Manual or electric curtains?

Choose manual or electric curtains? The role of window treatments in the home is often underestimated. However, good curtains are very important: they help to regulate the incidence of light in your home and provide the necessary privacy and ambience, thereby significantly increasing living comfort. In addition to the classic manual operation, the window treatments are also electrically operated. This option can make everyday life much easier, as you can operate the blind with the push of a button. In this case, it is also possible to operate using an app or even voice.

The Importance of Good Window Trim

When buying, building or renovating a home, most people pay a lot of attention to furniture and decor. Only at the end do they think of curtains. However, good window trim is very important for several reasons. First of all, window decorations play an important role in creating the necessary privacy in the home. In areas like bedrooms or bathrooms, this is a real must. Sufficient privacy significantly increases the comfort of living. Curtains are also used to regulate the incidence of light in different areas of the house according to need. For example, in the bedroom, people generally want to block out as much light as possible, while in the living room, they want to have plenty of daylight. Using the right drapes in the right place makes this possible. Last but not least, window decorations create a lot of atmosphere in the house. Different types of curtains are now available in a variety of colors, patterns, materials and designs. There is something for everyone. High quality window treatments add charm and prestige to a house and make your stay even more enjoyable.

Types of window trim

What are the most popular types of window treatments today? Where are they mainly used? Overview:

1. Roller blinds: for skylights, regular windows and large windows

2. Roman blinds: for straight windows
3. Curtains: for curved and straight windows
4. Wooden blinds: Ideal for any room, including wet areas such as bathrooms, but are more sensitive to moisture than aluminum blinds. There are also plastic shutters with a real wood look. These are more resistant to moisture.
5. Horizontal Aluminum Blinds: Perfect for straight windows, wet areas
6. Pleated roller blinds: for straight windows, dormer windows, multi-angle windows, conservatory or balcony windows, ceiling windows
7. Honeycomb Pleated Blinds: Consists of 2 layers of fabric which together form a honeycomb structure. The biggest advantage of doing this is insulation. Curtains keep heat inside in winter, saving energy. In summer, they keep the heat out and keep the interior cool. In addition, they improve the acoustics of the room.
8. Vertical slats: for all windows except skylights

All these types of curtains can be operated manually as well as automatically. Automatic shades are on the rise.

Automatic window pull

Today, smart homes and automation are no longer hype, but real trends. The integration of technology has become an important aspect when building or renovating a home. Technology is also playing an increasingly important role in window treatments. In addition to curtains with classic manual operation, there are various automatic window covering systems. This has many advantages:

1. Comfortable and easy to use: You can adjust the opening and closing of the window coverings according to your own life and life rhythm, such as opening the curtains in the morning to let a lot of light in the room, and closing them again at night to allow more light and privacy.

2. Safety: During the holiday season, you can easily operate the window treatments from a distance, or open and close the window treatments according to preset timers and scenes. This makes it appear as though the house is always occupied, so burglars are less likely to strike.

3. Child Safe: Smart window trims are extra safe for children as no loose cords, chains or handles are required to operate the shades.

4. Energy saving: intelligent sunlight and temperature sensors, adjustable window coverings. This allows you to maximize the enjoyment of light and heat, reducing the need for lighting and heating in the house.

5. Window finishing in hard-to-reach places: Thanks to automation, hard-to-reach windows (e.g. ceiling windows, high bay windows) or large windows can also be given a beautiful cladding. You can easily operate them with the push of a button without any high-level skills.

Automatic shades can be powered in two ways: electric or batteries.

Motor

In a new house, the architect can perfectly provide such an electric motor. The electrical system is operated by remote controls, wall switches, home automation, etc. Today, almost all motors are hidden in tubes or mechanical housings in window coverings so as not to interfere with the rest of the room.

Battery motor

If electricity is no longer possible (eg during renovations or in existing homes), battery motors can be the option. Some systems have rechargeable batteries that last a very long time. It is easy to operate with the remote control. The battery system is usually located on top of the curtain hanger in the tray or in the roll of the window treatment. That way, the engine will almost always find a place it can’t see.

There are various options for (wireless) operation of window trims.

For manual operation, the choices include:
1. Wall Switch: Allows you to control one product
2. Remote Control: Allows individual or group operation of window treatments (simultaneous operation of multiple products).
3. App (on smartphone, tablet, desktop): Allows you to easily operate shades individually or in groups anytime, anywhere in the world. It is also possible to set certain programs and activate sensor controls.