Can existing curtains or roller blinds be motorised?
Updated
Sometimes. A motor needs a track or tube built to take it, so it depends on the track, the tube, the brackets, the weight of the curtain or blind and the power. A retailer or installer needs to look at what you have before saying yes.
Adding a motor to an existing curtain or blind is possible in some cases and not in others. The answer depends on what is already on the wall and on the product, so a retailer or installer needs to check it before anything is promised.
Curtains
A motorised curtain moves on a track fitted with a motor and a controller. An existing track may or may not take a motor. Some tracks take a motor and many do not, so your retailer or installer needs to identify the track first. If the curtains hang from a rod with rings, they usually need a track instead, and the heading may need to suit it. The curtain weight, the length of the track, the opening direction and the power arrangement all matter.
Roller blinds
A roller blind has its control at one end of the tube. A chain blind can sometimes be changed to a motor, but it depends on the tube and the brackets. A motor sits inside the tube, so the tube has to be the right size and the blind has to suit it. Ask a retailer to check.
What the retailer will check
- The type and make of the track or tube.
- The weight and width of the curtain or blind.
- Where the power will come from. A battery motor needs recharging from time to time. A wired motor runs from a power supply, and any mains wiring must be done by a licensed electrician.
- Space for the motor and any controller.
- How you want to control it: a handheld remote, a wall switch or an app.
What setting up involves
A motor is programmed with limits so the curtain or blind stops in the right place. It may need resetting after a change. Speedy Blinds publishes step by step programming guides for roller blind motors, written for installers, which show what setup involves.
| What you have | Can it be motorised? |
|---|---|
| Curtain on an existing track | Some tracks take a motor and many do not. Your retailer or installer needs to identify the track first |
| Curtain on a rod with rings | Usually not as it is. It usually needs a track |
| Chain roller blind | Sometimes, depending on the tube and brackets |
Your retailer can tell you whether your curtains or blinds can be motorised, or whether a new track or blind would suit better, and quote either way.
Other ways people ask this
Can I add a motor to a chain roller blind?
Sometimes. It depends on the tube and brackets, so ask a retailer to check.
Can I motorise curtains on a rod?
Usually not as they are. A motorised curtain usually needs a track made for a motor.
Do motorised curtains need an electrician?
A battery motor does not. A wired motor does when it needs fixed wiring.
Is it cheaper to motorise or replace?
It depends on what you have. Ask your retailer to compare both.
Useful on this site
This answer is general information. For your own windows, your retailer's advice and your order with them come first.