Electric blinds and motorisation
We turn your existing manual blind into an electric one, normally without replacing the blind. Cable, radio or solar motors, operated by remote, phone, Alexa or Google Home — and without chasing walls if you would rather we did not.
Motorising is not replacing
This is the misunderstanding that stops most people from even asking. Motorising a roller blind means replacing the shaft and the manual winder with a tubular motor that sits inside the shaft itself. The slat curtain, the box and the guides stay where they are, provided they are in good condition.
Two practical consequences. It costs far less than a new blind. And if the shaft already needs replacing because salt has corroded it — very common here — then that is the moment to motorise, because you are already paying for the labour of opening the box and removing the shaft.
The three types of motor
Cable motor with wall switch
The traditional option, operated by an up/down wall switch. It needs mains power at the box, so it suits new build, renovations with the walls already open, or properties where a previous motor was installed. Cheapest in parts, most expensive in labour if chasing is required.
Radio motor with remote
The motor still needs power, but control is by radio: a wireless wall remote, a handset, or both. You can put the control anywhere without running a single control cable, and group several blinds onto one channel to close them together. This is the usual choice in a renovation.
Solar motor
A motor with a rechargeable battery and a small solar panel fitted outside the opening. No electrical installation at all. It is the answer for finished properties where nobody wants to open up walls again, and for older buildings where chasing stone or a protected finish is a problem. It needs reasonable direct sun, which south and east facing elevations here have in abundance.
The holiday home case
Across Villajoyosa, l'Alfàs del Pi, El Albir and La Nucía there are thousands of properties that sit empty most of the year. A house with every blind down from October to May advertises that nobody is home. With timers and a little variation the blinds move by themselves, and you can check and operate them from your phone from another country. It is not an alarm system and we do not sell it as one, but it changes what the property looks like from the street.
What people actually use
In order, from what we see after installation:
- Timers. Blinds coming down in the afternoon in summer and going up in the morning. This is the feature that gets used every day and is worth the most in August.
- Remote access. Opening up before guests or family arrive, closing up after you have left.
- Groups and scenes. One command for a whole floor.
- Voice control. Convenient, though almost nobody uses it as much as they expect to beforehand.
Heat, not just convenience
A blind lowered part way during the hottest hours makes a real difference to the temperature of a room, and in August on this coast that is air conditioning you do not switch on. Programming a partial close through the middle of the day and a re-open in the evening is the most cost-effective automation available here, and it costs nothing beyond configuring it properly on installation day.
When it cannot be done
We would rather say this beforehand than discover it with the box open. A box with insufficient depth will not take the motor assembly. A sealed box with no accessible hatch has to be solved first. A curtain with bent or damaged slats should not be motorised — the motor has enough force to finish breaking it. And the traditional corded wooden blind is not a shaft-and-roller system at all, so it needs a different approach entirely.
Questions about electric blinds
Do I need to replace the blind to motorise it?
In most cases no. We replace the shaft and the manual winder with a tubular motor that sits inside the shaft. The curtain, the box and the guides stay as they are if they are sound.
Can it be done without cabling or chasing walls?
Yes, with a radio motor or a solar motor. The solar option has its own rechargeable battery and a small panel outside the opening, so it needs no electrical installation at all. On this coast there is more than enough sun for it.
Will it work with Alexa or Google Home?
Yes, by adding the gateway for the motor system installed. From then on you can operate the blinds by voice, from your phone anywhere in the world, and on a timer.
My house is empty most of the year. Is it worth it?
This is exactly the case where it pays. With a timer and a little randomisation the blinds move on their own, so the property does not look shut up for months. You can also open them from your phone before you or your guests arrive.
What happens in a power cut?
Standard tubular motors have no manual override. If you want guaranteed manual operation during a power cut, we fit a motor with an emergency crank. It has to be decided before installation because it determines the model.
Are they noisy?
Considerably quieter than winding a blind by hand. If noise matters to you in a bedroom, say so and we will specify a quiet range, which is a particular product line rather than a setting.
Can I motorise only some of the blinds?
Yes, and most people do. Usually the big ones first — living room, terrace, main bedroom — leaving the rest manual. Motors added later pair to the same remote or app.
Do you motorise awnings as well?
Yes, and on an awning we strongly recommend a wind sensor. On this coast a gust of easterly with the awning open is the fastest and most expensive way to destroy it.