I get where you’re coming from, but honestly, I’ve had more headaches with smart blinds than I ever expected. The motors always seem to get stuck at the worst possible time, and finding the right replacement part can be just as frustrating as tracking down a custom window bit. At least with the tint windows, there aren’t cords or hardware to break off, and you don’t have to clean slats every week. Not saying they’re perfect, but the “set it and forget it” factor is kinda appealing if you’re willing to risk the tech.
That’s a good point about the motors—I had a set of smart blinds in our old place and they always seemed to freeze up right when I needed them to work (like, every time we had guests over). The tint windows do seem lower maintenance, but I keep wondering how they hold up over time. Like, do they get scratched or cloudy? Also, if the power goes out, do they just stay where they are? Kind of makes me nervous to put all my eggs in one high-tech basket, you know? But yeah, not having to dust slats is honestly tempting...
The tint windows do seem lower maintenance, but I keep wondering how they hold up over time. Like, do they get scratched or cloudy? Also, if the power goes out, do they just stay where they are?
I’ve had electrochromic windows for about three years now and, honestly, I haven’t noticed any clouding or major scratches, but I’m also not a cat owner—so maybe that helps. When the power’s out, mine just stay at whatever tint they were set to, which is fine unless you’re suddenly sitting in the dark. I totally get the “all eggs in one basket” worry, though. I do miss the satisfying click of old-school blinds sometimes... but not the dust.
Yeah, I’ve noticed the same thing—less dusting is a win, but sometimes I do miss just yanking a cord to fix the light. The electrochromic windows in my place have held up fine so far, even with a couple of rowdy nephews visiting (no scratches, surprisingly). The cloudiness thing worried me too, but I haven’t seen it yet. Maybe it depends on the brand or how much direct sun you get? I’m in a pretty mild climate, so maybe that helps.
The power outage bit is kind of annoying, honestly. If you forget and leave them super dark, you’re just stuck until things come back on. Not the end of the world, but worth thinking about if you lose power a lot. Still, I’d take that trade over dealing with busted blind strings or those plastic slats that always end up bent.
Energy-wise, I’ve noticed my place stays cooler in summer, which is probably saving me some AC money. But yeah, sometimes I wonder if I should’ve just gone with smart blinds and called it a day...