How many smart home features do you have? Would you consider yourself surrounded in devices, or are you just starting to figure it all out? One of the topics we get asked the most questions about is our smart blinds. There’s so many ways to bring automation to your everyday life, homeowners find themselves attempting to get all the information they can about the features, the function, the benefits and the cost.
Which Brand Is Best?
Since we are a window treatment company, we may sound biased. But, the Timan Custom Window Treatments family has been providing window coverings to the communities of Northeastern Ohio for a long time–and we know the brands that offer quality. As a homeowner, you want the type of product that has a long-standing reputation. When it comes to motorized interior shades, we offer Hunter Douglas. With high quality products and a dedication to innovation over the years, the systems have been designed so you can have the best experience with automated blinds, shades, shutters and drapes. For exterior motorized shades, visit our page designed to showcase all of the products we offer to add function to your outdoor space.
Smart, Remote, Auto…What’s the Difference?
It’s easy to get confused when you start learning about all the technology that surrounds today’s products. When it comes to smart blinds, remote control shades, motorized shutters and automatic drapes, they all have motors designed to make the adjustments–as opposed to manual control. In fact, you cannot adjust window shades manually that are designed to be moved with a motor–it can damage the system. Many people use the terms interchangeably, from “smart” to “auto” or “remote.” Visit one of our recent articles for a good understanding of the difference between all of them.
- Remote Control: Adjust your window coverings with features available on the Pebble Remote from Hunter Douglas
- Motorized: Name given to any window coverings (blinds, shades, shutters, drapes) that adjust by motor
- Automatic: Another name for motorized coverings, often used when referring to movement that happens on a schedule or without effort
- Smart: This can range from window shades that are controlled by an app–similar to the remote, or window coverings that are integrated with your smart home system, with additional features like voice control and triggered adjustments
How Do You Use the App?
The Hunter Douglas PowerView Automation app is available with more motorized blinds than ever before. One thing we love about providing the Hunter Douglas brand is how user-friendly they have chosen to make the products. And, they’re improving them continually as smart features develop. See the experience here:
Where Does the Power Come from?
The motor for smart blinds in integrated into the headrail, out of sight. The power source for any of our motorized blinds, shades, shutters or drapes can be hardwired or battery powered. Hardwiring your automated shades can be simple–it’s low voltage electricity. But, it’s best put in place at the window during new construction or a remodeling project. This is why many homeowners choose battery powered shades. In an effort towards environmentally conscious battery usage, you can get a rechargeable battery wand to power your automatic blinds. These can be retro-fit on previously purchased Hunter Douglas PowerView shades, or purchased for new window coverings.
How Often Do Batteries Have to Be Changed?
This can be a tricky question to answer straight-away, since battery life can depend on how active your shades are on a daily basis. We usually say two years if you have them set to adjust twice a day.
Do Smart Shades Last?
This question is usually referring to the condition of the window coverings. From our experience, any motorized window coverings tend to last a long time–even longer than some manually adjusted window treatments because they aren’t being handled.
What Is the Cost?
The price of any home investment is a great question, as you often have to budget to ensure you get the quality you deserve. Like any other category that uses technology, as soon as new innovations are introduced, the price is higher than after it’s been on the market for awhile. With smart shades, the same scenario has been true. Motorized window coverings have come down in price, but they do still add a cost to the project. What many homeowners don’t understand is that there are a number of factors that contribute to the cost, and with some adjustments, it’s possible for you to customize your quote to fit your budget.
- The kind of window coverings you want can vary
- Specialty features can affect pricing
- Fabrics play a part in the final cost
- How many windows you are ordering for at one time
- The type of automation you choose…smart, individual wand control, remote, app control
In addition to the cost of the shades, you should check with the brand you’re considering to see if there are more components needed in order for the automatic features to work. Hunter Douglas has worked endlessly to make sure their PowerView automated shades integrate easily with the smart home technology that you already have in your home, like Logitech, Alexa, Siri, Elan, Control4 and more.
What Are the Top Factors to Consider?
There are two considerations that we find can have the biggest effect on your experience purchasing smart blinds: The brand you choose and the company that provides them. Brand matters. You’ve probably seen how every company out there has begun offering smart shades, but be careful. Just because they offer them, doesn’t mean your investment is going to last. Choose a reputable brand that has experience designing these products and producing them. Your paying for a quality window covering, and that’s what you should get. The other factor is the company providing them to you. We professionally install your smart shades and then walk you through how to use them. We’ll show you the features, the scheduling, the scene setting…everything is ready for you from day one. And…we’ll be here for you long after install. If you have questions, or if you want to try a new feature, we are here. With technology, we all know things can go wrong. But, we’ll be here if you need us. We’d love to help you decide which automated window coverings will work best for your home. Get in touch for your FREE in-home consultation.
