In this day and age, technology is king for any product that can make things easier and faster for a business. Motorized window coverings are the ultimate in shading products.
What Are Motorized Window Treatments
Motorized window treatments help you to adjust the amount of natural sunlight easily in your commercial spaces to save energy while increasing your comfort levels and protecting all of your interior textiles. Motorization on window coverings reduces solar heat gain by either blocking out the sun entirely or by using shading solutions to block out heat and glare for just the right amount of light control in any area. You can manage your energy consumption without comprising style with hundreds of options in window treatment materials and colors available from which to choose.
Motorized Window Treatments and Shades Control Options
You have several operating options for your motorized window shades and window treatments. Radio remote controls allow you to simply press a button to operate your window coverings either singularly or in groups. You can also control your lighting and heat gain by a tablet or smartphone with a wireless control on iOS and Android platforms. You can use a laptop or a desktop as well to operate your shading needs with lots of functionality options and ease. You also have hard-wired switch options for each area or as a group control for an entire floor of windows. A third-party building management system may also be used for easy wireless or wired interfaces with all brands of control systems.
Three Types of Commercial Motorized Window Treatments
Commercial window treatments are available in many different types and styles with motorization to make your life simpler. It can be a “set it and forget it” product as you can program your shading products to open and close at preset times or with preset conditions. You can also choose from three types of motors to control all of your window shading products. You can choose between three main types of motors for all of your commercial window treatment needs in Denver: standard motors, built-in radio frequency motors, and built-in intelligence motors. Each motor has its own benefits as well as several options too.
Standard Motors
Standard motors are hardwired into your commercial spaces and they work with your management system. There is a multitude of control options and fabric choices for shading and window treatment products that work cohesively with standard motors. Standard motors will allow you complete control no matter how large or how small your project may be. This type of motor is very reliable and it uses a three or four-wire connection. You can also add additional motors in this type of commercial setup whenever you want to add additional motorized window treatments in the future, making standard motors very versatile. There are many mounting hardware options available so the motors can fit your windows no matter the size and they can also fit perfectly in slim windowsills and wide window casings.
You also have choices in the colors of your hardware including black, white, ivory, and charcoal bronze. This allows your motor to match or blend in with the color and texture of the window coverings for a professional appearance. There are specialized channels for the sides of the window coverings to eliminate the slight light gap that can show through closed window treatments. This will give you a true blackout feature for your media rooms and conference rooms so visual aids may be viewed easily.
A standard motor allows you to use low voltage smart groups to program in pre-set times to open and close your window coverings and help you to save energy. You can also choose a standard motor with several preset stops to open or close your window shading products to the exact level that you desire.
The more modern standard motors allow you to integrate your window treatments and your lighting needs all in one application for ease of use. Synchronization of this type can operate windows and lights in a smaller area or even in a large area, such as an entire floor of a commercial building. Sensors are available to read real-time light and weather conditions and serve as triggers for the window treatments to open and close according to your program.
Radio Frequency (RF) Motors
RF motors use a three-wire motor and they come with a multitude of control options. You can use a simple handheld remote control in combination with a plug-and-play system that is simple to program. This type of controller works well for smaller applications. You can also choose a sun sensor or timer that includes an on-screen display so you can monitor all of your window coverings at a quick glance. RF wireless wall switches can accommodate up to 5 different channels of RF and the handheld remote control can accommodate up to 16 different channels. The RF motor with an encoded version can synchronize your automation between a few small window coverings or entire floors of large commercial buildings.
Built-in Intelligence Motors
Built-in intelligence motors give you many control options as well as fabric options from which to choose with an easy network management system. The modular design allows easy adding of additional components when they are needed in an easy trouble-free installation method. Window treatments can be coupled together in order to need fewer motors for powering them. This can save valuable costs on your large projects and it works for any size project no matter how large or how small. Built-in intelligence motors have a thermal overload protector and an electric brake for safety purposes. These types of motors can be encoded to operate both your window shades and the lighting in your commercial area.
More great options of this type of motor include rechargeable batteries for ultra-quiet operation, push-button limits and external control options to override programs easily. Rechargeable batteries reduce the costs of wiring a system into a building. Built-in intelligence motors are recommended for extra-large windows while maintaining only a small 5-inch profile. You can also choose a dual roller shade option to use natural light while eliminating heat and glare or to transform any room into a blackout situation while using a projection screen.
How Can My Business Benefit From Motorized Window Treatments
You can reap several benefits by swapping out your conventional window shades or covers with motorized window treatments. All businesses exist to make money and saving money on expenses and time contributes to the bottom line.
Convenience
Manually raising window shades in a commercial setting is a time-consuming task. It may not seem like it takes a lot of time to adjust window coverings, but when you have very large windows or many windows, it can actually add up. Employees would normally need to stop working and get up to adjust the lighting and heat gain in the windows of their workspace. This can be a task that interrupts the train of thought and actually takes a bit of time away from their work. Motorized window treatments can be adjusted by programs throughout the day to get the perfect amount of light in every window and save the time of doing it manually.
The Perfect Amount of Natural Light
Natural light is much more favorable in a work setting rather than using lights, however, some areas dictate that you need very low light or almost a blackout room, such as presentation and conference rooms. If there is too much light you can possibly lose a prospective client if they can’t see your presentation clearly or if they are squinting because of the glare. In these instances, you can utilize room-darkening fabrics as window coverings with motorization to quickly open and close your window shades.
An Added Layer of Security
At times, a business may be unoccupied when the employees are on a team-building activity or at a conference. This leaves the commercial area vacant and makes it a target for thieves. The beauty of a motorized window shading product is that the shades will open and close and they normally do when everyone is in the office throughout the day, making it appear as if someone is inside and deterring theft.
Energy Efficiency
Motorized window treatments of all types promote energy efficiency. Limiting solar heat gain in the summer by having your window coverings close automatically will greatly reduce the amount of time your air conditioning will have to work to cool off your office space. This will save you valuable money on your utilities. In the winter when the sun is shining, if you have your window shading products open it will allow a bit more warmth from the sun to enter your spaces and use less heating to maintain a comfortable temperature.
How to Find a Professional Commercial Motorized Window Treatment Installer
When you are searching for motorized window treatments for a commercial space as a building manager or property manager, you want to make certain that you choose a company that meets all of your needs.
Going Local
It’s a good idea to choose a company that is nearby. Local fabricators and installers understand your needs as they live in the same basic area and they know what weather conditions will have to be met. A local company also means that you can have your window shading products fabricated nearby, so you will most likely be able to have them installed much quicker than if you used someone quite a distance away from your building.
A Turnkey Company
Besides being local, you should choose a turnkey solution. The company will send someone out to your location to help you decide on the best window treatments for motorization for your particular situation. The designer will measure all of your windows and return to the fabrication shop with all of your specifications for your products. Then a professional installer will return as soon as your products are finished and professionally install them for you to make certain they fit perfectly. You will also get detailed instructions on how to operate your motorized window treatments as well as how to program your controllers.
Finding a Reputable Company
It’s always helpful to make sure you are choosing a reputable company for all of your window treatment needs. You should check them out with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to make certain that they are on the up and up without a multitude of bad reports on their record.
Ask your representative how long they’ve been in business. Your goal is to find the local company that’s been in business the longest and if possible in the same location the longest with the same installers and designers for many years. Family-owned and operated corporations are always a good bet. They usually have good morals and want to please their clients 100%.
Ask about the warranties on your products that you choose. You may find that one of the three motors would work best for your commercial space, but the warranty isn’t as long as you would like. It’s a good idea to compare not only the products but the warranties on all of the components, window shades and workmanship as well.
A great commercial window treatment installer will offer you many options in fabrics, motorization and styles of motorized products from which to choose. If you choose a company with only one type of motorization, they may not be the best for your situation, as you should always be able to compare more products to make the right choices for your building.
Knowing all of these integral items about commercial motorized window treatments should help you to make an informed decision as to which will likely be your best choice. This guide will at least give you a great starting point in your search for the best solution for your exact situation.
