Blocking neighbor's video doorbell camera?

[pete6032]

I live next to a house whose front entrance is actually on the side of the house. The neighbors installed a Ring doorbell with camera on the front door. The camera literally points into our living room window. We like to leave that window open for light and air circulation. I'm fine with the neighbors wanting to survey their front door but is there anything I can do to block the camera from looking into our window? Any type of material or something I could put on the window that would make it hard for the camera to see in, without losing natural light?

 

[lxskllr]

Well placed tree?

 

[Greenman]

Pic of goatse in the window.

 

[Brainonska511]

Have you tried talking to them about the placement?

 

[mindless1]

They should invent some kind of cloth thing that drapes down and can be moved on a rod above the window to block sight into a room.

Apparently natural light isn't as important as your privacy.

You could probably point a laser at it and burn out the sensor.

However yes, horizontal louvered blinds will let light above shine down into a room and allow airflow, while substantially reducing horizontal line of sight.

What other alien tech hope did you have in mind? Even if you had a specially oriented polarized film on the window to block horizontal viewing, it wouldn't work with the window open.

lxskllr has a good point, a buffer of trees, or shrubs, privacy fence, etc. A fence is lower maintenance, the right size at the get go and stays the right size without trimming.

 

[A///]

3m reflective window mask. it'll let in light and reduce heat in the summer, but it won't be visible from outside. you can get 3m tinted mask too. look it up on the youtube. if you look on the youtube you will also find other branded masks or combination masks that stop breakings from glass and double as the tint or reflection.

you and the missus can fool around all nake from inside and nobody would be the wiser.

 

[Kaido]

3m reflective window mask. it'll let in light and reduce heat in the summer, but it won't be visible from outside. you can get 3m tinted mask too. look it up on the youtube. if you look on the youtube you will also find other branded masks or combination masks that stop breakings from glass and double as the tint or reflection.

you and the missus can fool around all nake from inside and nobody would be the wiser.

Note that house window tint doesn't work at night, so blinds or drapes are good to have for the evening!

 

[BoomerD]

Plant a row of arborvitae along the property line in front of their camera. Makes a nice privacy wall.

 

[A///]

Note that house window tint doesn't work at night, so blinds or drapes are good to have for the evening!

it's very obvious the guy has drapes or curtains whatever the difference is because the guy asked about a method that doesn't remove natural light coming in during the day.

 

[Kaido]

it's very obvious the guy has drapes or curtains whatever the difference is because the guy asked about a method that doesn't remove natural light coming in during the day.

I didn't learn about the "house window tint doesn't work at night" thing until VERY recently haha...car tint doesn't work that way!!

I have blackout curtains from Target at my current place because I use a projector. What I think would be cool is to combine residential window tint for daytime tint & then use Smart Tint at night for opacity:

Smart Tint ® Smart Film ® USA Factory Direct Wholesale

Smart Tint® switchable film™ applies to any new or existing glass allowing instant control from clear to frosted (private) with the click of a switch. Dim it, Trim it, Project on it, Blocks 99% UV, Easy to install. Smart Cling® Self Adhesive Technology is available in 7 colors and is the next...

www.smarttint.com

 

[A///]

I didn't learn about the "house window tint doesn't work at night" thing until VERY recently haha...car tint doesn't work that way!!

I have blackout curtains from Target at my current place because I use a projector. What I think would be cool is to combine residential window tint for daytime tint & then use Smart Tint at night for opacity:

Smart Tint ® Smart Film ® USA Factory Direct Wholesale

Smart Tint® switchable film™ applies to any new or existing glass allowing instant control from clear to frosted (private) with the click of a switch. Dim it, Trim it, Project on it, Blocks 99% UV, Easy to install. Smart Cling® Self Adhesive Technology is available in 7 colors and is the next...

www.smarttint.com

3m makes a nighttime capable tint I believe but there site is not the eaisest to use. blackouts are good for where you sleep or in addition to tinted windows on sun facing rooms if where you live gets toasty in summer. One of the neighbours has automatic window shades that draw down during the day through automation or a push of a button i don't know because I didn't press the issue when I first got to know them. some of the neighbours have these external shades that draw down on the exterior of their homes but they're not quite shades more like a security type of material. I'd seen something similar before in fancier areas where homes are 8 to 9 figures deep. It's both for security and keeping heat out. the ones I saw had their roller unit hidden behind motif to hide the ugliness. I think those would be fine on ground level if you had ocean or inlet front property or river that goes out to an ocean like some parts of the country do. Plantation shutters are also an option if you have a deeper budget.

 

[Kaido]

3m makes a nighttime capable tint I believe but there site is not the eaisest to use. blackouts are good for where you sleep or in addition to tinted windows on sun facing rooms if where you live gets toasty in summer. One of the neighbours has automatic window shades that draw down during the day through automation or a push of a button i don't know because I didn't press the issue when I first got to know them. some of the neighbours have these external shades that draw down on the exterior of their homes but they're not quite shades more like a security type of material. I'd seen something similar before in fancier areas where homes are 8 to 9 figures deep. It's both for security and keeping heat out. the ones I saw had their roller unit hidden behind motif to hide the ugliness. I think those would be fine on ground level if you had ocean or inlet front property or river that goes out to an ocean like some parts of the country do. Plantation shutters are also an option if you have a deeper budget.

I used to build & install plantation shutters back in college...people wouldn't blink at spending $20k+ on that stuff for their home. I've been inside some bonkers houses over the years! Some of them are like giant dollhouses that people have no qualms outfitting with millions of dollar's worth of accessories. Just incredible lol.

 

[mindless1]

it's very obvious the guy has drapes or curtains whatever the difference is because the guy asked about a method that doesn't remove natural light coming in during the day.

... but also the opening post read " We like to leave that window open for light and air circulation", so a window tint on an open window?

This is exactly what horizontal blinds were designed for, though if maximum light is needed, a skylight or good ole light bulbs... though I don't really want maximum sunlight, as that can fade fabrics/etc.

 

[A///]

... but also the opening post read " We like to leave that window open for light and air circulation", so a window tint on an open window?

This is exactly what horizontal blinds were designed for, though if maximum light is needed, a skylight or good ole light bulbs... though I don't really want maximum sunlight, as that can fade fabrics/etc.

If there's a window that opens surely there is a screen in front of the opening hung or if double hung a frame screen. screens make it hard to see inside unless your face is butting up against the screen. my home's windows are double hung but also can be tilted open inward for airflow.

 

[A///]

I used to build & install plantation shutters back in college...people wouldn't blink at spending $20k+ on that stuff for their home. I've been inside some bonkers houses over the years! Some of them are like giant dollhouses that people have no qualms outfitting with millions of dollar's worth of accessories. Just incredible lol.

yep. love plantation shutters myself. I'm in a good place and almost never hesitate when quoted on something. it catches some companies off hand because they expect people to haggle. I'll do some stuff myself like sprinkler plumbing and gluing or welding water pipes of that nature because it's very easy work for me that I can do it half awake. There's stuff I won't touch because it's too hard for one person to do or too much of a risk or the home insurance would bitch about it.

 

[IronWing]

Five cents worth of black spray paint should do the trick. One swing of a hammer is free.

 

[Zor Prime]

Reflective window tint and at nighttime run an IR illuminator and perch it in the window frame or put it somewhere nearby, the cam will be blinded at night. lol

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

Reflective window tint and at nighttime run an IR illuminator and perch it in the window frame or put it somewhere nearby, the cam will be blinded at night. lol

I was gonna say, just make a mount for a little 5mw laser pointer and just leave it pointed at the camera, that should do the trick.

Bonus if the owner replaces it a few times before giving up

 

[marvdmartian]

Wondering if a large pinwheel or two, on a swivel base, would set off the camera with their motion? Or a fluttery wind decoration? Set the camera off enough times, he's either going to re-aim it, or turn the sensitivity down really low.

I know my Blink outdoor cameras will go off from a larger insect, like a wasp or bee, flying in front of them, if they're close enough. So it's NOT the IR signature that sets them off (like you'd get from an animal, or person).

 

[BoomerD]

Wondering if a large pinwheel or two, on a swivel base, would set off the camera with their motion? Or a fluttery wind decoration? Set the camera off enough times, he's either going to re-aim it, or turn the sensitivity down really low.

I know my Blink outdoor cameras will go off from a larger insect, like a wasp or bee, flying in front of them, if they're close enough. So it's NOT the IR signature that sets them off (like you'd get from an animal, or person).

Fckn spiders crawling across my ring doorbell camera or my spotlight camera are a PITA.