the cabin side, at any height.

And some boats have horizontally sliding wooden shutters across windows.

 

It does if you place some metal fixings half way down. You just lower the blinds half way and push them back onto the fixings in the half way down position. You can add as many levels as you wish. Probably two or three levels max would suffice.

[Tony Brooks]

I made pairs of L Shaped wooden sections and screwed them to the cabin side to suit the blinds. Worked a treat and sis not get any light leakage between the blind and cabin side.

[Rob-M]

We have custom made blinds from cabin care (https://www.cabincare.co.uk/boat-blinds-and-curtains.php)

[Jak]

Similar to Hudds Lad. The pole at the bottom being essential as others have commented. 
 

[Lady M]

Don't use eyelets if you want to block out any external light.  If you want thicker curtains, have fewer pleats.  We have the bottom brass rails, as shown, but also tie backs for when the curtains are open which avoids having a thick bunch of material behind the rail.

[booke23]

The other method I've seen to keep roller blinds against the side of the boat is to have a length of invisible fishing line secured vertically down each side of the blind. You then screw eyelets into each side of the lower bar on the roller blind and thread the vertical line through the eyelets so the blind is guided up and down the wall and doesn't fall away from it. It works very well and you can usually modify any old blind using this technique.  

[Sue68]

We used decorative cord at the bottom to hold the curtains back. We fixed with loops on a couple of fancy hooks screwed to the walls. At the top we used net curtain rails  https://www.polesdirect.com/product/discreet-top-fix-curtain-rail?gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiAt5euBhB9EiwAdkXWO3824yuWrHI4ti5mAGmaA94YqOylqDEpobFFY7QqBQJ8o1Uoyw9XsRoCSdAQAvD_BwE

[BlueStringPudding]

6 hours ago, Christie9723 said:

 

My boat originally came with curtains over the windows. These were tucked behind a horizontal rod across the bottom of the windows. The curtains were very mouldy in the folds of the fabric.

 

So I decided to go for blinds. I have a roller blind in the bathroom, held flat against the wall by a single tiny screw-in hook and eye, which is quite subtle.

 

And there are wooden Venetian blinds in all the other cabins. These are held by 2  of the same tiny screw-in hooks on the bottom window frame, lined up with the vertical threads running through each blind. The threads loop over the hooks and these hold the blinds parallel to the wall and are hidden by the lowest wooden slat. The slats still twist open and closed without having to unhook them. 

[Onewheeler]

Curtains take up room. Spring loaded roller blinds secured when down with a cleat hook is the way to go.

[Ianws]

7 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

A lot of older boats have brass rods above and below the window, rings on the top rod to accept standard curtain hooks, curtain tucks behind bottom rod to keep it flush to side of boat.

If you're having to start from scratch this soon gets expensive as a quick look at Midland Chandlers website will tell you.

Something from this selection

So thats two rods and four end posts minimum per window, all depending on window size. Plus suitable rings and fittings, plus curtains.

 

Whichever way you go, they definitely need to stay flush with the side of the boat somehow.

 

Added pic of one of ours as example from when J made new curtains. 
 

 

A cheaper version for the rods would be dowels. They could be threaded through round wall hooks (circular closed cup hooks) or hung on cup hooks. As the dowel will bow you will need a centre support which can be quite small. Not as neat as brass rods but very affordable. 

[MrsM]

An easy solution to hold curtains in at the bottom is dowel for wardrobe rails with the associated fittings. Available in all DIY stores.

[blackrose]

15 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

 

 

Nice, but a tad excessive for a window that small. I would have just fitted a porthole bung.

Edited February 10 by blackrose

[Hudds Lad]

5 hours ago, blackrose said:

 

Nice, but a tad excessive for a window that small. I would have just fitted a porthole bung.

You're assuming i had a say in the matter  It's also not as tucked back as it can be as pic was to show new curtains to family 

 

We have bungs in the bedroom and bathroom, she's currently working on replacements (we're on the third fabric choice). Foam was bought from a supplier cut to shape, i then had to refine the size and create a jig for the bandsaw to cut it correctly and provide a hardboard template for fabric cutting (glad that bit is over with). I think J finds half the fun of it in the shopping  

[Jon57]

2 hours ago, Hudds Lad said:

You're assuming i had a say in the matter  It's also not as tucked back as it can be as pic was to show new curtains to family 

 

We have bungs in the bedroom and bathroom, she's currently working on replacements (we're on the third fabric choice). Foam was bought from a supplier cut to shape, i then had to refine the size and create a jig for the bandsaw to cut it correctly and provide a hardboard template for fabric cutting (glad that bit is over with). I think J finds half the fun of it in the shopping  

Kingspan bungs works well for us covered with curtain material. 

[Hudds Lad]

1 hour ago, Jon57 said:

Kingspan bungs works well for us covered with curtain material. 

I was happy with what we had already, but i'm a bloke, what do i know  

[haggis]

This reminds me that I would like to have new curtains made for Kelpie but although I have all the measurements, I haven't done anything about it - I don't do sewing :-). 

[Hudds Lad]

11 minutes ago, haggis said:

This reminds me that I would like to have new curtains made for Kelpie but although I have all the measurements, I haven't done anything about it - I don't do sewing :-). 

You can always get some from Dunelm or similar that are almost the right size, then adjust. Not that much sewing involved  

[Tigerr]

It does rather depend on what your desired 'look' is. Or indeed if you care what things look like inside the boat. As you can see from the above, some folk want simple functionality, others want something else.

It's a boat. As a result domestic use furnishing doesn't translate, specifically because of the tumblehome angle. 

My experience is that venetian blinds, which have a retaining string, are functionally excellent. They allow light in but deny prying eyes. But they only look good in certain areas, or in a modernist boat. 

More traditional boat look - hard to beat brass rods. 

Portholes - round cushion stuffers.

[IanD]

5 minutes ago, Tigerr said:

It does rather depend on what your desired 'look' is. Or indeed if you care what things look like inside the boat. As you can see from the above, some folk want simple functionality, others want something else.

It's a boat. As a result domestic use furnishing doesn't translate, specifically because of the tumblehome angle. 

My experience is that venetian blinds, which have a retaining string, are functionally excellent. They allow light in but deny prying eyes. But they only look good in certain areas, or in a modernist boat. 

More traditional boat look - hard to beat brass rods. 

Portholes - round cushion stuffers.

 

I looked at using bungs on the portholes, but decided against them -- one reason being that you can't have light blocked out and still have any ventilation (opened portholes), for example in a bedroom in summer.

 

The roller blinds with magnetic catches solve this problem, but some may not like the looks -- or the cost, though porthole bungs still have to be made and covered.

 

As so often, there's no solution which suits everyone's needs and preferences, all have plus and minus points -- you just need to pick what's best for you... 😉