insights
insights
Fifty years of blind and awning motors, from a simple wall switch to full smart-home integration with Google Home and Alexa.
WindOn exposed Garden Route properties where the south-easter arrives without warning, Somfy wind-sensor automation retracts the awning automatically when the wind rises. That one feature prevents the most common cause of awning failure.
For Apple households: Bluetooth and Thread straight to Apple Home, no separate hub, no separate app. The blinds sit beside the lights, locks and thermostat, and automations run on time, sunrise, sunset or other HomeKit triggers.
Down at sunset, up with the morning alarm. Consistent sleep routines for bedrooms and nurseries.
TimeWest-facing blinds lower as the afternoon sun hits and rise once it moves past.
SunAwning motors retract automatically when the sensor reads a rising wind. No running outside before a storm.
WindA randomised open-and-close schedule while you are away, for Garden Route holiday homes that sit empty between visits.
AwayMovie mode closes the living area. Morning opens the bedrooms halfway. Goodnight closes everything and locks the security shutters.
One touchIn most cases a Somfy or MotionBlinds motor fits inside the tube of an existing roller blind, replacing the chain, without replacing the blind.
Battery
Rechargeable pack
Wired
Permanent power
05 Child safety
A manual chain is a strangulation risk for a young child. A motor removes it. For nurseries and rooms where children play, automated blinds are the safest option there is; cordless is available across the online range for everything else.
Getting startedWhatsApp Duncan on 079 523 5407 for a Garden Route quote. Motorised indoor blinds can also be configured in the online shop.
Somfy for most homes, including wind-sensor awning retract and Google and Alexa integration; Eve MotionBlinds for Apple households. Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings, a Somfy accredited expert, fits both across the Garden Route.
The motor, battery or wiring and control set-up add to the blind price, by size and motor type. Configure motorised blinds in the online shop or ask Duncan for a Garden Route quote.
Not for battery motors, which are self-contained and rechargeable. Wired motors need cabling, easiest in a new build or renovation.
Yes. Somfy through its app or Google Home and Alexa; Eve MotionBlinds through Apple Home and Siri.
Yes. Somfy awning motors with wind and sun sensors extend and retract with the weather, fitted on the Garden Route.
Content reviewed by the Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings team.
Custom Blinds Shutters & Awnings | South Africa’s trusted blinds, shutters and awnings specialists since 2010.