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Off-topic, but hoping this is the right group of DIY folks who can steer me in the right direction. I'd really like to automate some of the windowshades in my
by sowbug 8y ago
Off-topic, but hoping this is the right group of DIY folks who can steer me in the right direction.
I'd really like to automate some of the windowshades in my house. My two use cases are opening bedroom shades at sunrise, and closing living-room shades at times during the day when direct sun would heat up the room too much.
Every time I've looked into it, there's a wide gap between DIY projects that are labors of love (i.e., probably not usable or repairable by anyone but the creator), or else high-end, proprietary "solutions" that have only "Get A Quote Now" buttons on their websites.
Is there something in between where I can take a commodity shade, a commodity motor, a power source, and a controller of some kind that has a community around it, and then connect Alexa or Google Home?
- rhinoceraptor 8y agoIkea is releasing a series of smart blinds[1] in a couple months, compatible with HomeKit, Alexa, and Google Home. They're supposed to be ~$100 per shade. 1: https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/1/7/18172043/ikea-smart-blinds-kadrilj-fyrtur-tradfi-home-connected-wifi-homekit-alexa-price https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2019/1/7/18172043/ik...
- sowbug 8y agoThanks for the tip. Looks like just what I had in mind.
- deleted 8y ago[deleted]
- underbluewaters 8y agoI know you are looking for DIY, but I ended up getting Lutron Serena shades and they are really great. When I compared the cost of standard custom shades vs something with built-in automation it wasn't that big of a cost difference. Custom shades are always just damn expensive with or without motors. They have a 20% off sale very regularly if you order online, which I found my local big-box hardware store would match.
- sowbug 8y agoThanks. I'm DIY only to get the features I want without lock-in to a system, not DIY for the sake of DIY. If the Ikea suggestion in the sibling comment doesn't pan out, I'll have a look at Lutron.