It’s the time of year when homeowners start to think about outdoor projects and, for many, automated window shades are front and center in their backyard dreams. In fact, homeowners are turning to automated shades with greater frequency to make maximum use of their outdoor spaces and turn backyards into beautiful private getaways just a few feet away from home.
According to Ryan Chacon, president of PowerShades, now is the perfect time for homeowners and businesses to improve their exterior spaces with this effective, convenient and aesthetically pleasing addition.
“During the pandemic, while people were forced to spend more time at home, many folks were focused on enhancing their outdoor spaces with gazebos, patios, and porches,” he says. “Now we’re seeing automated outdoor shades playing an increasingly large role in transforming those outdoor structures into more private and protected destinations for relaxing and socializing.
“Businesses, as well, particularly restaurants that have added outdoor seating to their offerings, are realizing the ways that outdoor shades can make their customers more comfortable in any weather, at any time of day.”
Some of the benefits of automated outdoor shades include:
- Setting schedules to provide desired sun and shade. Automated shades can not only be controlled from any location via a smartphone app (like PowerShades’ mobile app), they can also be programmed in advance to rise and lower at set times of day or night to provide the ideal lighting and temperature for any occasion. With exterior automated shades, homeowners can maintain heating and cooling year-round and extend their outdoor season.
- Ideal for any weather, including rain or wind. Automated shades can feature a zipper channel to fully screen in a room, protecting the people and items inside from the elements. With more backyards featuring televisions, sound systems, bars, and fireplaces, keeping these items safe and dry is essential. Some automated outdoor shades also feature plug-and-play wind sensors, powered by a solar panel, that raise or lower the shades when winds increase or decrease.
- Create a bug-free zone. With a zipper channel on the sides and bristle brush along the bottom, automated shades can fully enclose space and keep bugs out of the shaded area. This is particularly valuable for restaurants or anyone who wants an outdoor dining area free of annoying bees, wasps, and other insects.
- Privacy shades make good neighbors. While homeowners may want to show off their beautiful automated shades, they might not want their neighbors watching everything that they’re doing in their outdoor space. Privacy is a welcome benefit of automated outdoor shades, with shades available in an array of materials and opacities. In fact, 1 percent opacity shades are available that block most of the light and ensure maximum protection from spying eyes.
There are a number of different options for controlling outdoor automated shades if they are provided with an RF Gateway. Automated outdoor shades are available in a range of fabrics, mount types, and with hardware options to suit every application.
For more information on PowerShades’s outdoor screen options, visit www.powershades.com.
