What Everyone Should Know About Electronic Blinds: Automatic Blinds Installation Guide

Technology has made our lives easier in so many ways. Now, we don’t have to go around manually opening and closing all the blinds or shades in our homes. Open or close all the blinds at once - or just some of them - with the touch of a button.

Automatic blinds have many benefits. They save time and energy. They make it easy to close hard-to-reach window coverings. And they’re much safer for homes with children and pets because they are cordless. The only downside is the price: Automatic blinds are always going to cost more than regular manual blinds.

Choosing Automatic Blinds

There are several steps to choosing the right automatic blinds for your home. First, choose the type of blind/shade you want. There are blinds that lift and lower automatically, blinds that tilt automatically, and those that do both. There are wooden, composite, aluminum and vinyl blinds. There are pleated shades, roller shades and Roman shades. The number of options can be overwhelming.

Some of the other choices include:

• Regular 2-inch blinds, mini-blinds, Levolor or silhouette blinds
• Horizontal or vertical blinds
• Blinds for oddly-shaped windows, including those that are fanned or arched
• Blinds or shades that are controlled by the temperature
• Translucent or blackout shades
• Solar shades that prevent furniture from fading and regulate the room temperature
• Blinds that open by splitting in two sections

Next, you’ll have to select a power source. Some blinds and shades are battery-powered, which is convenient because you won’t have to hire an electrician to do the hard wiring. Others are hardwired or plug in to an electrical outlet.

The final step is selecting a controller. Often, automatic blinds are controlled with a remote. One remote can usually operate all the blinds or shades in the home. However, some people prefer the convenience of a wall switch because there are no batteries to change and there’s no chance of losing the remote. Sometimes a single wall switch operates all the blinds; other times each set has its own switch.

Costs

The cost of electric blinds or shades is difficult to estimate. The price depends on the type of shades you choose, the power source, the method of control and local labor rates. Generally, you can expect to pay anywhere from $100 to $500 per window installed. Budget on the lower end of that range for basic motorized blinds and on the higher end for fancy blackout or solar shades. Also, budget on the high end of that range or more anytime hardwiring is required.

Installation

Remote-controlled blinds are fairly easy to install. Most window covering companies can put these up quickly and easily, and the installation makes up only about $30 to $60 (per window) of the total price. Or, people who are handy often choose to purchase and install their own remote-controlled blinds.

Automatic blinds or shades with switches are more tricky because electrical work is involved. In most cases, an electrician will have to come out to do the wiring before the blinds can be installed. In these cases, the installation costs will likely be at least $200 to $300 per window, making the total cost per window pretty high.

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