A division of Hessler Paint & Ace Hardware
Back to the main siteMain site
Answers
Are motorized shades worth it, and how do they work?
Battery, hardwired, and solar power; app and voice control; and the windows where motorization pays for itself.
Where motorization earns its keep
Any window you can't comfortably reach, any bank of windows you'd otherwise operate one at a time, and any room where the sun moves through the day. Great rooms, stairwell windows, sliders behind furniture, and primary bedrooms are the four we motorize most.
How they're powered
Three options, and the right one depends on the window and whether you're renovating.
- Rechargeable battery wands — no wiring, recharged once or twice a year
- Solar strips — a good fit on bright exposures
- Hardwired — cleanest and permanent, best decided before drywall
Control
Handheld remotes, wall keypads, phone app, scheduling by sunrise and sunset, and integration with major smart-home systems. The feature people use most is not voice control — it's the automatic schedule.
Also asked
Follow-up questions
- Can motorized shades be added to my existing windows?
- Yes. Battery-powered motors need no wiring, so retrofitting an existing home is straightforward.
- What happens if the power goes out?
- Battery and solar motors keep working. Hardwired shades can be operated manually or from a battery backup depending on the system.
Next
Get a real number for your rooms
Bring photos and rough dimensions, or have us come measure.