Removable Window Blinds to Protect You From the Heat

I live in central Europe and the recent heat waves have been brutal. I live in a top flour apartment and it can get really spicy in the summer. I noticed the windows were piping hot after even an hour of sunlight. I don't have the option to have air conditioning and sadly unlike many home we don't have roll up shutters. So i figured this easy and cheep way to keep the windows cooler and drop a few degrees in the apartment compared to no blinds. I think the same method can also be used for black out blinds.

I went for this suction cup design because i didn't like the solution using tape and i wanted to be able to easily put up and remove the blinds.

You will need access to the outside of the window to attach them

Total time needed depend on your window count. For 7 widows it took me 3 hours + shipping time

1.Measuring tape or folding ruler

2. Chalk

3. Scissors

4. 3D Printer and some filament (It would be better to use PETG or some other material capable of handling the heat and UV)

5. Hammer

6. Suction cups with a screw

7. A suitable sheet of fabric for you application

Start by measuring the windows you want to protect from the heat or light. Depending on the desired effect you can size the blind a little bit bigger or smaller. I made them a little smaller than the windows so that I still get a little bit of light but much less heat during the day. I then used free cad to make a plan how to cut the the fabric and how much I would need. It can also be done on paper.

You will also need 4 suction cups per window. One in each corner. Additional i would order some more because on bigger windows you might want to add some more suction cups in the middle, especial on the top side

Once you know how much fabric and how many suction cups you are going to need, order accordingly

Nothing special, I printed them with 100% infill so they can handle the hammering. On my printer the grommets just fit when hammered in. You can try printing one and see if it goes in. If it doesn't you can scale up the outside ring a bit.

Lay the sheet on the ground and draw your plan on using chalk. It is easy to apply and remove once you are done with cutting.

I found it most comfortable to use the side of the chalk.

Cut out the different curtains following the lines you made.

Hold the cut out to the window and judge where you want the suction cups to go. I just put them close to the edge. You can decide for yourself which side of the grommet to have on the inside. Then:

1. Place the inner part on a hard surface
2. Overlay the material
3. Then ruffly put the outer ring on top and hammer it in. Go easy on the first few hits until the grommets are aligned.

You can use a cutting board to underlay the grommets for the hammering

1. If your objective is thermal isolation, attach them on the outside of the window with the reflective side facing outwards.
2. Poke a hole in the material stretched over the grommet
3. Press in the nut that came with the suction cups into the grommet.
4. Screw in the suction cup from the other side

Make sure to attache them early in the morning to keep most of the heat out. They are easy to remove in the afternoon if you want some more light in the room.

The temp during the day stayed up to 5 degrees lower, compared to not using the blinds.