There are countless reasons to install blinds in any home with rooms exposed to direct sunlight. The convenience of moving shades should be clear, but recent advances in technology have made automatic shades practical, efficient and affordable. From security and privacy, to child safety and energy efficiency, automatic shades are an elegant, versatile, and modern approach to home lighting and climate control. Whether you are looking for a hard-wired setup as a contractor on a new construction, or you are looking to wirelessly redo the window treatments in an existing home, there is a good chance that automatic shades are right for you.
Now, automatic shades can be wireless or hard-wired and integrated into a home automation system. Your budget and the intended application will determine which is the best option. For interior treatments, the blind controls may be wired into the wall or set up with a Radio Frequency wireless device. As automatic shades become more common, many contractors are pre-wiring window frames to accommodate them at the building stage. RF wireless shade controls may be controlled by remote control or a wall-mounted unit, and it is possible to retrofit either type of control on older constructions.
The hard wired shades systems may lead to a wall mounted control panel, or it may be integrated into the home automation system through an A/V system. These integrated automation systems allow home owners to choose more comprehensive themes (such as breakfast, dinner or party) and can incorporate multiple windows, climate control, interior lights, and music. And these shades can be hidden in a recess, making them a practical and aesthetically pleasing option.
Whether you opt for a wireless or hard-wired system, the advantages of automatic shades will largely be the same. Some of the benefits of an automatic system include:
- Adjustable furniture and floor protection from intense sunlight
- Home security (timers can make it appear that someone is home adjusting the shades)
- Hard-to-reach window access (automatic shades make skylights and other large or hard-to-reach windows easy to shade)
- Energy efficiency (Dawn to dusk mode, opening with morning sun and closing as it sets, allows you to control heat loss and gain at the touch of a button)
- Elimination of glare from TV or computer screens
- Control of privacy and view
- No dangling cords posing a danger to children
There are countless ways to organize your automatic window shades system. You can optimize the system for young or elderly residents, for energy efficiency and cost savings, or for privacy and security. To cut down on costs, you might use a single motor to power multiple window shades, or you may use two smaller motors to cover a large window. With such a host of advantages, whether they are used to make the home easier or cheaper to run, safer or more comfortable to use, or just to make it look better, automatic shades are an asset to any home.