Opening and closing a house's shutters takes five to ten minutes a day — two full days a year. Most manual shutters motorise without changing the curtain: a tubular motor slides into the existing axle. The choice is between three families.
Wired: the robust economy
A wall switch per shutter, a cable to each motor. Strengths: cheapest (€200–400 per shutter fitted), most robust, simplest to diagnose. Limits: cabling works, and centralisation costs extra. For: full renovations and reliability lovers.
Radio: the comfort standard
Remote or wireless wall control. Strengths: fast unobtrusive fitting, native centralisation (one remote closes the house), easy extensions — sun sensors, presence-simulation timers that deter burglars during holidays, smartphone gateways. Limits: €80–150 more per shutter, batteries, electronics ageing faster than mechanics (choose established brands for spare parts). It is today's majority choice — and usually ours.
Solar: the zero-works option
Motor + battery + small panel on the box: no cabling at all, one hour per shutter, works during power cuts. Limits: €400–700 per shutter, battery renewal at 8–12 years, and the panel needs decent exposure. The "solar fails in winter" cliché is outdated: current models are sized for two cycles a day with weeks of grey-sky autonomy — disappointments come from badly oriented panels, not the technology. Radio and solar mix happily in one house, often sharing the same remotes.
Decision table
| Criterion | Wired | Radio | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budget / shutter fitted | €200–400 | €280–500 | €400–700 |
| Cabling works | Yes | Power only | None |
| Centralisation | Wired option | Native | Native |
| Works in power cut | No | No | Yes |
The questions before signing
Demand a mechanical check before motorisation (motorising a dragging shutter offers its failures to the motor); ask the motor brand and its ten-year parts policy; confirm end-stop adjustment is included; discuss the emergency manoeuvre on living-room shutters; and get both warranties — product and fitting — in writing. A typical eight-shutter house runs €2,600–3,400 in radio, fitted in a day; mixing solar on the awkward openings is a perfectly valid strategy.
The security bonus
A motorised shutter resists forced lifting better (motor braking, optional automatic locks), and presence simulation is real deterrence. Above all, what is easy gets done: motorised households actually close their shutters every night. Smart-home gateways can be added later (€100–300) — avoid app-only no-name kits whose shutters go mute when the maker disappears.
A question, a project, an emergency?
A locksmith answers the phone — price range on the call, firm quote before work, 24/7 across the Paris region, in English.
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