Motorized Shades, Three Ways
ShareTired of getting up from your comfortable spot on the couch and closing the blinds or shades at night? Too content to deal with the bright sunlight blinding you while you read from your favorite book nook? Maybe what you really need are motorized shades. Here are three styles of motorized shades/blinds you can purchase and have installed.
Motorized from a Hang Bar Hung on the Lintel of Your Window
Hung just as you would hang any blinds or window coverings, these particular shades/blinds have one additional feature. That feature is the motor inside the end cap of the hang bar. When the hang bar and end caps are mounted to the lintel of a window (i.e., the top plank of the window), the shades/blinds roll up or down just like their manual counterparts, but much faster. In fact, no one can tell that these are any different from the manual versions of blinds/shades. It is only when you activate the motors that you can tell what kind of shades/blinds you have.
Motorized, Inside the Window
Special windows can be purchased and installed in your home that have blinds/shades inside them. The two panes of glass are separated by a larger space that allows free movement of the blinds/shades inside the windows. You can open and close the shades/blinds with the push of a button on the window frame, or you can use the remote control that is included with these particular windows and their built-in windows/blinds.
Motorized, Chemically Activated
These super high-tech shades are actually a chemical with which the glass is treated. A series of glass panels layered together allow you to control how much light and heat hits the panels that have been dipped in these photo-sensitive treatments. There is a remote control that comes with these windows and panels that adjusts how and how much the light and heat enter the window. If you are really keen on seeing how these windows and panels work, you will need to find the manufacturers and the dealers in your area that make and sell them to residential customers.
Which Will You Choose?
If it helps, each of the above motorized shades/blinds is listed in order of cost. The more complex and high-tech the product, the more costly it will be to make enough for all of your windows and install them. All options will add resale value to your home later on.
Contact a service, like Sylvan's & Phillip's, for more help.