Making the shift from traditional window treatment to motorized shades is a big step. It is only natural to wonder if it’s worth it. Here are some points that might help you decide.
As modern technology continues to make new waves of innovative products across industries, window treatment providers are also gearing up to make products that make life hassle-free and less reliant on manual intervention. Motorized blinds and shades top the list of innovative products making quick inroads into the consumer market.
What Are Power Window Shades?
Power window shades are traditional shades powered by electric motors, which can be operated remotely to open and close the shades. The remote-control operation can be done through smartphones, tablets, home-automation systems, and remote-control devices.
Advantages of Powered Window Shades
Powered window shades bring with it quite a few advantages.
Convenience
Convenience is probably the first thing that will come in mind when you think of motorized shades. After all, convenience has been the governing mantra behind most scientific inventions, and motorized window shades are no different.
Motorized shades put a stop to all the trips you made from the couch, the office chair, or the bed to the window to pull the shade down to get some relief from the sun. It also puts a pause to the sun-down routine of closing all shades as the night falls. You can now pre-plan these tasks and pre-set your shades to perform these tasks on their own. You will be surprised at the amount of time and effort you buy yourself with just a click of a button.
What if you are not home? Will the scorching sun leave a blazing trail on your furniture? You can just close your shades from your office, using your home automation system. With motorized blinds, the options are limitless.
Safety and Security
Safety and security top the worry list of every house owners, especially those with little kids. The chords of traditional blinds pose a serious choking hazard to curious children and pets. Motorized shades put all these concerns to rest, as these come without any dangling chords. Now you can let your little one play near the window without any worries.
Motorized shades also act as an extra layer of security for your house. Even when you are not at home, the movement of the shades up and down gives the impression to any passers-by that the house is occupied.
Energy Saving
Yep! You do save a lot of energy with motorized shades. Better insulation and light-control results in energy saving. In summer, the cooler gets a rest, as your shade do a large chunk of the hard-work by blocking off light and keeping cold air in. Similarly, in winter, the insulating fabric of the shades, keep heat in and stop the cold air from reaching the interiors. But what happens if you are not there to pull them down? With motorized shades, you can let your remote devices do the job.
Protect Your Interiors
The prolonged effect of the sun on your furniture and paintwork is drastic. You can set your motorized shades to come down when the sun might cause maximum damage. Keep your furnishings looking new for a long time with the help of motorized shades.
Comfort
Motorized blinds can also leave a visible impact on your comfort. Make the most of your time squeezed out of your busy schedule with blinds that can be automated to close at pre-designated times. So, now you can peacefully snooze on even when the sun is shining brightly in the sky. Your blind would close automatically at dawn to cover the room in total darkness. Similarly, while enjoying your favorite movie, just tell your shades to come down and they will.
Aesthetics
Unlike most electronic and smart devices, that stick out like a sore thumb against the backdrop of most design choices, motorized blinds are an aesthetic delight. As the motorized blinds make use of the same design, materials, and functionalities of traditional window treatments, you will not have to compromise on the aesthetic choices. The motorized blinds or curtains will look just as beautiful as your traditional ones.
Disadvantages of Motorized Blinds
Despite its benefits, motorized shades do come with some disadvantages.
Expense
When compared to traditional window treatments, motorized options can be a lot more expensive. If you plan to motorize all the windows of the house at one go, the costs will pile up considerably. This is why many consumers shy away from motorized products. But these expenses come with long-term benefits, adding to the overall value of your property.
However, some of the costs can be bypassed by going for upgrades. There are many options available that allows you to upgrade your existing blinds into motorized ones. They are quite easy to install as well! This will allow you to jazz up your home with minimum costs and efforts.
Complicated Operation
Something that might put off consumers is the complicated installation and set up required for the devices. Custom installations are expensive. But if DIY is your thing, then you don’t have anything to worry about. All you have to do is follow the instruction manuals diligently, or watch some user-videos. Same goes for operation. Watch a few videos, and you will soon get a hang of it. After that, operating these shades with remote control devices becomes child’s play.
Trouble Shooting
Troubleshooting technical issues can sometimes require an overhaul. This might end up wasting a lot of your time and money. But modern technology has ensured that these devices are highly durable and reliable. Most of the issues are resolved just by changing the batteries. User-generated troubleshooting videos, too, can be a great help.
Home-automation is the future. As research into smart homes gains momentum, home automation products are becoming more sophisticated and futuristic. It is only a matter of time before home-automation becomes the norm, and power windows are going to lead the trend.
