Please enable JS
As summer begins to turn to fall, we’ll be wavering between cool mornings, warm days, and brisk evenings. Our thermostats may begin to work overtime trying to keep up with the fluctuating temperatures outside, costing us energy and money, but it doesn’t have to be this way. A home can lose around half of its heating and cooling through the windows, but our team at SounDesign has window treatments that reduce your reliance on your HVAC systems to keep your home comfortable no matter the outdoor temperatures. Here are several of our go-to automated shading solutions to maintain an ideal temperature in your household.
Want to effectively block the heat of the sun’s rays from entering your home? When unfurled, the honeycomb design of insulated cellular shades reduces solar heat by up to 60%. When stowed, they neatly fold up like an accordion so you can enjoy pleasantly warm sunlight. Automated shades allow homeowners to schedule the set time for blinds to open and close, so you can shift the hours of operation as the seasons begin to change and the sun sets earlier. This allows you to take advantage of the best weather and temperatures to your liking, so you can keep the blinds drawn tightly to trap in warmth during the night or block out heat in midday. In the morning, opening blinds may help you prepare for the workday with more ease, and you can leave the house without having to remember to close them. Your system will do it for you! Furthermore, you can set your system to retract the shades a few minutes before your arrival home, allowing you to embrace the last hours of daylight.
Are you a homeowner who desires a sleek design that seamlessly blends with your home’s décor? Roller shades have an elegant range of affordable options for anyone seeking to spend less while optimizing the amount of heat and light you allow to filter in and out of your home. For the days you are home, you can use a schedule in which your shades track the path of sunlight to filter in light without heat. This means that your west-facing windows have opened shades in the morning as the sun rises in the east. Your shades can slowly open or close in increments as the sun moves across the sky, and when it sets in the west, your west-facing windows now have fully drawn blinds. Luckily for you, an automated system can contain many "scene" settings so you can easily switch between different kinds of shade opening schedules like at home, at work, and more with the touch of a button or a quick vocal command.
Homeowners who seek to imbue their homes with a natural feel of eco-friendly materials may opt for woven wood shades, which are made of bamboo, reeds, or linen. Woven shades are known for their versatility that fits almost every width or height of a window. This style of blinds generally allows more light to filter in through the natural fibers, so if you prefer to sleep in late, you can opt for an additional blackout liner for extra darkness and privacy. Although a higher amount of light may enter the home, woven shades effectively block 100% of UVA and UVB rays, which damage skin and eyesight, and fade furniture and artwork. Automated shades are not equipped with the long cords that are traditionally used to open, close, and draw blinds. These cords leave children and pets at risk of strangulation. Instead, these shades are safe for all family members; all you need is a remote control or smartphone to control the motor function. We consider motorization to be a necessity due to the heavy material weight of woven shades. Furthermore, family members who can’t reach the top of a tall window won’t be able to operate the blinds without the help of a remote, app, or voice command to control the motor.
Some homeowners seek an option a bit more unique to the traditional window treatment. Vertical drapery tracks may be the best choice for you! A modern motorized version of the system swiftly pulls the drapery up and away with little effort for an elegant look. Many homeowners want to enjoy privacy without feeling like they have to block all exterior sunlight; vertical blinds are ideal because the vertical slats close at an angle that promotes light yet blocks general visibility. Vertical drapery also comes in a range of materials so you can opt between different levels of insulation to effectively keep the heat outside the home in the summer, and inside the home in the winter. You’ll notice lower energy bills once you install vertical shades that do the work to keep the heat where you want it.
Are you serious about living in an energy-efficient home? The modern aesthetic, user-friendly design and precision of roman shades are becoming popular with homeowners across the country. Roman shades are known for their ability to block sunlight entirely and detailed temperature control, depending on the material you seek to use in your household. We believe that roman shades insulated with thermal acrylic foam are the most effective at maintaining the interior temperature of your home, a necessity for the heat of summer, cold of winter, and temperamental days of autumn and spring. No matter what colors or styles you're looking for, roman shades will have the answer.
Perhaps you're imagining woven shades in your bohemian bedroom or vertical drapery for the tall windows lining your back patio. Whether you know exactly what you're looking for or are contemplating several options, our team at SounDesign is ready to suggest styles and materials that will serve as an effective energy management solution throughout the changing seasons. Contact us today to begin!