Not only do automated blinds add to the design aesthetic of the interior and exterior of homes, but they bring with them a wide range of advantages and uses. Let’s take a look.

What are automated blinds?

Automated blinds are window treatments that include built-in motors, enabling you to remotely raise, lower or tilt them based on schedule, sensors, or on-demand. They differ to manual operable blinds, which need to be opened and closed by hand, usually by blind cords or hand cranks.

These indoor and outdoor blinds are able to be integrated with virtual assistants (Amazon Alexa, Google Home), so they can be operated via a wall switch, remote control, voice-activated command or a pre-programmed central control system.

What is a smart home?

A smart home is one that uses technology ​​to enable the remote monitoring and management of appliances and systems, such as lighting and heating. Smart home technology, also often referred to as home automation, provides homeowners security, comfort, convenience and energy efficiency by allowing them to control smart devices or have them managed automatically according to a set of rules.

What are the benefits?

Wondering whether you should invest in blinds with automation? Here are some of the key advantages.

Increase convenience in your home

With motorised blinds, you are able to control them, adding convenience to everyday living at the touch of a button.  They’re especially handy for windows and glass ceilings that are hard to reach, such as ceiling blinds and skylight blinds.  For motorised internal roller blinds, they are cord free, making them safe for children and pets.

However, automation allows you to maximise the sun shading benefits. You can set all of your blinds to go down as you leave the house or to open up when you get up in the morning. Automated blinds are also a huge time saver as they eliminate the need to walk around the house to manually open or close each of your blinds.

They can boost energy savings

If you’re interested in maximising your home’s energy efficiency, automated blinds may be just what you’ve been looking for. Opening and shutting your blinds is about much more than simply blocking or letting light into a room. For example, rather than allowing the blazing summer sun to heat up your house all day to then turn on the air conditioner to maximum for hours when you get home, you can set your blinds to open and close during specific times during the day to maximise their efficiency. Similarly in winter, you can leverage the heat of the sun to warm your home. These factors work together to help you to lower your monthly utility bills.

External Venetian Blinds can increase comfort

Similar to indoor blinds, automatied external venetian blinds are about making your home comfortable. Heat gain through glass can be reduced by up to 90 per cent, which keeps the internal temperature more consistent and cuts down on the need for air conditioning.

With Warema’s German-engineered external venetian blinds, different levels of control are available; from manual via a remote control or wall switch, or through an automated system that does this for you.

For example, you can set the blinds to tilt throughout the day as the sun moves, so that you can enjoy the view outside whilst controlling the intensity of natural light. Or, if you’re looking for a less complex solution, you can set them to move twice a day as you need, for example, at daybreak and sunset.

In addition to these settings, external venetian blinds can be installed in tandem with control systems so that they automatically retract based on extreme wind, protecting the blinds from the elements.

Improve home security through automation

For added security when you’re on holiday or away for the weekend, blinds can be made to move subtly giving the impression of someone being at home, while lowering them at night will stop anyone peering in the windows.

Increase the value of your home

With smart home automation becoming increasingly popular, automated sun shading is also a growing trend. A home fitted with automated blinds can be seen as a huge bonus by potential buyers.

Improve your sleep quality

We all know that feeling of trying to fall asleep in a room that’s not dark enough or being jolted awake by your alarm clock. But by installing automated blinds in your bedroom you help alleviate these issues, especially if you choose blinds with maximum light-blocking opacity. You can achieve this with traditional blackout curtains or blinds, but if so, you miss out on an opportunity for a more gradual wake-up. Setting your blinds to open when you need to get up for work will give you a gentle wakeup call on weekdays, while you can treat yourself to a weekend lay in by opening them yourself with the remote.

Want to know more about automating your blinds?

Our experts at Shade Factor are always ready to help. Contact us here for further advice.