Motorized blinds are like all regular window treatments, but with one addition that makes the difference: the motor. Add a remote control and you can adjust your blinds without needing to get off your comfortable chair. Some of you may say they aren’t that lazy, and that they can get off their bed and pull a cord when they want. However, if you’re stuck in bed or in a wheelchair, then you probably seize the benefits of remotely controlled motorized blind: they are a blessing for impaired persons, offering them a bit more independence, at least when it comes to small but important things like adjusting the light in a room.

Motorized Blinds Operating Principle

Automatic blinds have a tubular motor encapsulated into the roller case, powered by batteries, which is controlled by a remote which is also battery-operated. This is the basic mechanism that allows you to put those blinds in motion with such an ease that you’ll feel sorry for not installing it earlier. Some of these electric blinds models offer also motorized tilt such as the Comfortex Woodwinds Reed collection, YourBlinds Woven Wood blinds or the Hunter Douglas Duette or Applause series.
Running on batteries, such automated window coverings are not hazardous for children or pets, as the voltage is very low. They are safe and silent, so they can really improve your quality of life, by making you feel more comfortable and relaxed in your own house.

With such a simple mechanism, almost any type of window blinds or shades are suitable for being transformed into motorized ones, be them Roman shade, pleated shades, aluminum horizontal blinds or roller shades.

How To Install Motorized Blinds and Shades

My first thought would be to get them installed by a professional. That’s because I’m not the do-it-yourself type, I just want to see things done and to enjoy their benefits, and not hit my head against the wall in solving technical problems that inevitably occur at each and every installation.
However, some of the window coverings manufacturers offer special hardware that even a kid could be able to put in place. The ease in installation depends very much on the window blinds type: if they fit exactly into the glass area, then they need to be attached on the upper rim that holds the glass in place. A screwdriver is all the you need. Measurements are not necessary, as the upper part of the blind ends with a track where the hardware can slide, so you don’t have to position it with precision, in order to match the holes on the window rim.

Anyway, if you decide to install your motorized blinds by yourself, make sure to level them horizontally as well as you can, because otherwise they won’t operate seamlessly and you may even get the tubular motor burnt.

Being a big fan of bamboo Roman shades, I thought to expand a little bit this concept and see what other type of bamboo window treatments I can use in my house. When I say “bamboo”, for instance, you don’t have to take it literally, because it’s the term I also use for naming reeds, rattan, wicker or jute blinds. The main idea is that they are flexible, lightweight and they can be processed in many styles, in order to end up hanging at your windows.

While the bamboo roman shades lift up in waves, or folds, resulting is a kind of decorative look for your windows, other styles of bamboo blinds can go as classical as weaving together thin bamboo sticks with two strings and use a pull-cord to operate the blind. I still remember my grandmother’s house having that kind of shades at all windows. When I was a child, she would never let me pull that cord, which of course I wanted so much to do.

No matter how much I miss the old days, I’m for current trends in fashion and in home design, therefore I always like to go to interior design fairs and exhibitions to see what’s new worldwide. Besides, I’ve just got a gorgeous rattan rug which I want to match with handcrafted bamboo shades. I won’t be making the shades by myself, as I’m not that skillful and I may end up ruining the materials. Because I need and value my privacy, and because bamboo reeds are not that protective, I might be using a liner to double the woven bamboo reeds, thus filtering better the light and the curious eyes outside my room.

How to Hang Indoor Bamboo Shades

Usually, interior shades are fixed on the upper rim of the window, therefore they need to match the size of the glass exactly. If they are wider, they won’t fit. If they are thinner, they will let a lot of light pass through the edges of the glass. This is why you should always measure twice and order once, when it comes to buying such window treatments for interior.

The hardware needed to hang the shades is included in the order, in most of the cases. If not, I suppose you can buy it from home and garden shops, but I wouldn’t be too sure they’d fit, so it is better to find a shades manufacturer who delivers also the hardware.

Is Buying Ready Made Bamboo Shades An Option?

This could be a great bargain, because there are shops and retailers who want to get rid of their old stocks, therefore offering everything at a very low price, for the clearance. If you can find the size yuo need for your windows, then it can be a perfect solution to cover them while saving some money. Otherwise, you’ll need to cut the shades to fit, and this can be a tricky operation. Cutting bamboo is not the easiest thing to do when you have no proper tools and knowledge. Keep in mind that you don’t buy window shades each week, or each month, not even each year, therefore if you want them to look really good, maybe the best thing to do is to order them customized for your windows.

All people who live in hurricane areas can testify that storm shutters can significantly reduce the damage caused by all that debris flying around at huge speeds, therefore gaining the force of impact of a missile.  Windows, especially big ones, are very exposed during hurricanes and storms, because they can easily break, thus being a real menace to people inside the respective house.

When windows break, another phenomenon happens: wind gets inside the rooms, it accumulated pressure, then it has to get out, thus putting a lot of pressure on the doors and on the roof itself. This is a simple explanation of how roofs can be taken by the wind during powerful storms. If you want, you could say that your roof was torn from the house because you didn’t think to install storm shutters at your windows.

Storm Shutters Types

Bahama hurricane shutters: they are fixed permanently to the windows and they prop open. When preparing for the storm, the home owner only needs to lower the shutters and secure them to the wall. They have the great advantage of being easily made storm-ready, but they block light to enter your rooms even when they are open. Some people may like that, some others may not.

Roll-down storm shutters: as the name says, these shutters are rolling in a case placed above the window, when not in use. These shutters have two possibilities of getting lowered, either with a manual crank or automatically, by pushing a button which operates a small motor. They are very convenient because they are permanently attached to the windows, thus not needing storage space when not in use. They offer very good protection to both storms and burglars, but they are more expensive than other types of storm shutters, therefore not all people can afford them.

Colonial hurricane shutters: made of two separate parts, they attach on the house wall, on both sides of the windows. They fold together for storm protection. They are easy to use and very decorative. Some models require a center storm rod to lock them in place, therefore increasing the storm preparation time.

Storm panel shutters: these are the simplest and the cheapest storm protection means for windows and doors. Made of steel or aluminum, these panels attach to the walls on bolts or on tracks, thus covering the windows and doors. They offer solid protection, but you need to allocate some storage space for them when not in use. Another drawback is that a single person cannot handle them, so hanging them requires two people and longer storm preparation time.

Homeowners who can’t buy storm shutters, but are exposed to hurricanes use plywood hurricane shutters, despite the fact that these systems are not meeting most building regulations. Plywood shutters need a very long installation time, so one has to be prepared to work a lot when a storm is announced. However, they are many times cheaper than regular storm shutters and there are people who live on tight budgets.