Do you want more control over the natural light that comes into your home? If so, you should consider getting motorized shades. They can help provide improved privacy and home automation that you have been dreaming of. Here are some things to think about before you move forward with purchasing motorized shades.

The Motor

One thing that you may not realize about motorized shades before you buy them is the motor that is being used. Ideally, you want a low voltage motor that is going to be quiet and reliable over the years. It is worth asking about how much noise the motor makes when the shades are in use. You may not think that this makes a big difference, but you don't want to put motorized shades in a bedroom to slowly let light in each morning, but the motor is loud enough to wake you up. A high-quality motorized shade should be incredibly quiet.

The Openness Factor

The openness factor of any shade you purchase is going to be measured in a percentage of light that is let into the room when the shades are down. Since you are making a big purchase by getting motorized shades, you want to make sure that you're buying the right shade with an openness factor that you like.

If you are building a home theater and you want to watch movies in darkness during the day, then you may actually want to use a 0% openness factor so that the shades block out all the light. However, you will likely have different needs for the rest of your home. Your bedroom may need an openness factor of 5% so that you have a lot of darkness and privacy at night, but some natural light will still come in to let you know that it is the morning. A living room may be closer to 15% so that you have a mix of room darkening and privacy. 

The Style

The simplest and most affordable type of motorized shades is a simple layer of fabric that rolls down in front of the window. However, a bigger budget can let you upgrade to motorized blinds. These give you multiple levels of light and privacy depending on your mood. You can either completely open the blinds for the most visibility, open the blinds partially, or close the blinds completely for maximum privacy. Many homeowners love these for living room areas where they want the amount of light and privacy to be different.

To learn more about motorized shades, reach out to a local window covering company.