INTERESTED IN BUILDING A SMART HOME? HERE’S SOME CRUCIAL ADVICE... PART THREE

Welcome back. This is the final blog on this particular subject, and we hope it has been a valuable tool for you. 

To do a bit of review, in Part One and Part Two , we discussed some specific negative consequences that could result when several homeowner favorites, namely automated window treatments, a custom home theater, whole-home audio, wall-mounted TVs, and a custom-built AV Closet aren’t accounted for in the architectural drawings from the get-go.

 Further, we emphasized the absolute necessity of consulting with and hiring a highly competent AV Integration Consultant/Contractor in the very earliest planning stages of your project.

Let’s just go over a few more smart home technologies that need special attention during the construction of your home. Here’s one that you may have never heard of: WAPs. This acronym stands for Wireless Access Points, and they will be scattered strategically throughout your home (on the ceilings) in order to provide reliable network access for all smart devices. Your AV Integration Team must install enough WAPs to provide adequate coverage, while being careful not to install them any closer than 50 feet apart in order to prevent signal interference with each other.

As we have emphasized throughout this series, these devices need to be annotated on the architectural/construction drawings from the very beginning of the planning process. This facilitates essential communications between the builder and the AV Integration Contractor that will prevent possible construction delays and cost overruns that will result if the cabling must be run after the ceilings are installed.

As a final illustration of our theme, the placement of thermostats in conjunction with wall-mount touch panels must be carefully planned for, since these two essential devices compete for the same wall space in many instances. And since both of these devices must be installed in an area that is easily accessible to the inhabitants of the home, it is crucial to plan for their placement at the earliest opportunity.

Standard industry practice is to install thermostats on the wall 5.5 feet above the floor, and it just so happens that touch panels must be installed at that same height. Therefore, the location of both items must be noted on all drawings in order that their placement on the wall, in relation to each other, allows them to blend in seamlessly with the aesthetic décor and architectural design of your home. An alternate solution for the thermostat is to locate it out of sight in the AV Closet, so that all that is needed in the hallway is a very small, paintable sensor that ”disappears” into the wall and presents very little interference with the touch panels.

And, once again, all cabling should ideally be run before the sheet rock goes up, which requires timely coordination between the builder and your AV Integration Team.

In conclusion, please plan, plan, plan for every aspect of your smart home technology inclusion in your new home, as early and as thoroughly as you can.

And remember that you must hire a qualified AV Integration Consultant/Contractor at the beginning of the planning phase in order to prevent cost overruns and construction delays.

For your convenience, here is a list of smart home technologies to discuss with your AV Integration Consultant (such things as smart refrigerators and other appliances will be installed by your builder):

• Automation Control System (Crestron Home) • Automation Control System with Voice (Josh.ai or Crestron Home in conjunction with Josh.ai) • Home Networking • Whole Home Distributed Audio • Whole Home Distributed Video • Custom Home Theater • 2-Channel Hi-Fi Listening Room • TVs, including Framed TVs and Outdoor TVs • Motorized, automated mounts for TVs • Lifts for TVs • Outdoor Sound and Lighting Systems • Security System, Indoor and Outdoor • Motion Sensors, Indoor and Outdoor • Video Doorbell/Intercom • Smart door locks • Automated Doors • Automated Pet Doors • Smart Thermostat • Smart Lighting System • Home Conferencing • Automated Window Treatments • Smart Garage Door Opener • Automated Pool and Spa Operation

We want to assist you in understanding the essential “ins and outs” of building a smart home!

To schedule a consultation with a professional AV Integrator during your home construction process, please call AV Enthusiast at 256.882.5081.

Alternatively, simply drop by our showroom at 514 Madison Street in Huntsville Monday – Friday from 9 AM to 5 PM or Saturday from 10 AM to 3 PM.