Working to Develop Your Home and Garden

Given that the sun is so frequently strong in Australian skies, the need to make homes shadier is always at the forefront of many people's minds. Of course, there are all sorts of ways you can employ to stop the sun from coming into your home. Popular options include Venetian blinds and simple pairs of curtains. However, what do you do if you would want the shade in your home to be adjusted automatically? Are their systems available which mean that your home continues to receive shade even if you are out? Read on to discover three of the best ways of automating your home so that it remains cool and shady when you return to it.

Automatic Awnings

Awnings have long been used in Australian homes to create a little shelter as well as much needed shade. Old-fashioned awnings used to be wound in and out by hand using a long spindle on the end of a metal rod. The problem with these was that they were always likely to jam up if they were not lubricated properly. Furthermore, you have to be around in order to adjust them as the sun moves across your property. With a photosensitive meter and a motor that adjusts the awning for you, it is possible to fully automate the movement of your shade-maker. When one is installed properly it will simply drop down during the heat of the day and retract in the evening and at night time.

Robotic Roller Blinds

Roller blinds can be automated, too. Because they have a single movement, they are ideal for an electric motor. You can set these motors to automatically raise and lower your roller blinds for a given time of day. Some systems even allow you to randomise the times at which your roller blinds drop so that they make it look as if somebody is home even when they are not.

Self-Switching Glass

Switchable glass is becoming increasingly popular these days. You may have seen it installed in a hotel room, for example. They tend to be used in order to create a frosted glass look for an en-suite or shower room. In homes, they can be used to keep the sun out by switching your windows when a photometer fitted outside is exposed to sufficient sunlight. In such situations, the system automatically switches between transparent and frosted glass according to how much sunlight that happens to be around.