this post was submitted on 28 Nov 2023
1 points (100.0% liked)
Home Automation
79 readers
2 users here now
Home automation is the residential extension of building automation.
It is automation of the home, housework or household activity.
Home automation may include centralized control of lighting, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning), appliances, security locks of gates and doors and other systems, to provide improved convenience, comfort, energy efficiency and security.
Warning: Working with electricity can result in injury, property damage, or even death if it is not done properly. Please keep this in mind while assisting others. If you are not sure about what you are doing, hire a licensed professional.
Rules
- No abusive behaviour. This is a forum for friendly discussion; personal attacks will not be tolerated and you will be banned without warning.
- Referral/affiliate links are NOT ALLOWED!
- NO POLITICS! There are plenty of other communities to discuss them; this is not one.
- When posting project details must be included. Posting a video or image without detail will result in a removed post and may result in a ban.
- Crowdfunding links are not allowed.
- Reposts, low-effort content and karma farming may be removed at the discretion of the mods. Posters may be banned without warning.
founded 11 months ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
The price has to come down considerably. That price-to-convenience factor isn't there to improve my life by automating my curtains.
That’s what is holding me back.
And me. I am actively looking, but the price is nuts. Especially if you have blinds wider than Ikea supports.
What's your budget?
It's no longer shockingly expensive. My front bay had individual white blinds (non-motorised) for privacy. I added a motorised roller blind, with remote, for a couple of hundred quid, including fitting. I later spent £150 for an optional unit that made the blind Alexa controllable. This was very handy, as at certain times of year, the sun through the fanlights can be fierce.
I wouldn't bother doing a whole house, but that window was totally worth it.
A retrofit is the cheap way to do it. A smart blind is not cheap...
The blinds from SmartWings are surprisingly affordable. We bought a new house recently and replaced all of the old, dirty, ugly miniblinds with Z-Wave blackout cellular shades. They were about $350 or so each, and that included a solar panel for each one so that I never have to charge them. Even the two huge 8-foot wide windows were only just over $500 each.
That is not in the definition of "affordable" for many, especially as mini-blinds are closer to $50 by themselves. That would be over $6,000 to do all our windows, and even more if you wanted the Matter compatible radio. And even it is something in the range of consideration, it would usually need to be at a time where, like you, they were going to replace them one way or another.