FAQ

MWT is one of Chicagoland’s most experienced motorized window treatment installers, serving communities from Lincoln Park and Gold Coast to Lake Forest, Naperville, and Hinsdale since 2009. We are authorized installers for Somfy, Lutron, and Hunter Douglas PowerView.

Yes. MWT serves the full Chicagoland area including Park Ridge, Winnetka, Wilmette, Glenview, Kenilworth, Highland Park, Hinsdale, Naperville, Elmhurst, Northbrook, Arlington Heights, Downers Grove, Oak Park, River Forest, and many more communities.

Yes. MWT installs window treatments throughout Chicago’s downtown neighborhoods including Gold Coast, Old Town, Streeterville, Lincoln Park, and Wrigleyville, as well as all Chicagoland suburbs.

MWT has been serving the Chicagoland area since 2009 — over 16 years. We are a locally owned and operated installation company based in Streamwood, Illinois.

Yes. MWT handles both residential and commercial projects throughout Chicagoland, including single-family homes, condos, high-rises, office buildings, hotels, and multi-family developments.

Yes. MWT installs and programs Lutron shading systems throughout Chicagoland, including Lutron Caséta, RA2 Select, and RadioRA. We integrate Lutron with existing smart home systems on request.

Yes. MWT is an authorized Hunter Douglas PowerView installer serving Chicagoland. We install, configure, and integrate PowerView systems with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, and Google Home.

In many cases, yes. MWT offers motorization retrofit services that add Somfy or compatible motors to existing manual blinds and shades — no need to replace the entire treatment. We assess compatibility during a site visit.

MWT installs motorized shades compatible with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Control4, Crestron, and Savant. Integration depends on the motorization brand — Somfy, Lutron, and Hunter Douglas PowerView each have different native integrations.

Somfy is a universal motorization system compatible with many shade brands. Lutron is a premium smart lighting and shading system with native integration across major smart home platforms. Hunter Douglas PowerView is a proprietary system exclusive to Hunter Douglas products with its own app and hub. MWT installs all three and will recommend the best fit for your setup and budget.

Yes. MWT installs Zigbee-compatible motorized window treatments and can advise on Z-Wave options. We work with your existing hub or smart home controller to ensure seamless integration.

Yes. All major motorization systems MWT installs — Somfy, Lutron, and Hunter Douglas PowerView — support scheduling, sun-position automation, and scene integration so your shades can open and close automatically based on time, light levels, or smart home triggers.

Ripplefold drapery uses evenly spaced carriers on a track to create smooth, uniform waves when open or closed — ideal for contemporary spaces. Pinch pleat drapery uses traditional hand-sewn pleats and hangs from rings or hooks — better suited for classic or transitional interiors. MWT installs both.

Yes. Custom drapery track fabrication is one of MWT’s core specialties. We fabricate powder-coated, curved, and straight tracks to any specification — including motorized Ripplefold systems — for interior designers, workrooms, and homeowners throughout Chicagoland.

Yes. MWT specializes in specialty window installations including arched, curved, angled, and skylight windows. We have completed complex specialty installations that other installers were unable to complete.

Yes. MWT installs motorized and manual window treatments in high-rise residential and commercial buildings throughout Chicago including Gold Coast, Streeterville, Lincoln Park, and the Loop. We are experienced with the access and coordination requirements of high-rise installations.

Yes. MWT’s cut-down service trims blinds and shades to your exact window width. This is especially useful when off-the-shelf sizes don’t fit, when you’re reusing existing treatments in a new space, or when a product has been discontinued.

In most cases, resizing is significantly cheaper than reordering — especially for motorized or custom products. MWT’s cut-down service is a cost-effective solution for treatments that are slightly too wide for your windows.

Yes. MWT regularly works with Chicago-area drapery workrooms to handle the installation phase of their projects. We can receive product directly at our climate-controlled Streamwood facility, prep and stage treatments, and install on a timeline coordinated with your project schedule.

Yes. MWT has a climate-controlled warehouse at our Streamwood, IL facility where we can receive, inspect, and store custom window treatments before installation. This is particularly valuable for high-end drapery and motorized treatments that require careful handling.

Yes. MWT works with builders and general contractors throughout Chicagoland on new construction window treatment installation. We coordinate with project timelines, work in phased environments, and can handle large-scale multi-unit installs.

Yes. MWT provides turnkey measure, supply coordination, and installation services for builders and contractors in the Chicagoland area. We support single-family, multi-family, and commercial new construction projects.

MWT handles both. We offer professional measure services to ensure correct sizing before any product is ordered, and we handle full installation once product arrives. We also work with designer-supplied measurements and product delivered directly to our facility.

Contact MWT at 847-732-8552 or through our website contact form. We will schedule a consultation to assess your project, take measurements, and provide a quote based on your window count, product type, and any special requirements.

Yes. MWT installs plantation shutters and specialty shutters throughout Chicagoland for both residential and commercial clients. Call 847-732-8552 to discuss your project.

MWT installs treatments from Somfy, Hunter Douglas, Graber, Norman Window Fashions, Horizons Window Fashions, Lutron, Alta, Conrad, and Harman & Forbes, as well as products from independent drapery workrooms throughout the Chicago area.

MWT serves the full Chicagoland area including Downtown Chicago, Gold Coast, Old Town, Streeterville, Lincoln Park, Wrigleyville, Park Ridge, Lake Forest, Winnetka, Wilmette, Glenview, Kenilworth, Highland Park, Hinsdale, Elmhurst, LaGrange, LaGrange Park, Western Springs, Willowbrook, Naperville, Northfield, River Grove, Palatine, Arlington Heights, Lombard, Downers Grove, Glen Ellyn, Northbrook, River Forest, and Oak Park.

MWT has been serving the Chicagoland area since 2009 — over 16 years. We are a locally owned and operated installation company based in Streamwood, Illinois.

Yes. MWT handles both residential and commercial projects throughout Chicagoland, including single-family homes, condos, high-rises, office buildings, hotels, and multi-family developments.

Yes. MWT is a preferred installation partner for interior designers, workrooms, builders, and fabricators throughout Chicagoland. We offer trade pricing, white-glove installation, and climate-controlled receiving and storage.

Motorized window treatments are used for many reasons: operating large groups of blinds or shades simultaneously, controlling hard-to-reach windows, managing UV exposure automatically, operating high windows safely, eliminating dangling cords for child safety, and integrating with smart home systems for automated schedules and scene control.

Yes. MWT motorizes faux wood blinds for tilt only or for lift and tilt using Somfy motors. For lift and tilt motorization, the faux blind must be ordered 10 inches longer than the required finished length.

Yes. Both 2-inch and 2½-inch wood slat blinds can be motorized for tilt only or for lift and tilt. MWT uses Somfy battery powered, internal rechargeable, DC low voltage, or AC line voltage motors depending on blind size and weight.

Yes. Hunter Douglas, Graber, and Comfortex blinds can all be motorized by MWT using Somfy motors for tilt-only or lift-and-tilt retrofits.

Yes. An existing 5 or 10 year old blind can be motorized for tilt only using Somfy motors. MWT evaluates each blind to confirm motor compatibility before retrofitting.

Yes. Battery powered and internal rechargeable motors can lift real wood blinds up to approximately 72 inches wide by 82 inches tall, or around 17 lbs. AC line voltage Somfy motors can lift real wood blinds up to 96 inches by 96 inches, or around 35 lbs. Battery powered motors can lift faux wood blinds up to approximately 36 inches by 72 inches.

Motorized blinds can be controlled using a remote control, wireless wall switch, wired wall switch, Somfy TaHoma Switch app control, and third-party home automation systems including Control4, Crestron, and Savant.

Yes. MWT can cut down real wood and cordless wood blinds. On average, approximately 1 inch per side can be removed depending on where the existing controls are located and the type of mounting bracket used.

Yes. MWT can cut down cordless faux wood blinds. On average, approximately 1 inch per side can be removed.

The most common Somfy motors MWT uses for roller shades are: ST30 WireFree, ST30 24V, ST30 RS485, R28, ST28 WireFree, ST40 AC, ST40 WireFree, ST40 AC Standard, ST50 RTS, ST50 RS485, and ST50 Standard. Motor selection depends on shade size, weight, and power preference.

Yes. Some manufacturers decline to motorize roller shades because their motors do not fit in small headrails or cannot lift heavy shade material. MWT uses a range of Somfy motor sizes to fit small, standard, and oversized roller shades that other companies cannot accommodate.

Yes. MWT can both motorize and cut down cassette roller shades, as well as clutch-operated and beaded chain-operated roller shades. The minimum material that can be cut from a roller shade is ¼ inch.

Yes. Hunter Douglas, Graber, and Comfortex roller shades can all be motorized by MWT using Somfy motors.

Motorized roller shades can be controlled using a single channel, 5-channel, or 16-channel Somfy RTS remote control. Somfy Zigbee roller shades use a single channel or 5-channel Ysia remote. All systems also support wireless wall switches, wired wall switches, and third-party app control.

Yes. Some manufacturers decline due to motor width or weight limitations. MWT uses various Somfy motor sizes to accommodate small and oversized banded and zebra shades that others cannot motorize.

Yes. MWT can cut down banded and zebra shades including clutch-operated, beaded chain-operated, and cassette styles. The minimum material that can be cut is ¼ inch.

Yes. Hunter Douglas, Graber, and Comfortex banded and zebra shades can all be motorized by MWT.

Motorized banded and zebra shades can be controlled using a remote control, wireless wall switch, wired wall switch, app control, and third-party home automation systems.

Yes. MWT motorizes cellular and honeycomb shades for top-down bottom-up operation using two motors — one for each moving rail.

Yes. When standard retrofits are not possible due to motor width or weight limitations, MWT uses external gutter rails with custom-colored decorative valances to complete the motorization.

Yes. External gutter rails used in cellular and honeycomb shade motorization retrofits are custom colored to match the shade.

Yes. MWT can cut down cordless, motorized, top-down, bottom-up, and top-down bottom-up cellular and honeycomb shades. The minimum cut is ¼ inch. An average of 2 to 4 inches can be removed from each side. MWT can also cut down the width of cordless or motorized cellular shades.

Yes. Hunter Douglas, Graber, and Comfortex cellular and honeycomb shades can all be motorized by MWT using Somfy motors.

Yes. MWT can cut down sheer shades including cassette styles. The minimum cut is ¼ inch. MWT can also cut down the length of a sheer shade and can cut down cordless and motorized sheer shades.

Yes. Hunter Douglas, Graber, and Comfortex sheer shades can all be motorized by MWT using Somfy motors.

Yes. MWT uses two Somfy motors — one for each moving rail — to motorize a Roman shade for top-down bottom-up operation.

Yes. MWT motorizes woven wood shades using Somfy ST30 WireFree, ST30 24V, ST30 RS485, R28, ST28 WireFree, ST40 AC, and ST40 WireFree motors with battery, rechargeable, DC low voltage, or AC line voltage power. MWT can also cut down woven wood shades including lined, manual, and motorized configurations.

MWT uses the Somfy Glydea motor series for all motorized drapery track fabrication. The specific Glydea motor is determined by the number of bends or curves in the track and the weight of the drapery material.

Somfy Glydea motors are available in three power options: rechargeable battery, plug-in DC low voltage 24V, and plug-in AC line voltage. Rechargeable motors can move approximately 90 lbs of drapery material. AC line voltage motors can move approximately 130 lbs.

Yes. Size limitations depend on the weight of the drapery material, the number of bends or curves in the track, and the motor power option. MWT calculates the correct motor and maximum track size for every project.

Yes. MWT fabricates custom curved and bent motorized drapery tracks. The number of curves determines which Somfy Glydea motor is required.

Yes. MWT installs motorized drapery tracks for both wall mount and ceiling mount applications using the appropriate bracket for each.

Yes. Decorative half rods can be mounted to motorized drapery tracks for a finished look. Tracks are available in white, bronze, and black as stock colors and can be custom painted to any color.

Yes. MWT custom fabricates all motorized drapery tracks in-house to within 1/8 inch of the requested size.

Somfy Glydea motorized drapery tracks can be controlled by a handheld remote control, wireless wall switch, wired wall switch, Somfy TaHoma Switch app, or third-party home automation system. Motors are available in Somfy RTS or Somfy Zigbee.

MWT provides Somfy Situo single channel and 5-channel RTS remote controls, Ysia single channel and 5-channel Zigbee remote controls, wireless wall switches, wired wall switches, Somfy TaHoma Switch app control, and integration with Control4, Crestron, and Savant.

Somfy RTS (Radio Technology Somfy) is a one-way radio protocol — the remote sends signals to the motor but does not receive feedback. Somfy Zigbee is a two-way protocol that provides status feedback and direct smart home integration. MWT installs both RTS and Zigbee motor systems.

Yes. Most Somfy motorized shades and tracks can communicate with home automation systems and third-party app controls. Depending on the motor protocol and automation platform, an additional bridge or control device may be required.

MWT installs motorized shades compatible with Apple HomeKit, Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Control4, Crestron, and Savant. Compatibility depends on the motorization brand — Somfy, Lutron, and Hunter Douglas PowerView each have different native integrations.