What are the main benefits of automated window blinds?
The smart home has arrived, and it’s here to stay. The fast pace of technological change has changed just about every aspect of our lives, and that includes the home. From internet connected TVs to keyless entry systems, home heating controlled via your smartphone and fridges that tell you when you’ve run out of milk, hi tech homes are now accessible to everyone. A number of companies are paving the way to a smarter future, take a look at Smart Homes Company, they specialise in delivering cutting-edge solutions to homes and properties in the UK. Along with companies like blinds belfast.
One more useful thing that can now be added into the smart home mix are automated blinds and curtains. What’s more, these can be integrated with the rest of your home automation system so you can synchronise your blinds with your indoor lighting, your heating thermostat and your home cinema. It’s cool technology and very convenient, that’s for sure, but are there any other benefits to having automated window dressings in your home?
- Improve your home security
By remotely controlling your smart blinds and curtains, you can simulate presence. That way, whether you’re at home, out for the evening or away on holiday, your house will always look occupied. Programmed together with your smart lighting system, no-one including a would-be burglar will be any the wiser that it isn’t you operating the shades or switching lights on.
For maximum privacy, you can also programme your smart blinds to close automatically when you leave the house and open when you return, or integrate your window dressings with your intruder alarm system and expose any burglar by triggering all the blinds to open in case of a security breach.
- Keep your family safe
While accidents do happen in the home, it is your responsibility to minimise the risk and keep your family safe. Motorised blinds and windows means there are no operational cords that little ones or pets could get tangled up in, with potentially disastrous results. The lack of cords with automated window blinds is a major safety bonus that provides peace of mind all round.
Some smart shades are also able to connect to Nest’s Protect Smoke Alarm and will automatically open when a fire is detected, so that emergency services can see inside the property.
- Reduce your energy use
Smart window coverings are an effective way to reduce solar gain and prevent heat loss in the home – they’re great for energy efficiency. Simply by fitting automated window blinds, you can enhance the insulation value of your windows and improve their R-value.
By installing smart home technology, your motorised blinds can ‘learn’ when they need to automatically open and close, based on temperature and sunlight settings. That way, they will know to close during the hottest part of the day to relieve the pressure on your air conditioning system, or to stay open during a sunny winter’s day to help heat the room naturally.
- Protect your furnishings and interiors
Exposure to sunshine can lead to fading soft furnishings including curtains, carpets, rugs and upholstery. Over time, this can affect your furniture, furnishings and other interiors including valuable oriental rugs and precious wall art.
Automated blinds and curtains can either be operated by hand or programmed intelligently so that the right level of light is always available – not too little and not too much – and that your shades close automatically during the sunniest part of the day to protect your home’s interiors from sun damage.
- Enhance your creature comforts
Create any ambience you want in your home at the push of a button in any room. Whether you want extra privacy or want to set the mood for a cosy night in, your smart blinds (alongside lighting and multi-room audio systems) will oblige.
Rather than walking all through the house manually adjusting your settings, motorised blinds and other smart home functions are operated via remote control, an app on your smartphone or even voice controlled via your Alexa, and can be pre-programmed for every day. One less thing to worry about, it saves you time, energy and having to access hard-to-reach places – the perfect way to run your modern home.
- Full smart home integration
When paired with smart lighting, your automated window blinds can help maximise the amount of natural light in your home so that you use less electricity. Opening the curtains, for instance, can be a trigger for the lights to turn off, or the other way round.
Smart thermostats have a wealth of data to help determine whether opening or closing your smart blinds will reduce energy use – including the weather outside, the ambient temperature inside, the time of day, and more. This means that your home can literally sense when the room is getting too hot or cold and take action to open/close your blinds or curtains, or turn the air con or central heating on/off as required.
When all the individual elements of your home technology come together to work in harmony, the benefits are far greater than enhanced convenience – they produce a truly ‘smart’ home.
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