5 Key Benefits of Motorized Window Blinds

Solar heat gain plays a huge role in the overall energy efficiency of a home, especially when the dog days of summer roll around. The more sunlight enters your home, the harder your air conditioner will have to work. In fact, your windows may account for as much as 30 percent of your home's cooling energy use.

Window blinds rank among the most effective ways to reduce solar heat gain. Blinds allow you to adjust the amount of sunlight passing through your windows. Traditionally, homeowners adjust the position of their blinds themselves. This article takes a closer look at five remarkable benefits of a newer option in window blinds: motorized blinds.

1. No More Cords

Most manual blinds allow homeowners to raise and lower them using a thin nylon cord. Unfortunately, these cords lie at the heart of a surprising array of window blind problems. Cords can easily become tangled. Over time, they fray, and may eventually break altogether. Problems with cords often leads to blinds that hang crookedly, won't stay open, or only open part way.

Worse still, window cords pose a serious safety threat for homes with small children. Children can easily become tangled in cords. The irresistible temptation to play with cords can lead to children being hit by blinds. Cuts and bruises frequently ensue from such behavior.

Motorized window blinds do away with traditional cords and all of their associated problems. Instead, an internal mechanism controls up and down positioning of the blinds. This approach keeps children safe, while also minimizing the frustrations that inevitably accompany corded window blinds.

2. Increased Convenience

Motorized window blinds greatly increase the convenience of day to day living. The more windows you have in your home, the greater the positive impact that motorized blinds bring. You no longer have to painstakingly alter each and every blind by hand. Instead, with the simple press of a button, you can optimize the position of your blinds to maximize your in-home comfort.

3. Smart Home Compatible

Many motorized blind systems come with their own dedicated remote control. While useful, these controllers often become lost or misplaced. Many manufacturers have therefore developed motorized blind controllers that sync up with smart home systems. This integration allows you to control blind settings using your smart phone or computer.

4. Long Term Investment

Motorized blinds increase the value of your home, allowing you to increase your return once the time comes to sell. Prospective homeowners increasingly prioritize homes with smart features. Smart homes hold especial appeal for millennials, who tend to prioritize environmental sustainability more than previous generations.

One recent survey showed that a whopping 72 percent of millennials would pay up to $1,500 more for a smart home. Forty-two percent of those surveyed expressed a willingness to pay as much as $3,000 more. Motorized blinds alone won't justify that kind of price increase. But, as part of a larger smart home suite, those blinds can recoup much of their initial outlay.

5. Programmability

Many motorized blind systems allow you to program their operation yourself. This feature saves homeowners from having to make changes in real-time. Instead, blinds automatically open and close at set hours. Some systems even have the ability to respond to changes in ambient light conditions and even room temperature.

This programmability maximizes the energy efficiency of your blinds as well as increases the security of your home when you're away on vacation. Programmable blinds can easily dissuade would-be robbers from targeting your house. The automatic movements create the illusion that somebody inside of the home has been changing the blinds in response to ambient conditions.

Motorized window blinds offer a wealth of exciting benefits. For more information about upgrading to motorized blinds in your home, please contact the window experts at House of Drapery & Blinds.