Adding motorisation to external screens has various benefits. While you may be most interested in the ease of control that you get from an automated system, you also get other benefits that you might not have thought about.
For example, motorisation gives screens extra protection. It can keep them safe from damage and, therefore, make them last longer. How does this work?
Wind Protection
Some motorised external screens come with built-in wind sensors. These sensors detect fluctuations in the strength of gusts of wind that push on the screens. They protect the screens when they are either partly or fully lowered over their windows or doors.
If the wind gets high enough to trigger the system's alert level, then the screens automatically retract back into their housing cassette or storage space. This may seem an odd process. After all, if your screens are down and it is windy, then they create a wind barrier and protect your windows.
However, if the wind is high enough, the screens themselves could suffer from significant damage. High winds might batter the screens and push them off their tracks so that they stop working.
Or, a big gust could throw an object against a screen and bend it out of shape. Plus, If a screen comes loose, then it turns into a hazard itself.
It's far safer if your screens retract in these weather conditions. They stay safely out of harm's way until the weather improves and their sensors tell them that it is safe to go back into place again.
Obstacle Protection
One of the biggest advantages of using automated screens is that you can leave them to open and close themselves. If you have wind and sun sensors, then the screens operate at appropriate times even if you aren't at home. If you have an app or remote control, then you can program them to work at set times of the day and night.
While automation gives you better control, it can lead to problems. For example, say you set your screens to lower during the hottest part of the day to keep your home cool while you're at work.
However, someone else in the house might have accidentally moved something under a screen and left it there, like a chair or ladder. In this case, when the screen closes, it will hit the object. Both the screen and the object could get damaged.
If your screens have obstacle protection, then this wouldn't be a problem. This feature detects objects in the path of a screen and halts its movement. The screen then automatically retracts before it hits the object.
To find out more, contact local screen installation companies. They can tell you about companies that make automatic screens like Somfy and others.
