Three Ways Motorized Window Shades Can Save You Money
While owning a home can be awesome, there's no denying maintaining it can be expensive. One main cause of the drain on your bank account are your windows, which are often the source of drafts and other problems. Installing motorized window shades can help you combat these issues and save you money in three ways.
Improve Energy Efficiency
Windows are a necessary part of the home, but they can be problematic when it comes to energy efficiency. Older windows and those not installed properly can develop cracks and holes that let interior air escape. In fact, windows and doors account for up to 30 percent of your home's heating and cooling losses.
Additionally, sunlight shining in a home can increase the interior temperature due to the heat radiating from the light. While this may be desirable during the wintertime, it can significantly increase your energy bills during the spring and summer as your air conditioner struggles to keep your house cool.
Standard window coverings can reduce the impact of both of these issues, but motorized shades are even better in this area because they can be hooked up to a home automation system. This will let you program the window shades to open and close at specified times of the day, whether you're home or not, so you can maximize your energy savings and protect your privacy.
Protect Home Furnishings
Another way motorized window shades can save you money is by preventing sunlight from damaging your furnishings. Sun rays contain ultraviolet light, which is a form of radiation. While small amounts of this light are beneficial to human health because it's needed to manufacture vitamin D in the body, it's not so great for furniture, carpets, and artwork. UV light causes colors to fade over time, leading to a common situation where colors in the shaded areas are still vibrant while colors in the areas touched by sunlight are faded to near nothingness.
If you're not a fan of this ombre look in your home, you may end up spending a lot of money replacing the affected furnishings. As noted before, though, you can connect motorized window shades into a home automation system and program the shades to close during the times of the day when the sunlight is shining directly in your house. This will reduce the amount of fading that occurs and extend the lifespan of your belongings, helping you to save money in replacement costs.
In addition to decreasing the amount of direct damage your furnishings may incur, motorized shades can also increase security. Since the shades are being controlled by your home automation system, potential burglars will think you're actually home even when you're not, which can reduce your risk of break-ins.
Minimize Accidents
Surprisingly enough, motorized window shades can also help you avoid hospital and vet bills. Regular shades typically have cords people use to raise and lower them as well as open and close the slats. This can be a problem if you have small children or pets because these cords can quickly become a hazard. For example, a three-year-old Utah child was strangled after a window cord got tangled around her neck.
Motorized window shades let you purchase coverings that don't have these cords or that are made in such a way the ropes are inaccessible—thus eliminating the risk your child or pet will accidentally become entangled with them and get hurt as a result.
There are many other benefits to purchasing motorized window shades. For more information about this product or to schedule an date to have some installed, contact a local retailer.
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