I Ditched Split Blinds for a Motorized 70 Inch Wide Roman Shade

I used to think I was being clever. To cover the massive 70-inch picture window in my living room, I installed two 35-inch shades side-by-side. I figured it would be easier to manage and cheaper to ship. I was wrong. Every single afternoon, a two-inch 'laser beam' of sunlight would pierce through the gap between the blinds, hitting my TV screen right in the middle of a movie or glaring off my laptop during a late-day Zoom call. It looked messy, performed poorly, and eventually drove me to find a better way: a single, motorized 70 inch wide roman shade.

• One continuous fabric panel eliminates the annoying center light gap.
• Motorization is a requirement, not a luxury, for fabric this heavy.
• Reinforced headrails prevent the 'smile' sag common in wide treatments.
• Always order fabric samples to test weight and opacity before committing.

The 'Split Blind' Mistake That Ruined My Movie Nights

The gap is the killer. When you hang two separate blinds to cover a large span, you aren't just dealing with two sets of cords; you're dealing with physics. Brackets take up space, meaning the fabric can never truly touch. In my house, that resulted in a vertical strip of blinding light that mocked my attempts at a home theater vibe. It didn't matter how expensive the individual blinds were—the 'split' look made the whole room feel unfinished.

I finally realized that Roman Shades were the only way to get that high-end, tailored look while actually blocking the sun. By using one continuous 70 inch wide roman shade, the light gap vanished. The room immediately felt larger and more intentional. No more fiddling with two different pull-cords to get them to 'sort of' line up at the same height. One shade, one clean line, zero light leaks.

Why a 70 Inch Span Demands a Smart Motor

Let's talk about the weight. A 70-inch wide shade, especially one with a blackout liner, is heavy. If you try to operate this manually, you're asking for trouble. You'll find yourself pulling with excessive force, which leads to uneven bunching and puts massive strain on the internal cords. I've seen manual wide shades fail within a year because the lift mechanism just wasn't built for that kind of daily abuse.

This is where a high-torque motor becomes a mechanical necessity. Using something like the Silva Series Motorized Blackout Roman Shades ensures the fabric is lifted evenly every single time. The motor handles the heavy lifting so you don't have to worry about snapping a cord or having the shade hang crooked. Plus, setting a schedule so they close automatically at 2 PM when the sun hits its peak is a total win for my cooling bill.

Inside Mount vs. Outside Mount for Giant Windows

Measuring for roman shades 70 wide is a high-stakes game. If you go for an inside mount, you need to be certain your window casing is deep enough to house the motor and the fabric roll. Most smart motors need at least 2.5 to 3 inches of clearance. If your window is out of square—and trust me, most are—that 70-inch width might fit at the top but jam at the bottom.

If your casing is shallow or crooked, go with an outside mount. You'll want to overlap the window frame by at least two inches on each side to ensure total light blockage. It's the 'safer' route for older homes where the walls have settled and nothing is a perfect 90-degree angle anymore.

Preventing the Dreaded Center Sag

The biggest fear with '70 wide roman shade setups is the 'smile.' This happens when the weight of the fabric causes the headrail to bow in the middle. To avoid this, you need a reinforced aluminum headrail and enough mounting brackets to distribute the load. I've seen cheap wide shades look great for a week and then start to droop like a wet noodle.

Fabric choice matters here too. A heavy velvet might look great, but it adds significant weight. I always recommend grabbing Weffort Fabric Sample Roman Shades to feel the material. You want something with enough body to hold its shape but not so much weight that it taxes the motor. A mid-weight linen or a structured polyester blend usually hits the sweet spot for these wide spans.

Installation: Do Not Try to Hang This Solo

I consider myself pretty handy, but hanging a 70-inch motorized shade alone is a recipe for a trip to the ER or a hole in your drywall. These things are awkward. You need one person to hold the weight while the other snaps the headrail into the brackets. If you drop it, you risk knocking the motor out of alignment or, worse, bending the internal rod.

Make sure you're hitting studs or using heavy-duty toggle bolts. Standard plastic anchors won't cut it for a motorized shade of this size. For more on the nitty-gritty of bracket spacing and getting the motor to pair with your bridge on the first try, check out my Smart 70 Inch Wide Roman Shade Setup Reality guide. It'll save you from the 'pairing loop' hell I went through with my first setup.

The Final Verdict on My Seamless Smart Window

There is a specific kind of nerd-joy in saying, 'Alexa, movie time,' and watching a massive, 70-inch wall of fabric glide down in perfect silence. The motor noise on my current setup is a low hum—barely 35dB—which is quieter than my dishwasher. Replacing those two clunky 35-inch blinds was the best aesthetic and functional upgrade I've made this year. No more light gaps, no more tangled cords, just a clean, motorized finish that actually works.

FAQ

Is a 70-inch shade too heavy for a battery motor?

Not if you use a high-torque motor. Most modern lithium-ion motors can handle up to 15-20 lbs easily. Just expect to charge it a bit more often—maybe every 4 months instead of 6.

Can I use a 70 inch wide roman shade on a tension rod?

Absolutely not. The weight and the movement of the motor will pull a tension rod down in minutes. You need permanent, screwed-in brackets for this width.

What happens if the power goes out?

If you have a battery-powered motor, it keeps working. If it's hardwired, you're stuck until the grid is back. Most smart shades don't have a manual override because the motor gears are locked when not in use.