SMART BLINDS
Omas Hagen from window and door specialist Internorm discusses the benefits of incorporating your blinds within a smart home setup
The use of smart technology in our homes is becoming increasingly popular, as homeowners are enjoying the benefits of controlling elements at their finger tips. In a time where there is greater demand on the harmonious balance between design, technology and comfort, a real smart home can take care of thousands of tasks for you so that you have more time to enjoy the important things in life.
Windows and blinds are one element that are ideal companions for smart home tech. They have an important role to play in letting in daylight, ventilation, controlling shading, maintaining privacy and security, but have traditionally been fiddly to operate – especially on glazing that’s hard to reach. It’s now possible to integrate smart control of your blinds within a whole house smart system.
Integrated benefits
One convenient option is to buy windows with blinds fitted between the panes – a subtle result that means you don’t need to worry about the extra hassle of installing curtains or blinds on top of specifying the glazing. Integrated blinds are virtually maintenance-free as they aren’t exposed to gathering dust like those that hang alongside a window. They can also help with sound protection, which is especially important near busy roads.
For a long time the standard option has been manually operated blinds, but these days there are solutions available to take the hassle out of operating the units. Linking them to your smart home control is a very user-friendly solution that means your blinds can be fully automated based on time, day of the week, weather conditions, room temperature and more.
Smart solutions
Internorm’s I-tec range of products incorporate the latest innovations in home glazing. Included in this are integrated blinds with in-built sensors that can be partnered within a Loxone home automation system. This means you can easily see the status of each window from your smartphone and control them remotely. This allows you to check if a unit is open, closed, tilted or locked – ideal for when you’re out and about and worried about whether you forgot to close a window.
The beauty of whole house smart technology integration is that you can link up different parts of your home to work together. Smart security systems and smart blinds are ideal companions – for instance, when you set your burglar alarm you could be alerted if there’s an open window in your home.
Whether it’s managing the climate, making it look like someone’s home, enhancing security or providing privacy, your smart tech will instinctively know how to make the most of the devices integrated within the setup.
Thomas Hagen is technical manager at Internorm. The company specialises in bespoke windows and doors for the home, offering a range of design styles and materials to ensure you find the ideal solution for your project. For more information about the I-tec range and other products available from Internorm, visit www.internorm.co.uk