Perhaps motorised awnings will be the finishing touch on your smart home, or perhaps you realized you simply had to have them after seeing them on another building. Whatever it was that piqued your interest in motorised awnings, chances are that you have some questions about whether or not they are the right solution for you and your home: Besides being a really cool gadget, what other benefits do they confer? Are they really as convenient as they look?
The reasons that people decide to install motorised awnings are as diverse as the homes that feature them, but our customers say that one or more (usually more!) of the following were considerations in their decision.
The Convenience Factor
It’s impossible to discuss whether or not motorised awnings or shades are the right solution for you without examining the convenience factor. Motorised awnings not only obviate the need to worry about unsightly and annoying cords and crank handles, but they also allow you to adjust all of your awnings (even the most hard to reach windows or skylights) to your desired position quickly. Add to this the fact that you can raise and lower your blind with the touch of a button from your smart phone, and it is motorised awnings FTW!
Though opening and shutting awnings and shades is not in itself such an onerous task, consider what else is associated with opening and shutting manual awnings: Going outside, untangling the cord, making sure the awnings are oriented in the right direction, making sure they are even, retracting them when the wind is too strong. Now, repeat this process across all of the windows in all of the rooms of your home. It’s no wonder that many people leave their shades in the same position day in and day out! It’s just inconvenient.
As Part of a Smart Home Solution
While we may not be living like the Jetsons just yet, more and more consumers are looking for ways to manage their homes simply and intuitively and to integrate those controls with the devices they rely on each day. We have the option to install smart thermostats, which regulate the temperature of our home, alarm systems that allow us to view our entryways remotely, and built-in speakers connected by WiFi. The choices for consumers interested in connected living are expanding every year and the products are getting, well, smarter and smarter.
Greening Your Home
People who make the switch to motorised awnings often do so because they are interested in home energy management. If this is important to you, then motorised awnings or shades can offer some attractive benefits: When you coordinate your shade position with the position of the sun, not only do you reduce your energy consumption, but you reduce costly energy bills.
You can also protect your awnings from storms with a wind sensor.
Consider how much energy that same household expends cooling a room that bakes in the sun all day or heating a room that could be warmed by the sun. As part of your heating and cooling system, motorised awnings help you make smart energy decisions, enhance the comfort of your home, and save money. That’s a win-win-win for those looking to green their homes!
Customisation is Key
In today’s smart, efficient home, customization is key and the window treatment industry has risen to the occasion. With more shade and blind options than ever to choose from, consumers can create a customized window system that transforms their space and ticks all the boxes, from the aesthetic to the functional.
Are motorised awnings and shades the best fit for you?
The benefits of motorised awnings are clear: They allow you to transform your space into the connected home of your dreams, while at the same time saving energy. However, despite all of these pluses, it’s important to consider how motorised awnings fit into your overall home design plan and budget.
Additionally, keep in mind that installing motorised awnings is typically something that you’ll need to call on a professional to do. If, after weighing cost and installation logistics alongside all of the benefits, you decide that motorised awnings are right for you, congratulations! You have some fun decisions to look forward to just down the road.