Motorization Magic

Something Different for Your Sliding Glass Door

Jim Ventriglia of Affordable Window Fashions was recently contacted by a homeowner seeking to find the best custom window treatment for their sliding glass door. The task presented a number of challenges that were expertly navigated by our Premier Dealer.

The sliding glass door measured 192" wide by 96" tall. An opening this wide usually requires vertical blinds, or panel track shades. This is so because materials, whether they be roller shade fabrics, or wood for horizontal blinds, have width restrictions, and 19" exceeds nearly all material restrictions.

The homeowner wanted a motorized solution, thus eliminating panel track shades as an option. The only remaining option seemed to be vertical blinds, but the homeowner was not a fan of vertical blinds.

Jim and a Skandia sales representative started kicking around ideas for how to utilize a roller shade to cover each pane individually: Three roller shades for the three panes. Based on the customer's preference for motorized window treatments, and the plan to cover each pane with its own roller shade, the homeowner would have needed a motor for each roller shade. This means that the homeowner would have needed a power source for each motor. Pretty standard, right?

Not quite. The nearest outlet was 10 feet away from the corner of the opening. Most motors in the industry come with an 11-foot cord. This meant that the middle and farthest shades would have needed extension cords, which on top of being unsightly, could have interfered with the normal opening and closing of the sliding glass door.

The ideal solution would be if there was a way to cover each pane individually, but operate them jointly with one motor. Skandia's recently introduced link system allows for just that! With the link system, the two roller shades farthest from the outlet could be linked to the motorized roller shade that was nearest to the outlet.

Not only did the homeowner find the perfect solution, but he was also able to save a little money by way of only having to purchase one motorized window covering instead of three. Did we mention that it looks fantastic too?

Interior design by Jim Ventriglia, Affordable Window Fashions, Santa Maria, CA

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