Window blinds are the standard choice when it comes to covering your windows. Compared to traditional curtains, they are made to measure and can simply provide better light control.
Not to mention, window blinds are easier to maintain and more hygienic as they don’t collect as much dust or attract dust mites. This makes them ideal for modern homes. However, an even better choice is motorized window blinds and shades.
Motorized window blinds and shades are fast becoming popular among homeowners, and there’s little surprise as to why. Besides performing the same functions as your ordinary window blinds, motorized blinds present many more benefits.
In fact, we’d consider motorized blinds a must-have for your home! Here are some reasons why and things you need to know about these blinds and shades.
How Do Motorized Blinds Work?
Motorized blinds work like regular blinds, except that you don’t need to manually operate them. That’s a good thing for some, as window blinds can be pretty tricky to handle.
Yank them too hard or pull them in the wrong direction, and you will be damaging the blinds or causing them to open unevenly. With motorized blinds, you can avoid these accidents entirely. You can directly operate your blinds with just a click of a button or make a few taps on your smartphone app.
However, controlling it remotely is just one of the many functions you can find in smart blinds. There are many other types of motorized blinds offering distinctive features, such as lift or tilt and wired or battery-powered, among others.
Despite the many types of motorized blinds available, the best motorized shades on the market, in our opinion, are those that can regulate your room temperature automatically.
This is possible when you integrate it with your home automation system or thermostat sensor. With this, your blinds can collect data and regulate your room temperature naturally. Using smart Z-wave motors such as those found in Virtual Cord Graber blinds, you can connect the shades to a Z-wave smart system and sync them with your other Z-wave devices for more advanced control.
Ideally, your shades should close when temperatures are high to keep the room cool while taking advantage of sunny winter days to allow sunlight through and warm up the room naturally.
Then again, different windows have different needs. To help you choose the right motorized blinds, here are some of the benefits and edges each blind can offer.
1. Control Your Shades With Ease
The main benefit of having a motorized blind over your window is none other than convenience. This is especially needed for large or out-of-reach windows sitting on top of rooms with high ceilings.
Additionally, it is also helpful for those with limited mobility. You don’t have to adjust the shade by hand and can simply operate it using a remote control or voice command through Alexa.
We all know that windows can regulate your room temperature through heat gains and losses. And if they are convenient to open and close, you are more likely to take action to benefit your environment.
Better yet, most smart blinds allow you to schedule the timing for when it should open and close, which means you won’t even need to worry about them at all.
2. Remove Cords for the Safety of Children and Pets
If you are a parent or pet owner, you must not only consider if your shades or blinds will look great, but also if they will be safe for your pets and children.
Window shades with cords and loops can pose a suffocation hazard for both pets and children. Motorized blinds are often powered and cordless, ensuring parents and pet owners that they don’t have to worry about such dangers.
3. Efficient Energy Consumption for Better Savings
We can’t iterate this enough. But connecting your motorized blinds to your smart home system can help promote energy efficiency, especially when it comes to your HVAC system.
Smart thermostats have a lot of data, such as time, weather conditions, and the temperature in each room. By using these data, an intelligent blind can determine whether it should be open or close.
For example, if a room is slightly warm, your smart home can close the shades instead of turning on the air conditioning. Consequently, this will naturally regulate your room temperature, giving you comfort while reducing your HVAC usage and monthly utility bills.
4. Offer Privacy and Better Home Security
When you put window blinds and home security together, you might think it is about closing the blinds for privacy and preventing passers-by from looking in.
Though part of this is true, having a motorized blind can give a far better edge than just keeping your windows closed.
You can remotely program your shades to open and close automatically, creating the idea that someone is at home, even if you are on vacation or miles away. This will discourage burglars or home invaders who are out looking for empty homes to target.
5. Protecting Your Furniture Against Sun Damage
Constant exposure to direct sunlight can cause fading and irreversible damage to the flooring and furniture in your home. To avoid this, make sure your motorized blinds are treated with a protective coating of solar tinting film.
This can block sunlight effectively, which will protect your valuables and skin from dangerous UV rays. Of course, you can also program your blinds to automatically adjust or close when the temperature reaches a certain degree to prevent direct exposure.
Choose the Right One For You
As you can see, motorized blinds can bring many benefits to the table, such as convenience or saving money. With each feature, the blinds tend to become more expensive.
So ultimately, when it comes to choosing the right motorized blinds for your home, select only the features that meet your needs and budget.