One of the things that makes Smart Shades so easy and convenient is that it’s so easy to install and set up. In less than 5 minutes, anybody can install the application, connect it to the device, set it up and mount it to the wall. Voila!
Every device has a double-sided tape on it, which allows you to stick it to the wall firmly - and this is very simple since you don’t have to worry about drilling your walls, especially if you don’t have a drill or making holes in the wall is not an option. However, in some cases people prefer to mount the device with screws. It might be helpful if your shades are very big and heavy, and you’re not sure if the tape could hold it. It can also be the case that you have a beautiful wallpaper you don’t want to destroy, and to make 2 small holes in it will be better than to risk tearing it apart completely if you had to remove Smart Shades.
The choice is up to you, and Smart Shades can work with both options - however, choosing the proper screws to mount the device could be a little bit tricky. In this article, we will suggest a screw type you could use to mount Smart Shades device to the wall firmly and nicely.
First of all, you need to know the material the surface you want to mount the device on is made of. It can be concrete or brick wall, wood, drywall or anything else - but any type will require some type of screws. Generally, you’d have to drill a hole in the wall first, and then mount the device with the screw - however, if your walls are made of wood or any other “soft” material, you can go with a self-tapping screw, and in such case you’ll only require a screwdriver.
Remember - if you are going to use the drill, make sure you make the holes where you actually need them. To do so, first connect the Smart Shades motor to a chain of your shades, and place it on the wall where you want the device to be mounted. Make sure that the chain isn’t too loose or tight, and then use a pencil/pen/anything else to mark the spot of the future holes in the wall through special screw holes of the device.
Then, you’ll need to choose a style of the screw - it can be square, quadres, Phillips, torx, etc. Before choosing one, check which screwdrivers or drill bits do you have - it would be easier to buy a screw with a certain type of the head, then buy a set of special bits you don’t have.
After that, we come to the most important part of the process - selecting a proper diameter and length of the screw. Ideally, we suggest you use 4x60 mm screws together with 6x30 mm dowel plugs. This will work great with drywall or concrete, and in case you’d like to mount it to the wooden wall, you can use the 4x60 mm screws only. 60 mm of the length will be more than enough to hold the device steadily on the wall. You can find these screws for any wall type in most of the shops, and the same for the dowel blocks. For example, here is a link to these screws that fitted for wooden walls on Amazon, and this one is for the dowels.
If this somehow doesn’t fulfill your needs or you have troubles finding proper screws, you can also choose another size. Just keep in mind that to fit in the holes of the motor, the screw diameter must not be bigger than 4.5 mm, and the screw head diameter must not be bigger than 8 mm. As for the length, keep in mind that 25 mm of the screw will stay in the motor. Normally, it will be enough to find a 45 mm screw to mount the motor, however, if you want it to sit very tight because you have heavy blinds, you can go with a longer screw.
So, we hope that this article was useful for you. Now, you can install your Smart Shades device whatever way is more convenient for you! And, of course, if you still have any questions - check our user manual or contact our support.