Motorized Shades in New York City - No Longer a Luxury

Motorized Window Shades in New York – Luxury or Necessity?

In the past decade, New York City has seen a record number of all glass residential developments built. With walls of windows, these modern high rises boast breathtaking vistas. While providing dramatic views, these expansive windows are not without their drawbacks.

Most rooms are completely bathed in sunlight. Though this lends a sense of spaciousness and openness much desired by new purchasers, the heat and glare that accompany this sunlight are problematic. The former causes interior climate issues, while the latter’s effects range from annoying disruption to costly destruction. The heat absorbed through the glass taxes even the most robust air conditioning systems and can cause monthly bills to skyrocket far beyond the new owners’ budgeted amount. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal tells the story of an interior designer who moved from a traditional brick-walled apartment building to a new glass-walled high rise, it explains that, "electric bills doubled per square foot because of all the heat-transferring glass".

The glare from the sun confounds TV watching, computer use and even reading. The rays of the sun can fade furnishings, cabinets, flooring, walls and artwork. The same article in the Wall Street Journal tells the story of Sara Antani, who purchased a new 17th floor condo with expansive views of the Hudson River in New York City. "After moving in, the sun bleached her...European sectional sofas, which cost $20,000". Obviously, window shades are a must but heat gain and sun damage are a common occurrence, not just in homes without shades, but also when shades are not lowered during the day and at peak sunlight hours. The problem is that wall-to-wall windows mean a lot of shades need to be lowered each and every day which can be a time-consuming process. Pressing one button upon leaving their homes in the morning is much more likely to happen than manually closing 5, 10, 15 sometimes more than 20 shades in a unit. If each shade takes 10 seconds to lower, it means precious minutes are wasted in this rather painstaking process.

Once bought as a status symbol or for out of reach windows, motorized shades in New York have definitely gone mainstream. Their convenience protects interiors and this has become a major priority for consumers, especially considering that sun damage to interior furnishings and fixtures is rarely covered by insurance policies. The window treatment industry is responding by offering motors that can be controlled by timers and sun sensors to ensure interiors are protected even if the homeowner forgets to press a button. Today, many new condos are being built with wiring in place for motorized shades at every opening. Motors themselves are smaller, quieter, more efficient and less expensive than in years past.

The drawbacks of vast window expanses, it seems, are learned by most people only after moving into their new, modern oasis. (Particularly the first morning!) This brings up an important point and helpful tip. Paper temporary shades, which are like large accordion-style post it notes for windows, are inexpensive and can be found at Home Depot. These temp shades are extremely useful in the first few weeks after moving in, especially for bedroom/sleeping areas or rooms with valuable art or furnishings. Even if you plan to order shades as soon as you move in - after deciding upon and signing a contract for most window shades or curtains, a typical lead time prior to installation is at least 3 weeks. (note: most shading companies will provide these temporary shades free of charge, if they do not offer, definitely ask).

Despite their drawbacks, wall-to-wall and floor to ceiling windows are what consumers are looking for. According to one New York real estate agent;
Interiors are important but in many cases, the view is what sells.
As consumers weigh increased cooling (and heating) costs, as well as sun damage to interiors, they are deciding that the best solution is to control the sunlight…at the touch of a button.