10 Things to Know About Motorized Shades

Motorized window treatments are trending, as witnessed at the recent Custom Electronic Design and Installation Expo held recently in Dallas. A number of manufacturers of home automation systems that exhibited their new products and technologies at the Expo demonstrated partnerships, collaboration, and easy, seamless integration with leading window treatment providers, including Lutron, Q-Motion, Hunter Douglas, Somfy, and BTX. The integration between home automation and motorized window treatments essentially enables the shades and drapes to move in concert with other subsystems, like lighting, music, and heating and cooling equipment. It’s a capability that can be of huge benefit to your home, making motorized window treatments definitely worth consideration as your next investment in your home. In addition to being easily integrated into a home automation ecosystem, here are 10 more reasons to add motorized shading to your home.

1. They are just as effective at saving energy as they are at preserving your privacy. When the shades are down on a sunny day solar gain is minimized, which means your home’s air conditioner can operate more efficiently. On the flip side, when the shades are up you can keep the room lights off, relying on the natural light from the sun instead to illuminate your home. The shades can position themselves automatically based on the time of day or the intensity of the sun.

2. They can help protect a home from break-ins. When window treatments move throughout the day, makes you house appear as if someone is at home. In other words, it gives it a “lived-in” look—an effective deterrent against burglars.

3. They look better than manual shades and drapes. Attached to a motorized rod, track, or roller, window treatments lift, lower and traverse left and right without any tugging of a cord necessary. Minus pull cords, you window treatments evoke a look that’s clean and modern. Moreover, the window treatments can be synchronized to start and stop in unison and to line up perfectly across the window.

4. They are available in a variety of fabrics. There’s no shortage of selection when it comes to choosing a fabric to attach to the motorized hardware. Colors, textures, and opacities run the gamut—there’s a solution to fit the design and décor of every room of your house.

5. They can be customized to fit all shapes and sizes of windows. Rectangular windows. BORING! Windows have transitioned from being purely a utilitarian feature to an architectural feature of a home. Windows in the shape of a trapezoid, circle, and featuring interesting arches and angles, predominate today’s homes, and the hardware and fabrics of motorized window treatment solution can be customized to fit cover any window perfectly.

6. They move quietly, smoothly, and with precision. You’d think that anything driven by a motor would be noisy, but manufacturers have developed units that are virtually noise-free. Plus, the motors are tuned so well that the movement happens smoothly. Thanks to the controls (mobile app, keypad, remote, etc.) that come with the window treatment mechanisms, you can choose several stopping points and the shade or drape moves to those exact spots each and every time without fail. Try doing that with a pull cord.

7. They can be powered by AC or batteries. Just as there are fabric options, so are there options for powering the motors. For years, electrical power was the only option, but battery-driven units have been increasing in availability and popularity. Both AC and batteries work well; but having these two options is helpful and opens up the market to owners of apartments, condos, and homes where installing new electrical wiring could prove difficult.

8. They aren’t just for windows. You can apply the hardware and hang a drape to cover a projection screen in your home theater when it’s not being used, or to divide a room into two sections. Some people have even used a large roller shade as a video screen.

9. They are safer for your family than manual controls. Your kids, your pets, even your own hands can get tangled up in the pull cords of a manual drapery or shading system. Prevent it by going with a motorized solution.

10. Combination units inspire unique creativity. Combine sheers and drapes or marry blackout shades with Roman shades. The sky is the limit on how you can “dress” your windows, and motorized hardware can accommodate any combination of treatments. You’ll love being able to move them together or individually from the convenience of a remote control, wall-mounted keypad, or a mobile app.