You have QUESTION - We have ANSWERS about motorized window coverings

You have a new home and your curious about the cost of motorized roller shades.  

Let's discuss the steps in choosing the right solution for your project.  It can seem a little daunting, you may assume it's expensive, you're not sure what type of system is best for your requirements, the size of your home, the number of windows, the sizes of the windows, 120 volt, 24 volt, 12 volt power and on and on.

Do this LAST

Let's talk about the smart stuff.  The stuff that makes it 'fun'.  DON'T start at the 'Smart Devices' stage.  All you need to know is that every one of the systems on the market today allow you to GROW as your needs change.  Such as when you have a thought one Monday morning:  'I wonder if I can get the shades to raise automatically at sunrise and sunset?'  The answer is YES

You don't want to select a particular window covering, want it motorized only to find that manufacturer can't motorize it.  This can be as simple as 'the motor is too wide to fit into the shade' or you're choosing a product that can't be motorized - throwing your entire window treatment purchase in shambles.

FIRST

Decide what window treatment is best for sun protection, privacy and aesthetics.

MANUFACTURERS OF WINDOW COVERINGS

Every manufacturer have their own proprietary systems.  You can't mix and match motorized window coverings from different manufacturers and have them all work with the same smart controls.  Let's put it this way, Hunter Douglas talks DUTCH, EliteWF talks SPANISH, Graber talks GERMAN, SunGlow talks SWEDISH, Maxxmar talks ITALIAN and so on and so on.

Typically these proprietary systems are less expensive than, let's say, SOMFY, and they all have their positives, negatives, similarities and restrictions.

For instance, if you have LARGE windows, these smaller, less expensive motors may be too small to raise and lower your shades.  And even if they do, the wear on the motors will definitely shorten their operating life.

NEWTON METER

The lifting power of these motors are rated in 'NEWTON METERS'   Some of the entry level motors are 1/2 Nm meaning they are very limited in their raising capacity but are fine for small shades.

More powerful motors are more expensive, but the extra cost of getting the right motors will far outweigh the frustration and added cost in replacing existing motors.  We get calls all the time from frustrating clients all the time about motors that stop and start on their own.  Typically they've overheated, tripping the internal circuits until the internal temperature drops before the shade will move again.  The time it takes for an overheated motor to reset (cool down) is typically 20 minutes.

Reputable manufacturers and dealers won't install an underpowered motorized shade.

NOISE

This has nothing to do with the power or lifting capacity of the motor.

Let's talk about what's inside the motor.  The smaller, cheaper motors have a tiny motors and a lot of gears to reduce the speed and add lifting power.  These are typically plastic or nylon and depending on the manufacturers choice, they are either more or less noisier.

Making a motor that is whisper quiet is a feat on it's own and there are very few manufacturers who have made the decision to spend a few extra dollars on research, development, components and manufacturing tolerances to achieve quiet.

So.  To make it short & sweet and not TOO complicated, this is how they make the motor quieter.

They use stronger motors that require less reduction gearing.  That's it.  Not only are they quieter but they're also stronger.

So if quiet is important IE: you don't want the sound of your kids raising their shades in the morning to reverberate around the house waking everyone else up including you and your partner, make sure you select a system that uses stronger motors.  Not only will you sleep better, these more powerful motors have a longer life, don't overheat and you won't have to pay for a service calls to fix a problem you didn't expect.

SOMFY

Somfy is the original manufacturer of motors for window treatments and awnings.  Their motors are powerful, quiet with control systems that are unrivaled.

Every manufacturer, (even Hunter Douglas) offers SOMFY motorization components.  This allows you to select Silhouettes from Hunter Douglas, Sunscreen Roller Shades for MaxXmar and Roman shades from Shades of Home, awnings -  ALL powered by SOMFY using the same operating system, the same smart devices.

They're so much to discuss and it's impossible to foresee all the questions you might have about choosing the RIGHT solution for your project, but an educated consumer is our BEST customer.

We want to do our best in giving you unbiased advice - not because we only offer solutions from one manufacture but because we offer solutions from almost EVERY window treatment manufacturer that allows us to do the right thing for you, not simply what's easiest for us.

Happy Automation!
Steve Poxon
Owner, Shades of Home