Solar Shades For Heat Reduction | Orlando Motorized Shades

Is Your House Too Hot? Solar Shades Can Help Reduce Interior Heat

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Does the arrival of the height of summer cause you to feel resigned to uncomfortably hot rooms – especially on really sunny days? If so, your windows may have a high degree of heat transference or heat transfer. Heat transfer happens when air temperatures are different inside and outside the home. Warm air from outside travels through the glass to heat up the inside of the home. The transference is even greater when the sun is shining right into the room.

Your go-to solution might be to lower the thermostat so your air-conditioner kicks in and counteracts the extra heat, but that’s an expensive solution over time and it’s not effective unless the A/C is actually running. A more effective long-term solution is to install solar shades on those sunny windows.

Solar Shades Keep Rooms More Comfortable

Solar shades are created with special fabrics that actually block UV rays and sunlight. Instead of entering your home through the windows, the sunlight and heat are reflected back into the atmosphere. This helps the room to maintain a more even temperature and prevents UV rays from damaging flooring and furniture. These specialty shades also reduce glare and provide light control. Solar shades are see-through from the inside. So you will be able to enjoy the view, just without the glare or heat!

Solar shades can be used in residential and commercial settings to help regulate room temperature, reduce air-conditioner use, or maintain privacy.

We often recommend solar shades to our customers who:

  • have south or west-facing rooms
  • need to reduce glare in a home office or business setting
  • want more privacy, but still want to see outside

Solar shades can be motorized for added convenience. This feature is particularly helpful if managing sunlight is your main concern. The shades can easily be opened or closed as the sun moves across the sky to help you take advantage of the sun’s natural heat to warm up a chilly room or prevent that heat from making the room too hot.

Create A More Functional, Comfortable Environment With Our Solar Shades

As always at Orlando Motorized Shades, every order is customized to your specifications. Your solar shades will be tailor-made to your window size, your preferred color, and style, and with any add-ons, you desire such as cordless lift or motorization. Arrange a free consultation to learn more about our solar shade options by calling (407) 977-0886 or schedule online.

Room Darkening Shades | Orlando Motorized Shades

Room Darkening Shades Are Perfect For Long Summer Days

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Summer is in full swing and that means long hours of daylight. There’s no doubt that we love the sun here in the Sunshine State, but sometimes it can be too much of a good thing. The early sunrises and late sunsets of summer can interrupt your sleep schedule and leave you feeling tired and cranky.

Room darkening shades can help you get better sleep by blocking out the sun’s rays when you’re trying to get some shut-eye. But these blackout shades work well in other rooms of the house too.

Room Darkening Shades for Work and Play

If you’re working from home more than usual this summer, you might be dealing with glare or sun coming in the windows during your workday. This can reduce productivity, causing eye strain and headaches. Room darkening shades can reduce the amount of light coming in making it a more comfortable working environment.

Do social distancing recommendations have you binge-watching more than usual? If so, you know how much a too bright room can distract from a great show! Add some blackout shades to the living room or entertainment room for a better watch experience. Add motorization to your shades for a true movie-going experience.

More time at home might have made you realize just how open to the public your windows are. Room darkening shades do more than block unwanted light, they block prying eyes too. Add them anywhere the windows are just a little too open to the public. Roman shades, cellular shades, or honeycomb shades elevate the look of any room and can also provide energy-saving benefits.

Shop For Room Darkening Shades At Orlando Motorized Shades

Orlando Motorized Shades carries an enormous selection of fabrics and colors so you can design room darkening shades that will blend in or enhance the décor in any room. We carry several shade styles and all of our products are custom-designed to your windows for a perfect fit. Add a wireless motorized function to any shade for ease of use or to clover those hard-to-reach windows.

Contact us for a free in-home consultation following all recommended safe distancing practices. Call (407) 977-0886 or schedule online to get started!

Energy-Saving Window Treatments | Orlando Motorized Shades

Beat The Heat This Summer With Energy-Saving Window Treatments

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The Florida summer is just getting started. If you’ve already noticed an increase in your A/C usage and energy bills, you’re not alone. Your HVAC system accounts for about 40% of your utility bill and for every degree setting below 78°F, cooling costs rise by as much as 8%. Relying on the air-conditioner alone to keep your home cool can become very costly, very quickly.

Reduce Heat Transfer For A More Comfortable Home

There are passive ways to keep your home more comfortable and when used in conjunction with your HVAC system, they can also help you rein in your energy costs. One of the most effective ways to reduce interior temperature levels is to prevent heat from getting in the home in the first place. The thermal transfer of heat through windows is one of the biggest sources of heat infiltration. If you can block the sun’s rays from entering through the window, you can better manage the home’s interior temperature.

Energy-Saving Window Treatments

Orlando Motorized Shades offers a variety of energy-saving window treatments that will help keep your home more comfortable year-round. The best choice for your home will depend on the amount of sun you receive through a particular window. South-facing windows with no shade will have the highest amount of heat transfer, while north-facing windows or windows protected by a porch or deep shades will have less heat transfer. Our three top product options for reducing interior heat are:

  1. Solar Shades. Solar shades are made of special materials that filter and diffuse light to block UV rays and reduce room temperature. They are available in a classic roller shade design and are best for sunny windows.
  2. Cellular Shades. Cellular shades utilize a honeycomb design to trap heat in between pieces of fabric, reducing heat transfer.
  3. Energy-Saving Materials. We offer hundreds of fabric choices and colors in energy-saving materials, which means you can design custom window treatments in any style you choose and still reap energy-saving benefits.

Schedule a Free In-Home Consultation Today

Orlando Motorized Shades offers free in-home consultations to help you design custom window treatments that will keep your home more comfortable and reduce your energy bills.

Contact us at (407) 977-0886 or schedule online today to start feeling more comfortable before the summer really heats up!

Orlando Motorized Shades | New Window Treatments

Has Staying Home Opened Your Eyes To The Need For New Window Treatments?

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Many of our customers are spending more time at home than usual due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We’re heard from several of them that now that they are home all day they have noticed that certain rooms are “too sunny”, “too dark”, “dated”, or just in need of a refresh and they know that new window treatments can make a big difference in the comfort, look, and feel of a room.

Improve Home Function With Modern Window Coverings

Fresh window coverings from Orlando Motorized Shades are one of the easiest ways to improve the function and comfort of your home. Our window treatments range from traditional roller shades and wood blinds to cellular shades, pleated shades, and Roman shades in hundreds of colors.

Best of all, we do all the work! All you have to do is choose the style and color that you like. Our expert consultants will help you choose window coverings and materials that achieve your objectives whether that is to block out sunlight and noise, update the room’s look, or function more efficiently.

Are you working from home but finding it hard to work efficiently because of sunlight streaming in or causing glare on your computer screen? Solar shades, pleated shades, or Roman shades in sun-blocking materials can fix this problem.

Do you want some sun, but also need to maintain some privacy? Try tilt blinds, available in wood and faux-wood.

Do you have a lot of windows that follow the line of the sun, forcing you to constantly open and close the window coverings all day long? Our motorized window treatment solutions can eliminate this hassle!

Have you realized just how dated and shabby your window covering are now that you see them all day? Schedule an appointment with us to explore a whole new look!

Free In-Home Consultations Follow COVID-Safe Procedures

Orlando Motorized Shades is open for business during this time. Much of the process can be handled remotely or during a phone call. When we do need access to your home to measure windows or finalize product selections, our consultants and installers follow all recommended safe distancing practices and wear masks for your safety.

If you are ready to upgrade your window coverings, contact us at (407) 977-0886 or schedule online today!

Commercial Motorized Shades Promote Comfort In Senior Settings

Commercial Motorized Shades Promote Comfort In Senior Settings

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Motorized shades and motorized blinds are becoming increasingly popular in senior settings. 55+ active communities, nursing homes, assisted living facilities as well as hospital and hospice centers have all tuned in to this no-fuss way to manage privacy and comfort. They are being used in many different types of settings from private apartments and residences to public gathering spaces and even medical care facilities.

Why Motorized Shades and Blinds Make Sense For An Aging Population

It’s easy to see why motorized shades and blinds have made such inroads with this segment of the population.

  • Ease of Operation. Motorized window coverings are simple and easy to operate; with just the press of a button window treatments open and close – either fully or partially. This has been especially helpful for seniors who have arthritis or have lost manipulative abilities in their hands.
  • Safety. Adult children of seniors and other caregivers can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that their senior won’t be climbing step stools to open and close shades on high windows.
  • Wireless Controls. Our Somfy® wireless system means window coverings can be managed from the house or from afar. This can be particularly helpful in situations where seniors have memory lapses and forget to open or close their window coverings. A caregiver can easily check and manage the process for them.
  • Versatile. Our motorized shades and blinds work in a wide variety of settings from private homes and apartments to public spaces and even medical facilities. It’s your choice if you want to have motorized shades or motorized blinds – or maybe you want to mix and match – shades in the bedroom, blinds in the kitchen!
  • Stylish. At Orlando Motorized Shades you have many more choices than simple white blinds and shades. Browse hundreds of colors, styles, and designs to find products that enhance the décor and ambiance of any room.
  • Convenient. Motorization makes is much more convenient for facility managers to control the lighting and privacy needs of a facility. Our system even allows you to set schedules so the blinds will always be drawn at the same time every day saving staff time from having to manually open or close the shades.
  • Enhanced Comfort. Drawing the blinds against the hot Florida sun is a must in the summer months. You can keep rooms even more comfortable by selecting materials that limit heat transfer. This reduces heating and cooling costs and keeping room temperatures more moderate.

What Will Your New Commercial Motorized Shades Look Like?

There are so many options at Orlando Motorized Shades, even for commercial settings. Contact us to learn more about our motorized products and how they might work in your facility. Call us at (407) 977-0886 to schedule a free consultation today!

Modern Window Coverings For 2020

Is 2020 The Year To Refresh Your Window Treatments?

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2020 brings us not just a new year but an entirely new decade! It’s the perfect time to update the look of your home or office with new window treatments. Better yet, take advantage of modern technology and opt for motorized shades or blinds so you can raise and lower window coverings with the touch of a button. Talk about embracing the new decade!

Modern Styles In Every Color

Window treatments are so much more than boring and blah functional items. The right choice can become part of your home décor, enhancing the look of a room while still doing its duty of protecting privacy and guarding against intruding light. Orlando Motorized Shades offers window coverings in the following styles:

  • Cellular and Honeycomb Shades. These are a great choice if you want to regulate room temperature because the cellular design traps air to prevent heat transfer between the interior of the home and the window.
  • Pleated Shades. Accordion-style folds deliver a crisp, clean look. Choose from solid or patterned designs to add interest and color to the room.
  • Roller Shades. This is the classic shade that rolls down and then rolls back up with a little tug. Also called solar shades for their ability to block out the sun, these shades can be used alone or with curtains or drapes.
  • Roman Shades. If you want variety, look to Roman Shades. These are available in balloon, teardrop, relaxed, or cascading styles to complement any room. Fabric choices add texture and interest, block sunlight, or reduce glare, depending on your choices.
  • Wood and Faux-Wood Blinds. Our blinds are available in different stain and paint colors as well as slat sizes to work in any room. Motorized tilt functions make it easy to control light and privacy, even in rooms with a lot of windows.

Out With The Old, In With The New

If your window treatments are looking a little dated, it’s time for a refresh! Orlando Motorized Shades makes it easy to replace your old window coverings with new selections. We offer free on-site consultations for homes and businesses, so you can look at samples and see styles in the room where the shades or blinds will hang. Meet with a professional designer who can help you choose new window treatments that you’ll love for years! Call Orlando Motorized Shades at (407) 977-0886 to schedule a free consultation today!

Motorized Window Coverings Are The Best Way To Reduce Solar Gain

Motorized Window Coverings Are The Best Way To Reduce Solar Gain

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Even the U.S. Department of Energy agrees, motorized window coverings or “operable window coverings”, to use DOE terminology, are a smart way to reduce solar heat gain, control your energy bills, and make your living areas more comfortable all year round.

Why is this? Because motorized window treatments make it so easy to open, close, and adjust window coverings to maximize or minimize solar heat gain throughout the day or time of year.

Windows and Energy Consumption

According to the DOE, 30% of a home’s heating and cooling energy is lost through windows and the vast majority of sunlight that enters through windows, even double-paned windows, becomes heat. This is fine if you live in a cold climate and can use that extra boost of heat, but it’s not so great in our already warm Florida environment.

Motorization makes it possible to get more out of your window coverings by helping to support whole home comfort.

Set Schedules and Operate Remotely

Orlando Motorized Shades is proud to offer Somfy myLinkTM  motorized control systems. This system can be added to just about any kind of window treatment, including new blinds and shades or any that you may have already existing in your home. The scheduling functions allow homeowners to set schedules and even manage their window coverings remotely. This is a no-nonsense way to work with Mother Nature to keep your home comfortable year-round.

Set the timer to:

  • Open or close the window coverings for privacy or to maximize daylight
  • Take advantage of warming sunlight during the winter daytime hours
  • Prevent the hot summer sun from entering your home during the day
  • Control the amount of light and solar heat that comes into the home any time of day, any time of year

Put Motorized Shades To Work For Your Home

Motorized shades and blinds are efficient, convenient, and effective for both homes and businesses that need to reduce solar heat gain. Schedule an on-site consultation with Orlando Motorized Shades to learn more about motorized window treatments by calling (407) 977-0886 or contacting us online today!

Commercial Motorized Shades | Facilities Budget Planning

Include Commercial Motorized Shades In Year-End Budget Plans

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The end of the year is the perfect time to take stock of your commercial real estate amenities and make plans for the future. Some businesses find themselves with a budget surplus that needs to be spent; others are making budgets for the next year and still others are planning building upgrades in the years to come. Whichever category your business falls into, be sure to contact Orlando Motorized Shades to receive a personalized quote for commercial motorized shades.

Modern Solutions For Modern Businesses

Commercial buildings benefit immensely from our modern, motorized shades and window coverings. Not only do our products improve the look of any room, they can reduce energy costs, boost employee productivity, and improve overall comfort levels within the building. Motorization options only enhance functionality, allowing building managers or even individual office occupants to control the window coverings with the touch of a button. Commercial-grade motorized shades are particularly useful for large conference rooms and presentation areas or for rooms that have windows located in awkward or hard-to-reach locations. They are also a great solution for internal windows to provide added privacy in conference rooms or individual offices.

If you are a fan of tech assistants like Siri and Alexa, you’ll love our Somfy motorized control system. Somfy myLinkTM includes a scheduling function for truly automated window control and even comes with Amazon Alexa integration for voice-controlled operation. AI assistants are the next generation of mobile tech and motorized shades and window coverings are just part of that advancement.

If you are tired of old, drab window coverings, shades or blinds that don’t work or spend a mind-boggling amount of time opening and closing blinds, it’s time to give us a call. We can outfit your office or commercial building with brand-new window treatments that will refresh the room and your spirit.

Arrange An On-Site Quote From Orlando Motorized Shades

Will this be the year that you finally upgrade your commercial window treatments? If so, call Orlando Motorized Shades today to arrange a free, onsite consultation and price quote! Call (407) 977-0886 or contact us online to get started!

Commercial Motorized Shades Reduce Energy Costs and Boost Employee Productivity

Commercial Motorized Shades Reduce Energy Costs and Boost Employee Productivity

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One of the most common comments we hear from our commercial clients is how surprised they are at the effects that commercial motorized shades have had on their working environment. Many of them go in to the project expecting to update the look of their office, but they end up getting so much more.

Benefits of Commercial Motorized Shades in the Office

Commercial motorized shades are a must in sunny Florida. Not only do they provide privacy and complete the look of a room, but they also protect the building and its occupants from the damaging and distracting effects of the sun. Four of the top benefits of motorizes shades in the office are:

  1. Energy Savings. You don’t have to buy energy-efficient motorized shades, but why wouldn’t you? We carry hundreds of fabrics that help block UV rays and heat transfer for reduced reliance on air conditioning.
  2. Improved Comfort. Shades that reduce heat transfer keep room temperatures more constant and comfortable while also minimizing glare and the accompanying eye strain. Fabrics are available in different weaves and opacity from sheer to blackout and everything in between.
  3. Employee Productivity. Natural light is wonderful, but sometimes it has to be managed. Overly warm rooms, glare, and light shining directly in your eyes can all sap productivity. Motorized shades can help manage these issues to keep employees more comfortable and productive. 
  4. Convenience. Our commercial motorized shades solutions are simple to use. Just the push of a button raises and lowers shades. Our Somfy system can even be set up to put the shades on a timer or used remotely from a smartphone.

We have installed commercial motorized shades in all types of businesses and all sizes in Orlando, Orange County and the surrounding areas. The one thing all of our customers have in common is total satisfaction with their new motorized window treatments!

Learn more about commercial motorized shades by scheduling a free on-site consultation with Orlando Motorized Shades. Call (407) 977-0886 or contact us online today to get started!

Motorized Shades | Motorized Window Treatments | Somfy

Somfy WiFi Controls Bring Automation To Window Treatments

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Have you ever been woken up too early by blinding sun or sat down to watch a movie only to realize that light coming in from the window was causing glare? Did you then huff and sigh and force yourself to get up to adjust the window coverings or did you just put up with it? What if there were a way to open and close your window treatments, blinds, and shades without having to move?

There is! The Somfy myLinkTM system, available through Orlando Motorized Shades, brings smart home tech to window treatments. This WiFi-enabled solution turns ordinary window coverings into motorized window coverings! Controls are operated via a Somfy remote or your smartphone for unparalleled convenience.

The Next Stage of Smart Home Automation

Smart homes are all the rage these days. We’ve got apps to control the temperature in our homes, our security systems, doors and points of entry, indoor and outdoor lighting, and, of course, music and ambiance. One area that has been overlooked up until now are window treatments. Smart window treatments are the next stage in smart home automation. Window coverings affect home comfort, function, and security – all three of which are often addressed by smart home tech. Motorized blinds and shades are also simply useful and convenient, making it possible to adjust the lighting in a room (or the whole house!) with the touch of a button.

Our motorized window treatments are available for homes and businesses, allowing property owners to open and close their shades and blinds 24/7, whether they are in the same room as the windows or not. This can help control temperature in the room, improve worker productivity by increasing natural light or blocking blinding sun, and help improve security by blocking the interior from prying eyes.

Somfy myLinkTM includes a scheduling function for truly automated window control and even comes with Amazon Alexa integration for voice-controlled operation! Click here to learn more about Somfy myLinkTM.

Contact Us To Learn More About Motorized Shades and Blinds

Motorized shades or blinds are a luxury you never knew you wanted, but once you have them, you’ll never go back! In many cases, motorization can be added to existing shades and blinds, but we offer hundreds of styles, patterns, and fabrics if you want to update your look with new window treatments.

Schedule a free on-site consultation to more about the Somfy system by contacting Orlando Motorized Shades at (407) 977-0886 or online today!