• Sylvartas@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    79
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    9 months ago

    Forget this gimmick, the real yuropean superiority is in proper blinds that are actually designed to block most light. For some reason they are extremely uncommon in north America

    • meowMix2525@lemm.ee
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      22
      ·
      edit-2
      9 months ago

      I’m going to go absolutely bonkers if I have to deal with one more set of cordless blinds that refuse to lift back up after you pull them down. The unshielded street light that exists only to ensure that I can see my car from my window at night, and shines not only through the cheap pvc but between the slats directly into my retinas, lighting my entire room at least 10 lumens brighter when there’s a layer of snow on the ground, is already wearing my sanity quite thin on its own, and I’m not even on the floor that catches the most light from it.

        • CoffeeJunkie@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          8
          ·
          9 months ago

          Oh, for their sanity…and it sounds like they’re in an environment with cold temps that have snow…blackout curtains will also help with keeping out the cold, keeping heat in. Save on utilities.

        • meowMix2525@lemm.ee
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          4
          ·
          edit-2
          9 months ago

          I don’t want blackout curtains. I like to let some light in the morning and during the day without sacrificing privacy in the early evening if I forget to close them. I also don’t like the thick unwieldy material of blackout curtains. Whoever put the stupid street lights out should have to be more considerate of the light pollution they create 😂

          • NaoPb@eviltoast.org
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            9 months ago

            Fair point about the light pollution. In my town they’ve been replacing the street lights with LED versions and it seems the beams are now more concentrated and lighting the street instead of everything in the proximity.

            I hope a change like this may happen to your street in the future.

          • aesthelete@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            ·
            edit-2
            9 months ago

            Have you thought about installing a blackout cellular shade instead? I bought a shade for this room I’m sitting in that’s basically two shades in one: it has a shade that lets in light and one that blacks everything out. If you want daylight, you pull the one shade down, if you want darkness you put that shade fully up, and if you want access to the window you put them both up.

            It was IMO pretty affordable. I think the one I bought was around $300, and I have pretty large windows.

            Here's what they look like if you're interested

            • meowMix2525@lemm.ee
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              2
              ·
              9 months ago

              I actually always wanted those since I saw them in my aunt’s home but my mom never wanted to pay for them. Then I went to university and lived in various student accommodations. And now that school is done, my next move is in June and I’m actually going to Germany lol.

              I’m mostly just lamenting that the american standard is such hot garbage that barely accomplishes what it is designed to do.

              • aesthelete@lemmy.world
                link
                fedilink
                arrow-up
                2
                ·
                9 months ago

                Ah gotcha, every apartment I’ve ever been in and my condo up until I installed these shades had crappy, plastic Venetian blinds that were basically pointless for blocking light…so I agree 100%.

      • Sylvartas@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        9 months ago

        My dad is a light sleeper and when he has to attend a conference in the US he literally has to bring a sleeping mask to ensure he will be able to sleep properly

    • rekabis@lemmy.ca
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      9 months ago

      proper blinds that are actually designed to block most light

      You mean roll shutters?

      Childhood home had both tilt & turn windows along with roll shutters, all imported from Germany in the late 70s when no-one in North America had them. I’m doing a frame-off reno on my current to add exactly those features.

      • Sylvartas@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        1
        ·
        edit-2
        9 months ago

        You mean roll shutters?

        Yes, I was not sure about the English terminology 😅 I was a bit shocked when I went studying in Canada and discovered they were basically alien technology to them

    • supercriticalcheese@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      9 months ago

      Xommon in central and southern Europe, not sure about northern. They are mostly there to limit sunlight in the summer where the house would be baked otherwise.