Mac Slocum
02-14-07, 09:29 AM
The Benefits of Motorized Shades
Electronic window coverings offer privacy and a controlled home theater experience.
As great as those towering windows in your family room are at capturing the view, there will be times when you’ll want to cover them up. When you’re watching a movie, for example, you’ll want to close the drapes to prevent sunlight from washing out the bright, beautiful picture on your new big-screen TV. You can stick with old-style drapes that must be opened and closed manually, or you can save yourself a lot of time and trouble by going with window treatments that can be controlled electronically. Here’s how they work: The fabric—be it a heavy-duty shade or a flimsy decorative sheer—is attached to a standard-looking rod, roller or track that has a small motor built in. When this motor is triggered, it moves the fabric over the window. A handheld remote is commonly used to activate the motor, which means you can simply press a button to position the window treatments instead of having to tug them into place manually. “Having that kind of control is a huge convenience, particularly in larger homes,” says home systems installer Jan Vitrofsky of HED South, based in Hollywood, FL.
http://www.electronichouse.com/images/uploads/motorized_drapes_01.jpg (http://www.electronichouse.com/article/motorized_shades_for_the_home_theater/C155)
Works with Lights
Convenience is still a good reason to outfit your home with electronically controlled window coverings. But recently, manufacturers, home systems installers and lighting designers have started to focus on the importance of these types of treatments to the overall lighting effect of a room. It’s fairly easy to see the connection between natural light and artificial light: The more sunlight a room receives, the less you may need to use the light fixtures to illuminate the space. On the flip side, when there’s less sunlight available, you may want the room lights at their brightest levels. “It’s all about achieving a pleasing balance,” says Gary Meshburg, director of marketing for Lightolier Controls, a manufacturer of residential lighting systems. “When the light is balanced, the entire room looks better.”
The problem is that most people don’t have the time or the patience to fiddle around with the window shades and dimmer switches to get the right look. That’s why lighting control manufacturers and controllable shading manufacturers have teamed up to develop solutions that coordinate the positions of the shades with the intensity of the lights. When a room’s lights and shades are in sync, some pretty amazing things can happen. For example, at the press of a button, a movie command could simultaneously lower the shades and fade out the lights in the family room. Later, you could tap clean up to turn on all the lights and open all the window treatments.
For more master motorized window tips, check out
http://www.electronichouse.com/article/motorized_shades_for_the_home_theater/C155
Electronic window coverings offer privacy and a controlled home theater experience.
As great as those towering windows in your family room are at capturing the view, there will be times when you’ll want to cover them up. When you’re watching a movie, for example, you’ll want to close the drapes to prevent sunlight from washing out the bright, beautiful picture on your new big-screen TV. You can stick with old-style drapes that must be opened and closed manually, or you can save yourself a lot of time and trouble by going with window treatments that can be controlled electronically. Here’s how they work: The fabric—be it a heavy-duty shade or a flimsy decorative sheer—is attached to a standard-looking rod, roller or track that has a small motor built in. When this motor is triggered, it moves the fabric over the window. A handheld remote is commonly used to activate the motor, which means you can simply press a button to position the window treatments instead of having to tug them into place manually. “Having that kind of control is a huge convenience, particularly in larger homes,” says home systems installer Jan Vitrofsky of HED South, based in Hollywood, FL.
http://www.electronichouse.com/images/uploads/motorized_drapes_01.jpg (http://www.electronichouse.com/article/motorized_shades_for_the_home_theater/C155)
Works with Lights
Convenience is still a good reason to outfit your home with electronically controlled window coverings. But recently, manufacturers, home systems installers and lighting designers have started to focus on the importance of these types of treatments to the overall lighting effect of a room. It’s fairly easy to see the connection between natural light and artificial light: The more sunlight a room receives, the less you may need to use the light fixtures to illuminate the space. On the flip side, when there’s less sunlight available, you may want the room lights at their brightest levels. “It’s all about achieving a pleasing balance,” says Gary Meshburg, director of marketing for Lightolier Controls, a manufacturer of residential lighting systems. “When the light is balanced, the entire room looks better.”
The problem is that most people don’t have the time or the patience to fiddle around with the window shades and dimmer switches to get the right look. That’s why lighting control manufacturers and controllable shading manufacturers have teamed up to develop solutions that coordinate the positions of the shades with the intensity of the lights. When a room’s lights and shades are in sync, some pretty amazing things can happen. For example, at the press of a button, a movie command could simultaneously lower the shades and fade out the lights in the family room. Later, you could tap clean up to turn on all the lights and open all the window treatments.
For more master motorized window tips, check out
http://www.electronichouse.com/article/motorized_shades_for_the_home_theater/C155