Stark warning issued over the use of blackout blinds in children’s bedrooms

Families are being warned against using blackout blinds in children's bedrooms after a series of reports of windows cracking with the intense heat.

Aside from wondering is it best to open or close a window during a heatwave? trying to get children to sleep during the day or when the evenings are light might be tricky but as many parents look for a solution to block out as much of the natural light as possible, using blinds or curtains, they are being warned about the hidden dangers of opting for a blackout blind.

It's not only Duchess Camilla and Kate Middleton who have a heatwave trick, but during the recent heatwave several families have discovered their hack of keeping their child's bedroom cool has had a nasty ending - where glass windows have cracked after using a blackout blind. 

And now window experts have supported the claims, with one company Expert Windows warning readers of RSVP Live, "Dark colours absorb heat, so if you have a dark blind that's going to cause your window to heat up. 

"It depends on the type of window that you have, and the age of the window. But if you have a PVC window frame, PVC can expand so you could get cracks in the glass."

The Irish-based firm also advised families NOT to leave the blackout blinds down during the day as this can cause a build up of heat and condensation.

One mum shared her experience of the broken window as a warning to others, she said, "My daughter’s bedroom is in direct sunlight most days, but the current weather will definitely cause this to happen to other people!

"I just wish I knew [about the warning] before finding the cracks - now we have to find the money to replace the window."

Another parent reported their window cracking, "The window is on the landing and gets sun from when it rises until after lunch so it really heats up. The blind is close but not touching it. It works really well helping to block out the sunshine and keeping the heat out, or so I thought until I had a check behind it this morning, when I realised it has trapped a bit too much heat!

"I hope others can save the hassle and cost of getting a new pane made!"