Do motorized blinds need an electrician?

Usually no. Most of the motorized blinds we install run on a rechargeable battery tube hidden in the headrail, so nothing needs to be wired. Hardwired motors are an option in new builds and renovations where the wall is already open.

How often do the batteries need charging?

It depends on the size of the blind and how often it moves, but a battery tube typically runs for several months to about a year between charges. You recharge it with a cable, the same way you would a laptop.

Are motorized blinds noisy?

Modern blind motors are quiet. You hear a soft hum while the blind moves and nothing at all once it stops.

Can one remote control all my blinds?

Yes. Blinds can be grouped so one button moves a whole room, and separate channels let you control individual blinds from the same remote.

Can you motorize blinds I already have?

Sometimes, depending on how your existing blinds are built. Motors, tubes and fabric weight need to be matched properly, so we will look at what you have during the free measure and tell you honestly whether a retrofit is worth it.

Motorized Blinds Winnipeg | Bay Blinds Canada

In short. A motorized blind has a small quiet motor inside the roller tube. You control it with a handheld remote, a wall switch, a timer, or an app on your phone. There is no chain and no cord of any kind.

Where motorization is genuinely worth it

Motorizing every blind in a house is rarely necessary. There are specific situations where it stops being a luxury and starts being the obvious answer, and we would rather point you at those than sell you motors you do not need.

High or two storey windows you physically cannot reach without a ladder
Wide banks of windows where operating four or five blinds one at a time becomes a daily chore
Windows behind a kitchen sink, a bed or a large sofa
Homes with young children, where removing every cord and chain is the safest option
Anyone with limited mobility or grip strength

Power options

Most motorized blinds we install run on a rechargeable battery tube. It hides inside the headrail and is recharged with a cable every several months to a year depending on how often the blind is used. Nothing needs to be wired, and nothing needs an electrician, which matters in a finished home.

Hardwired motors are an option in new builds or renovations where the wall is already open. If you are building, tell us early and we will tell your electrician where to leave power.

There is also a solar option, where a small panel keeps the battery topped up from daylight. That works best on a window that actually gets direct sun.

Planning a renovation or a new build? Talk to us before the drywall goes up. Deciding on motorized blinds at that stage costs nothing extra and opens up hardwired power and recessed headrail options that are difficult to add later.

Control options

Handheld remote

The simplest setup. One remote can control a single blind, a group, or every blind in the house on separate channels.

Wall switch

A switch mounted where a light switch would be. Good when you want a fixed, obvious control that never gets lost down the side of the sofa.

Timer and scheduling

Blinds that close at sunset and open in the morning on their own. This is also a quiet security benefit when you are away, because the house keeps looking lived in.

App and voice

Full control from your phone, plus voice assistants and scenes. If that is what you are after, our smart blinds page covers it in more detail.

Retrofit or new blinds

Motorizing works best when the blind is built for it from the start, because the motor, tube and fabric weight are matched. If you already have blinds you like, bring it up at the measure and we will tell you honestly whether a retrofit makes sense for your particular blinds or whether new ones are the better spend.