Smart · Rochdale & Greater Manchester
Motorised Blinds & Shutters,Integrated with YourSmart Home.
Battery, hardwired and solar-powered motors, controlled by app, remote, voice or scheduled scenes. Quiet 24v systems integrated with Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit and Control4. Free in-home survey across Greater Manchester and Yorkshire.
5★ rated · Somfy & Louvolite trained · 5-year motor warranty · Free home survey
Alexa · Google · HomeKit · Control4
Smart-home integrations
5-year manufacturer
Motor warranty
Battery · Hardwired · Solar
Power options
Within 7 days
Survey response
Fully insured £2m PL
Insurance
Service overview
Motorised Systems,
explained properly.
What it is
Motorised blinds and shutters replace cords, chains and tilt rods with silent electric motors controlled by remote, wall switch, mobile app or voice. They integrate with the smart-home hub you already use and can be scheduled to open and close around your routine.
Who it suits
Motorisation suits hard-to-reach windows (above stairs, on raked roof glazing, behind kitchen sinks), child and pet households where cords are a hazard, home cinemas, multi-window living rooms where one tap closes the lot, and anyone who wants their home to feel a step more considered.
When to commission
Specify motorisation at the same time as your new blinds or shutters, retro-fitting a motor to an existing manual blind is rarely cost-effective. Also commission motorised systems for kitchen extensions, new conservatories, and primary bedroom refits.
Why professional help matters
Smart-home gear bought off the shelf rarely integrates cleanly with bespoke window dressings. We specify the motor, the hub, the bridge and the power solution as one design, so the result is silent, reliable and remembered by your hub after the first power cut.
What happens when it's done badly
The cost of cutting corners.
Most 'smart blinds' fail at the boring details, power, signal range, and what happens when the WiFi drops. Done badly, they become an expensive way to add a battery you have to replace.
Risks & consequences
- Cheap AA-battery motors run flat in 4–6 months on daily-use blinds, and the battery sits behind the headrail, requiring full disassembly to replace.
- WiFi-only motors stop responding to schedules whenever the router restarts.
- Underspecified motors stall and overheat on heavy interlined Romans or oversized shutters.
- Non-standard hubs become unsupported after 3–5 years, stranding the blinds without app control.
Common mistakes
- Choosing battery motors for tall windows that need daily operation, power-cable or solar systems are nearly always better long-term.
- Trying to retrofit motors to existing manual shutters, the headrail, tube and panel weight rarely match motor specification.
- Skipping the smart-home consultation, motors that won't pair with your existing Alexa / HomeKit / Control4 setup.
- Buying separate motors and blinds online, warranty claims become a finger-pointing exercise between three suppliers.
Our process
Five steps,
no surprises.
- 01
Smart-home consultation
Audit your existing hubs, voice assistants and routines. Match the motor brand and protocol (Somfy, Louvolite, Bond, Zigbee, Z-Wave) to your setup.
- 02
Power & access survey
Battery vs hardwired vs solar decided per window, based on usage frequency, height and cable-route feasibility.
- 03
Integrated manufacture
Blinds, shutters, motors and brackets all specified together so the finished assembly is engineered as one unit.
- 04
Installation & wiring
Quiet installation, including any required low-voltage cabling, hub commissioning and app pairing on the day.
- 05
Setup & training
Schedules, scenes and voice commands configured in front of you. Aftercare card with motor model, app credentials and warranty details left on site.
Benefits
What you actually get.
Silent operation
Modern 24v motors operate at 38dB, quieter than a fridge. No motor whine, no clatter, no rattle.
Safety in family homes
Zero cords, zero chains, the gold standard for child-safe blinds under BS EN 13120.
Energy savings
Schedule blinds to close on south-facing windows during summer peak, measurable reduction in air-conditioning load.
Reach impossible windows
Stairwell, gable, roof and clerestory windows finally usable on demand.
Voice and app control
Open the cinema room from your phone, close the bedroom blinds via Alexa, schedule the lounge blinds to rise at sunrise.
Adds property value
Smart-home integration is now a measurable factor in upper-bracket property valuations across Greater Manchester.
Specification detail
The detail
most installers skip.
Motorised window dressings are a system, motor, power, control, hub and integration. Get any one wrong and the experience degrades quickly.
Materials
Somfy motors
Premium European motor brand, quiet, durable, with the deepest smart-home compatibility (Alexa, Google, HomeKit, Control4, Crestron).
Louvolite motors
UK-designed motors engineered specifically for UK blinds, strong battery life and integrated wall control.
Battery tubes
Built-in lithium battery packs giving 6–12 months between charges on typical usage, recharged via USB-C.
Hardwired transformers
Mains-powered 24v transformers for high-use blinds, invisible after fitting.
Solar tubes
Discreet solar panel mounted on the window glass, trickle-charging the motor, fit-and-forget.
Methods & engineering
Hub integration
Pair motors to Somfy TaHoma, Louvolite Vogue, Bond Bridge or directly to Alexa/Google/HomeKit/Control4.
Group control
Multiple blinds grouped into 'scenes', Morning, Evening, Cinema, Away, operated with a single tap.
Scheduling
Sunrise/sunset scheduling with offset, plus weekday/weekend scenes.
Wall switches
Battery RF wall switches for guests and family members who don't use the app.
Variations we offer
- Motorised roller blinds, most common, battery, hardwired or solar.
- Motorised Roman blinds, quiet 24v lift motors.
- Motorised verticals, chain-replacement motors for large patio runs.
- Motorised plantation shutters, Somfy tilt motors integrated into the shutter stile.
- Motorised curtains, silent rail-mounted curtain tracks.
- Skylight motors for Velux and conservatory roof glazing.
Where it applies
- Stairwell and double-height windows.
- Roof glazing and skylight windows.
- Home cinema and media rooms.
- Primary bedroom suites with multiple windows.
- Open-plan kitchen-diners with floor-to-ceiling glazing.
- Family homes wanting fully cordless, child-safe blinds.
Residential vs commercial
Residential motorisation focuses on integration with Alexa/Google/HomeKit. Commercial motorisation (hotels, offices, conference centres) adds Crestron, Control4 and BACnet integration, plus heavy-duty motors rated for thousands of operations.
Frequently asked questions
Motorised Systems, answered.
How much do motorised blinds cost?
+
Add roughly £180–£320 per motor on top of the manual blind price, plus £80–£200 for hub and commissioning. A 3-blind motorised lounge typically runs £750–£1,400 fully fitted with full smart-home integration.
How long do batteries last?
+
Quality lithium tubes last 6–12 months on typical daily use, recharged in 2–4 hours via USB-C. Solar-trickle systems are effectively fit-and-forget. Hardwired systems never need a battery change.
Do they work with Alexa / Google / HomeKit?
+
Yes, Somfy and Louvolite both integrate natively with Amazon Alexa, Google Home and Apple HomeKit. Control4 and Crestron supported for premium installs.
What happens during a power cut?
+
Battery and solar motors continue to operate normally. Hardwired motors pause until power returns, then resume scheduled operation.
Can existing blinds be motorised?
+
Rarely cost-effective, the tube, brackets and panel weight need to match motor specification. We recommend motorisation be specified at the same time as a new blind.
Are motorised systems guaranteed?
+
10-year shutter warranty on Somfy and Louvolite motors, plus our own workmanship guarantee on the install and commissioning.
How noisy are the motors?
+
Modern 24v motors operate at 38–42dB, quieter than a domestic fridge. Most clients can't hear the motor over normal room noise.
Can I control multiple blinds at once?
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Yes, blinds can be grouped into scenes (Morning, Cinema, Bedtime) and triggered by app, voice, schedule or wall switch.
Do you offer emergency motor servicing?
+
Yes, for any Somfy or Louvolite motor we've installed, call 01706 538274 for same-week diagnostics across Greater Manchester.
Which areas do you cover?
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Rochdale, Oldham, Littleborough, Norden, Manchester, Bolton, Bury, Sheffield, Liverpool and West Yorkshire.
Free e-brochure
Take our e-brochure home with you
See the full motorised systems range, finishes, frame types and our peace-of-mind guarantee in one PDF.
Ready when you are
Book your free motorised systems
survey today.
Jake visits with samples, measures every window and hands you an itemised written quote on the day. No pressure, no obligation. Most surveys booked within 10 working days.
Fully insured · 10-year shutter guarantee · Family-run from Rochdale
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