Why Motorized Shades Are Your Interior Design’s Ultimate Protector

You probably think about putting on sunscreen before you head outside. Your skin gets sunburned, so you protect it. Your home doesn't get the same consideration. Every window in your Philadelphia house lets in the same UV rays hitting your skin, but nothing inside your home can reach for a bottle of SPF. The sun that makes your living room feel bright and open is also working against it, quietly, one afternoon at a time.

For months, your favorite artwork and furnishings are fading, and you won’t notice until the damage is irreversible. But it doesn’t have to be that way. They can also get their own proactive protection with motorized shades. 

SEE MORE: Why We Trust Control4 for Smart Integration 

The Damage You Don't See Coming

UV rays cause close to 40% of the fading that shows up in furniture and flooring over time. Visible light adds another 25% on top of that. Standard window glass doesn't stop much of it either, so the damage keeps building even on a cloudy day.

You'll notice it in small ways at first. Hardwood floors develop sun paths where direct light hits them daily. Upholstery loses its color a little more each season. Artwork and rugs near your windows fade unevenly, brighter in the shadowed corners than where the sun lands.

None of this happens all at once. A spill gets noticed immediately. Sun damage doesn't. It builds so slowly that most homeowners don't catch it until refinishing a floor or replacing a rug is the only way to fix it. 

Motorized Shades Keep UV Damage Out 

With motorized shades, it’s easy to stop the problem before it starts, without you having to lift a finger.

Sensors and astronomical clocks track the sun's position and intensity for your home's exact location. Instead of relying on you to remember which shades to close and when, the system reacts on your behalf. It lowers shades before UV exposure builds up in a room and raises them again once the light softens.

A basic timer can't do this. It runs on a fixed schedule regardless of changing daylight conditions outside. A light-sensing system responds to real conditions, which matters most in a south- or west-facing room that takes on hours of direct afternoon sun.

Bringing Shades Into a Smarter Home

When incorporated into a home automation system, the shades work with other technologies. As soon as they lower due to excessive sunlight, lights turn on to maintain comfortable visibility. Plus, you get to use the same controls already set up for your lighting, climate, and entertainment.

Motorized shades fit new construction and retrofits equally well. They look great in any room and with any décor, since fabric and color options run into the hundreds. The pieces that make your house feel like home, the hardwood, the heirloom furniture, the art, stay protected without giving up the natural light that drew you to the room in the first place.

 

Are you ready to take a stand against UV rays that damage your interior? Talk to Whitaker Technologies about a shading solution built for your space.