Motorized Shades for High Windows and Stairwells: Finally, a Reach-Free Solution

Every home has at least one. The window you can’t reach without a ladder. The stairwell window two floors up. The wall of glass in a vaulted living room. The window behind the tub, the sofa, or the kitchen sink.

These windows often end up with no covering at all, or a covering nobody ever adjusts, because using it is a chore. If that sounds familiar, motorization may be the most practical upgrade you can make.

Why Tall and Hard-to-Reach Windows Are Tricky

• Reaching the controls. Cords and chains for tall shades hang far from where you stand, or require climbing.
• Weight. Large shades are heavy, and lifting them by hand takes effort.
• Safety. Ladders and step stools around stairs are a real hazard. Long cords add another risk in homes with children and pets.
• Glare and heat. Tall windows often catch the most sun, which is exactly where you want to control light.
• Privacy. High windows can still look into neighbors’ homes or out to the street.

Because these windows are hard to manage, many homeowners simply leave them alone and live with the glare, the heat, and the winter chill.

How Motorization Solves It

Motorized shades raise and lower with a remote, wall switch, app, or voice command, or on a schedule. You never need to touch the window.

The benefits are especially clear on tall windows:

• No ladders. Control everything from the floor, or from the couch.
• Smooth, even movement. A motor handles the weight of a large shade better than a hand pull.
• No dangling cords. A cleaner look, and a safer choice around kids and pets. See our child safety services for more.
• Set it and forget it. Schedule shades to lower during the hottest part of the day and raise in the evening.
• Group control. Open or close a whole wall of windows at once, so they stay aligned and look tidy from the outside.

Where It Makes the Biggest Difference

Stairwells and foyers
These windows are often high, narrow, and in awkward spots. Motorization is usually the only way they get adjusted at all.

Great rooms and vaulted ceilings
Tall glass looks spectacular, but it brings glare in summer and heat loss in winter. Automation lets you manage both without effort.

Large windows and sliding doors
Wide shades are heavy. A motor makes them effortless.

Windows behind obstacles
Over a tub, behind a kitchen sink, or behind a piece of furniture you can’t move, motorization saves you a stretch.

Historic and older homes with tall windows
Many older Maine homes, from Portland’s grand historic houses (think of the tall windows on a landmark like Victoria Mansion on Danforth Street) to farmhouses with oversized sashes, have windows that are taller than modern standards. They’re beautiful, and they can be a challenge to cover. A custom, motorized solution can make them practical again while respecting the architecture.

Which Shades Work Best for Tall Windows?

• Roller and solar shades: A clean look, and well-suited to big, simple openings.
• Cellular shades: Insulating, which helps with the heat loss tall windows are prone to in a Maine winter.
• Roman shades: A softer, more decorative look for living rooms and dining rooms.
• Draperies: Motorized tracks open and close long panels at the touch of a button.

For a deeper look at energy performance, see our post on cellular shades in Maine winters.

Power and Controls: Quick Primer

• Battery-powered: Simpler to install, and a good fit for existing homes. Batteries need occasional attention, which matters most on hard-to-reach windows, so ask about battery access and expected life for your system.
• Hardwired: No battery changes. A strong choice for very high windows, where changing batteries would be awkward, but it takes planning and often an electrician.
• Controls: Remote, wall keypad, app, voice, schedules, or a mix.

For tall windows, we generally recommend thinking through the power question before ordering, since you won’t want to get a ladder out every time.

Measuring and Installing High Windows

Tall windows are not a DIY project. Accurate measuring is essential, and the installation involves working at height, with brackets, motors, and sometimes wiring. A precise fit also matters for appearance. Out-of-square openings and large spans can show errors.

Specialty shapes, such as arched or angled windows, may need different solutions than standard rectangular shades. Bring them up during your consultation, and we’ll tell you what’s possible for your specific windows.

Questions to Ask Before You Decide

• Which windows do I avoid adjusting because they’re hard to reach?
• How much sun and glare do these windows get?
• Do I want a schedule, a remote, or voice control?
• Is battery or hardwired power better for this location?
• Do I want matching shades throughout, or just in the problem spots?

If you’re weighing the cost, our breakdown of whether motorized shades are worth the upgrade can help you decide where to spend and where to save.

Experience Matters at Height

Tall windows leave little room for error. Phillip McKinnis, owner and operator of Blinds by Design, brings three decades of experience to every project, working alongside his son in our family-owned business. That experience shows up in careful measuring, the right hardware, and clean installations, including on the windows other people avoid.

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See It for Yourself

Bring your toughest window to us. Blinds by Design brings our mobile showroom directly to your home, so you can see real samples in your own light and talk through options with no pressure. We work with trusted brands including Hunter Douglas, Graber, Norman, Levolor, and Bali.

Request a free consultation today, or call (207) 501-2800. We proudly serve Portland, South Portland, Cape Elizabeth, Scarborough, Brunswick, Augusta, and surrounding communities. Browse our project gallery for ideas, and read what neighbors are saying in our customer reviews.