Guide
In order to help you navigate through the decision making process for choosing your electric blinds we have put together a basic step by step guide which we hope you will find useful. This guide is for standard windows and doors and not for shaped or roof light blinds.
The first stage is deciding the type of motorised blind that you like to have. The blinds fall into two main categories.
Type of Motorisation
Mains powered: requires mains power by the blind either as a socket or spur. Best at build or renovation stage when power can still be directed to the recess.
Battery powered: best as a retro fit solution and these can be powered by integrated rechargeable lithium batteries or standard/rechargeable household batteries.
Warranty
Some of our motors have a I year warranty while others have 5 year warranties. In general replacing a motor is simple and does not mean replacing the blind.
Sophistication
Most manufacturers offer an entry level product that operates on a standard remote control. That remote will operate a number of blinds or groups of blinds. Once you start wanting to add automation such as timers to blinds or add additional functionality such as controlling the blinds by voice command (Alexa, Siri, Google Home Assistant) the cost increases as you will need additional hardware and software. Finally, integrating into home automation, such as control 4, also adds a layer of cost depending on whether you integrate or programme the blinds yourself or ask a third party or us to do so.
Control
There are a number of different ways you can control your blinds and this make be a mixture of the types listed below:
Up and down and pre-set stop positions
Above plus timers or setting scenes
Can integrate with other smart software i.e Nest, home security, lighting to provide additional functionality
Pair with Alexa, Google Home Assistant, Siri to control your blinds with voice commands
Use on smart phone or tablet providing overview of all windows and blinds and allowing you to set commands such as blinds closing at sunset
All the above depending on manufacture
Budget
The type of blind chosen, and the sophistication of the motor and the control will affect price. In general roller blinds with standard remote control handsets are the most cost effective while zebra blinds or honeycomb blinds will be more expensive. Smart home systems require a hub to be connected to your wifi and this then opens up a number of possibilities in terms of how you control your blinds.
Quotes
Let us know what your preferences are (if you know the manufacturer you would prefer you can also provide this) and we will provide you with a suggested solution for your home and should this meet your requirements we will provide a free of charge, no obligation quote.