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Frequently Asked Questions

Serena Shades

Is the shade’s motor loud?

Not at all. If you’re standing 3 feet away from a moving Serena shade, you won’t hear much of anything. The sound levels are less than 44 dBA (decibels) for honeycomb shades and wood blinds, and 38 dBA for roller shades: about the same level of sound you’d expect in a library and quieter than most refrigerators.

I have two (or more) identical shades next to each other. Will they move at the same speed?

Yes. Our digital control circuitry makes sure that your shades move at the same speed. In fact, this circuitry can even compensate for battery voltage. If you have one shade (with brand new batteries) right next to another shade (with old batteries), they will still move at the same speed.

How do Serena shades save energy?

Shades save energy by:

  • Reducing heating and cooling costs. Lowering shades in the summer prevents the sun’s harsh rays from heating up a room (and causing an air conditioner to work overtime), while raising them in the winter captures heat from those rays.
  • Providing insulation. Serena insulating honeycomb shades have air pockets built into their fabric that provide insulation. These air pockets help keep your house cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

What is an optional back cover for honeycomb shades?

A back cover is a piece of material that installs behind the brackets of an insulating honeycomb shade.

Top of roller shade

Why is a back cover used or needed?

A back cover is a great option for a honeycomb shade mounted on the inside of a window frame. This piece enhances the look of the shade from the outside of the home by covering the brackets. The back cover also blocks light that may come in between the top of the headrail and the window frame.

Can I damage battery-operated shades if I manually close them?

Yes, you can damage powered shades by manually closing them. If your shade is not closing, please contact us at 1.855.573.7362 and we will assist you.

Does Serena offer shades that open from the bottom up?

We do not offer a top down or skylight option for honeycomb shades. If you are interested in a hard wired solution for tensioned roller shades that can open from the bottom up or be used for a skylight application, please visit www.Lutron.com/wheretobuy/ to find a Lutron Full Line Shading dealer in your area.

Does Serena offer shades for skylights?

We do not offer a top down or skylight option for honeycomb shades. If you are interested in a hard wired solution for tensioned roller shades that can open from the bottom up or be used for a skylight application, please visit www.Lutron.com/wheretobuy/ to find a Lutron Full Line Shading dealer in your area.

Can I install Serena shades on a door?

We offer an outside mounted cable guided solution for our insulating honeycomb shades that secures the shade in place when a door opens or closes. The option adds $125 to the cost of the shade and is available on our website for outside mounted honeycomb shades without top back cover.

Hold-down brackets are available for Serena wood blinds outside mounted on doors. These brackets will prevent the bottom of the blind from moving and adds $25 per blind.

Serena roller shades can be securely mounted on doors. Because we do not offer a cable guided system to secure extended roller shade fabric in place, some fabric movement may occur due to the motion involved when the door is opened or closed.

What are valance returns on wood blinds?

Part of the valance on Serena wood blinds that covers the side profiles of the headrail that may be sticking out of the window frame. For partially recessed blinds, custom returns are included based on the window depth measurement provided to us. No returns are included on fully recessed inside-mounted blinds.

For outside-mounted wood blinds, standard 3” returns are provided.

How do wired power shades work?

Wired shades use Lutron’s patented Clear Connect RF Technology and are powered by 12V (low voltage) electrical power. Each wired shade comes with a 15’ cord inside the headrail. Lutron offers two warrantied options for connecting (converting) Serena’s wired shades to your home’s standard electrical wiring:

  • Option 1: Lutron’s Plug-in Adapter is a low-voltage 12V adapter that plugs into a standard 120V outlet in your home. One $40 adapter is needed per shade and available for purchase on this site.
  • Option 2: Without the Plug-In Adapter a licensed electrician is needed to install a Lutron Power Panel as an option for connecting up to ten wired shades. If you are interested in this option, please call the Serena Team at 1.855.573.7362 for more information.
  • Converting Serena’s wired shades to standard electrical wiring using any other method can damage the shade and will void Lutron’s warranty and guarantee.

Can I switch a battery powered shade to a wired powered shade?

No. Upon ordering your Serena shade, you must specify your power source – either battery or wired. A battery-powered shade is a different model than a wired powered shade. It's important to understand the needs of the application prior to placing your Serena shade order.

Mobile App, Smart Device Control & Caséta Light Control

Do I have to replace Serena shades already installed so they can be controlled in the Lutron app?

No. The Lutron app will control existing Serena shades.

Is the mobile app free?

Yes. The Lutron app can be downloaded in the App Store or the Google Play store free of charge.

How do I set up the smart hub?

It’s easy! Simply install your shades and smart dimmers in the room. Connect the smart hub to your wireless router. Then download the Lutron app and launch it on your smart device. Follow the instructions in the app to add devices to your system, set up favorite levels and scenes or schedules for automatic control.

How many devices can I connect to one smart hub?

Up to 75. A device could be a Serena shade, a plug-in dimmer or in-wall dimmer, or your Pico remotes or 4-group remotes (the smart hub itself counts as 1 device). However, the smart hub is also limited by range – it covers all devices within an area of 2,500 square feet. A wireless repeater may be purchased to extend the range by 60’ if needed.

Do I need to purchase the Caséta repeater?

Each device (e.g. Serena shade, Caséta dimmer, Pico remote, etc.) added to the Lutron app must be within 30’ from the smart hub. If additional wireless range is needed, you can use a plug-in lamp dimmer to extend the range by an additional 30’ (this only applies to the FIRST plug-in lamp dimmer added in the Lutron app). If additional wireless range is needed OR if you do not wish to purchase a plug-in lamp dimmer, the Caséta repeater will also extend the range by an additional 30’ (60’ total).

What is Façade Finder?

Façade Finder is a new feature in the Lutron app for Serena wood blinds that allows users to indicate which direction (N, NE, E, S, SW, W, NW) their window is facing. It utilizes the phone’s internal compass to provide a suggested direction, but the user can also manually override this direction when selecting a façade for their blind. This is the first step to setting up the Natural Light Optimization feature.

What is Natural Light Optimization?

Natural Light Optimization is a new feature in the Lutron app for Serena wood blinds that utilizes date, time, location, and façade (through Façade Finder), to automatically adjust blinds throughout the day to optimize the natural light in the space.

Note: Natural Light Optimization does NOT adjust blinds according to the weather – e.g. blinds will move to prevent direct sunlight into the home even if it’s rainy or cloudy outside.

How can I enable Natural Light Optimization?

Once wood blinds are installed in the app and you’ve used “façade finder” to indicate the direction the blind is facing, you can easily enable NLO in the app with the press of a few buttons. Then, blinds will run on a unique daily schedule.

The great part about NLO is that you don’t have to create your own schedules or scenes for this to work. Once NLO is enabled, all the schedules are created for you automatically! You can, however, adjust the start and end times during which NLO is activated.

What is “Fade Fighter” mode?

A Lutron strategically designed tilt angle of the wood blinds (150 degrees) that helps reduce direct glare and block harmful U/V rays that could cause fading or discoloration to furnishings from direct sunlight. This tilt angle is already built into the Natural Light Optimization set of daily schedules; however, the degree of the angle can be manually adjusted in the app.

Can Caséta dimmers control any light bulb?

They are designed to work with dimmable LEDs and CFLs, halogen and incandescent bulbs. We have tested many commonly-used bulbs with these dimmers, and have put together a compatible bulb list. Bulbs on this list will have superior dimming capability with our dimmers.

Can I use multiple iOS or Android-based smart devices with only one smart hub?

Yes. If two smart devices are tied to the same smart hub, the last button pressed will control the shades and lights in the space.

What Does “Apple Home-enabled” mean for Serena shades and Caséta Light Controls?

Serena shades can be operated by talking to Siri in your home when you have a 2nd Generation Lutron smart hub connected to WiFi and the free Lutron app installed on an iOS device using iOS9 or higher with Apple® Home.

Caséta Light Controls can be operated by talking to Siri in your home when you have a 2nd Generation Lutron smart hub connected to WiFi and the free Lutron app installed on an iOS device with Apple® Home.

Operating any Apple Home-enabled products outside the home talking to Siri requires 4th Generation Apple TV. For more information on Apple Home click here.

Apple Home

What Does “Apple Home-enabled” mean for Serena shades and Caséta Light Controls?

Serena shades can be operated by talking to Siri in your home when you have a 2nd Generation Lutron smart hub connected to WiFi and the free Lutron app installed on an iOS device using iOS9 or higher with Apple® Home.

Caséta Light Controls can be operated by talking to Siri in your home when you have a 2nd Generation Lutron smart hub connected to WiFi and the free Lutron app installed on an iOS device with Apple® Home.

Operating any Apple Home-enabled products outside the home talking to Siri requires 4th Generation Apple TV. For more information on Apple Home click here.

Which Serena shades are compatible with Apple Home?

Serena roller & honeycomb shades & wood blinds work with Apple® Home.

Are Serena wood blinds compatible with Apple Home?

When used with Caséta by Lutron, Siri can control Serena shades and blinds in IOS 9 and later.

What Apple hardware/software is required for Apple Home?

  • An iPhone®, iPad®, or iPod ® touch with iOS 8.3 or later is required for Apple Home. You can check your iOS version in Settings > General > About > Version.
  • For remote access you’ll need to have a third generation or later Apple TV with software version 7.0 or later in your home. Follow the steps here to make sure you have a supported Apple TV: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT200008.
  • Remote access through Apple TV may require you to log out of iCloud® and log back in on your Apple TV.
  • Tip: Siri ® will be more responsive if you set the “Sleep After” setting to “Never” in Settings.
  • If you have any other issues setting up Apple TV, please contact Apple Customer Support.

What Lutron hardware/software is required for Apple Home?

  • A Lutron smart hub generation 2 (L-BDG2-WH) or Lutron smart hub PRO generation 2 (L-BDGPRO2-WH) is required, as well as the iOS Lutron app version 2.2 or later.
  • Note: the Lutron smart hub model number MUST contain a “2” in it. The Lutron smart hubs without the “2” in the model number do not support Apple Home. With the exception of Apple Home support, all other features remain identical for generation 1 and generation 2.

Do the Lutron Apple Home features work with non-Apple smartphones or tablets (e.g. Android)?

The Lutron app is available for Android. However, Android devices do not have Siri and do not support third-party Apple Home apps. All Lutron smart hub (generation 1 and 2) have identical performance on Android.

Can everyone in the home use Siri from their own iOS device?

Yes, everyone in the home with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 8.3 or later can use Siri to control Caséta dimmers in the home. To do this, you need to select the “Siri Integration” option in the “Settings” within the Lutron app and add multiple users. When inviting other users you need to enter their iCloud Apple ID. Once the invitation is accepted, they will also be able to control the lights in the home using Siri.

Does Siri work with Lutron shades?

When used with Caséta, Siri can control Lutron wireless shades in iOS 9 and later.

Fabrics & Finishes

What is the difference between a painted and stained wood finish?

A painted finish coats the top of the wood; a stained finish penetrates the wood, preserving its natural look.

What are “dual-sided” fabrics?

Dual-sided fabrics have a white backing. All Serena honeycomb shade fabrics and certain roller shade fabric collections are “dual-sided”. When dual-sided fabrics are selected, every room in the home can have a signature look on the inside and still maintain a uniform appearance on the outside. The white backing also helps reflect the sun’s rays, reducing HVAC costs and saving energy.

What are the wood blinds made from?

Serena wood blinds are made from real, American basswood that have been painted or stained in a variety of color options.

What is the material type and the durability of the fabric used?

All Serena honeycomb and roller shades are made of 100% polyester or polyester/vinyl material and have proved durable under various testing conditions such as high heat and humidity levels.

Are shade fabrics currently fire rated?

The Bistre and SheerLite families in our roller shade offering are fire rated. Please call a Serena shades specialist for more information.

What does “R Value” mean for Serena insulating honeycomb shades?

“R value” is a measurement of thermal resistance – basically, how well something provides insulation. Larger R values mean better insulation, which translates to lower heating and cooling costs. Serena honeycomb shades have a fantastic R value – as high as 4.3. A typical double-pane window has an R value of 2.0, so adding a Serena shade can significantly increase the insulation of a window.

R value for honeycomb shades description

Do these shades completely block sunlight from entering a room?

Our room-darkening and blackout fabrics prevent light from passing through the shade material. Depending upon the style and installation of the shade, gaps (light that can enter a room through the space between the edge of the shade and the window frame) may allow some light in around the edges of the window. Please refer to the chart below for further details:

Chart that explains window treatment styles

How do I clean the fabric?

Regular Cleaning

  • Dust with a feather duster
  • Lightly vacuum fabric with a brush type vacuum attachment

Soil Removal

  • Sponge with a mild detergent and warm water solution and blot dry
  • Blot with a solution of 1 part mild detergent and 3 parts warm water, then blot dry

Important Notes

  • Use extra care when cleaning honeycomb room-darkening fabrics, as the fabric could become permanently creased
  • Do not use strong detergents or spot removers
  • We don’t recommend dry cleaning or ultrasonic cleaning

Batteries

Do batteries ship with the shades?

No – it's less expensive for you to buy batteries locally than to pay for Lutron to ship them to you due to their weight and shipping costs.

What type of batteries do the shades use?

All Serena roller shades use D batteries. Serena honeycomb shades and wood blinds use either D or AA. Note: For maximum battery life we recommend Alkaline D and Lithium AA batteries. More Information

How long do batteries last?

Our patented power technology yields industry leading battery performance with store bought batteries. Battery life depends on the type of shade, the shade size, the fabric selected and the number of times shades are opened and closed each day. That means the shade has the potential to move thousands of times on a single set of batteries. More Information

Why do the batteries last so long?

  • Serena shades utilize standard (Alkaline) D-cell batteries, which are known for having a very long shelf-life (up to 7 years)
  • Our shades have an efficient hybrid-drive design. We augment our motor with an energy storage system, like a hybrid car, that allows us to more efficiently raise and lower the shade
  • The design uses ultra-low standby power that is like the electricity drawn from electronics even when they are turned off. Old electronics, like TVs, may draw 10 watts of electricity or more when in standby. Modern “green” devices draw up to 1 watt of power when in standby. Our shades draw 1/1,000th of a watt in standby!

How do you know when the batteries need to be replaced?

When your shade's batteries are getting low, they will begin moving at half speed. This provides you with a visual indication that you need to change the batteries. In addition, an alert will appear in the Lutron app indicating that the batteries will need to be changed soon. It will only appear if you open the app.

How many batteries does a Serena shade require?

Depending on the type of shade, the shade size and the fabric selected, Serena shades will use either AA Lithium or D Alkaline batteries. The number of batteries required is published during the design process, at the shopping cart and in your order confirmation email.

Can I use Lithium D batteries?

We haven’t seen any 1.5 volt Lithium D cells. If you find some, please let us know.

Can I use rechargeable batteries?

We do not recommend them. Rechargeable batteries tend to have a very high “self-discharge current” and don’t hold a charge for very long. In other words, most rechargeable batteries will be drained when used in a Serena shade after only a few months.

Where are the batteries installed?

Changing batteries in honeycomb and roller shades is simple and does not require taking down the shade. The batteries for Serena honeycomb shades and wood blinds are conveniently housed within the headrail or behind the headrail in a slim external battery pack. The batteries for our roller shades are housed inside the cassette. Both provide a clean look and a simple process for changing batteries.

Drawing that shows where the batteries go in honeycomb, roller, and wood blinds

Insulating honeycomb shades between 14.5” (368mm) and 22” (559mm) wide have an external battery pack behind the shade that can be accessed for battery changes without taking the shade down.

Are batteries visible on installed shades?

Roller Shades

  • Batteries are visible when looking down from above at the top of an outside mount roller shade with or without fascia.
  • Batteries may be visible when looking down from above at the top of an inside mount roller shade if the depth of the window frame is less than 3”.
  • When looking straight on at a powered inside or outside mount roller shade with no fascia, a slim opening between the top of the battery cartridge that exposes batteries may be visible, depending on the height of the installed shade and the height of the observer.

Honeycomb Shades

  • Batteries are visible when looking down from above at the top of an outside mount honeycomb shade.
  • Batteries may be visible when looking down from above at the top of an inside mount honeycomb shade if the depth of the window frame is less than 2”.

Wood Blinds

  • Batteries are visible from the front of an inside or outside mount blind without a valance.

Remote Control

What types of controls are available for my shades?

Serena Automated shades can be controlled with an RF (radio frequency) remote and using smart devices when you purchase the smart hub and download the Lutron app.

Will other wireless RF devices such as Wi-Fi interfere with the operation of my RF shades?

No. Serena shades use our Clear Connect RF technology, which operates in the 434 MHz band - far away from the 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz frequencies that are often used by cordless phones, security systems, baby monitors, and microwaves.

Clear connect wireless logo

How far away will the remote work?

RF (radio frequency) remote controls will work at least 30 feet away from the shade.

How many shades can I control via a remote?

There is no limit to how many shades a remote can control in a single room.

Can I control multiple groups of shades with one remote?

You can use a 4-group RF remote control to operate individual shades or a group of shades with the touch of a button. You can program each button on this remote to a single shade or to a select group of shades that you want to control at the same time.

Installation

How deep does my window need to be to fully recess my Serena shades?

How to mount roller, honeycomb, and wood blinds

How much of the window will be blocked when the shade is open?

When honeycomb shades are all the way up, the distance from the top of the headrail to the bottom of the shade stack height will vary from 2 1/2 inches (64 mm) to 5 5/8 inches (143 mm) depending on the fabric choice and size of your shade. Please refer to our honeycomb Stack Guide.

When roller shades are up all the way, 4.5 inches (114 mm) of fascia/headrail will cover the window.

For wood blinds, the stack height will vary from 4 inches to 9 inches depending on the height of the blind.

Can I set upper and lower limits on a Serena shade?

You can set the limits from the control you are using to operate the shades. Please click on the downloads tab on this page where you can download and review the installation guide for the type of shade you are purchasing.

Warranty & Support

What is the warranty coverage for this product?

Our shade warranty is an 8-year limited warranty

What should I do if I have a technical problem?

Please call the Serena shade Specialists at 1.855.573.7362 during business hours: M-F 8a-8p EST & Sat-Sun 9a-6p EST. We also offer a 24/7 technical support line with product experts available to assist you at 1.800.523.9466.

How do I order Serena shades or blinds, if I live in Quebec?

At this time, customers who live in Quebec, cannot order directly from the serenashades.ca website. For assistance with placing an order, please call the Serena shades Specialists at 1.855.573.7362 during business hours M-F 8a-8p EST & Sat 9a-6p EST.

Pour l'instant, les clients qui vivent au Québec ne peuvent pas commander directement sur le site serenashades.ca. Pour obtenir de l'aide pour passer une commande, veuillez appeler les spécialistes de Serena Shades au 1.855.573.7362 pendant les heures d'ouverture, du lundi au vendredi de 8 h à 20 h HNE et le samedi de 9 h à 18 h HNE.