What is a Smart Home Automation Plan?
Are you building a new custom home or renovating an older home? There is no doubt that you’ll want to make your home smarter with home automation. After all, not only does smart home automation make your life more convenient and enjoyable, it can actually add value to your home in the long run. Here are 5 things to be sure that your Smart Home Automation Plan considers and includes.
What is a Smart Home Automation Plan?
If you’ve built a new home or remodeled an existing one, perhaps you know the importance of a lighting or electrical plan. A smart home automation plan requires the same thoughtful process that allows you to consider questions like:
- Where will the TVs go in each room?
- What kind of sound system do you want in your home and how will speakers be displayed or concealed?
- Will the house be wired for security?
- Will all devices be able to access a server and/or do you need a closed-loop environment?
- What kind of room atmosphere (lighting, music, shades, etc.) do you want to create instantly from a control panel?
- Will lighting, shades, and security be accessed from a mobile device?
These are just some of the questions you’ll want to discuss during a smart home automation consultation with Maddox AV. These conversations will allow you to customize your home based on your unique lifestyle preferences.
Home Automation Considerations
When you begin the home automation planning process, nothing provides more value than talking with the experts at Maddox AV who can provide guidance on the latest technology and use cases. While builders, architects, and designers may provide valuable input, it is the home automation engineers and technicians who should guide the overall plan.
Maddox AV will design and install your system. More importantly, these are the people you will be calling upon for adjustments or upgrades in the coming years. Here are some of the possible ways to utilize home automation in your day-to-day activities:
- Remotely controlling motorized shades and window treatments.
- Using aesthetic wall control panels in each room to create the perfect atmosphere with the touch of a button.
- Setting Exit or Entry room scenes to automatically prepare a room for occupancy or vacancy. This may include setting the room temperature, turning on/off outdoor lighting, and even locking doors and garages.
- Setting outdoor scenes to automatically control pool temperature, sound, landscape lighting, and more.
- Where is the ideal location for sensors to be located to detect water leaks, gas leaks, or other critical functions?
- Monitoring or adjusting mechanicals for energy efficiency. Air conditioning, heating, water heaters, and irrigation systems can all be set remotely or on a schedule.
- Event notifications when a person enters or exits the property, a door is left open, or even a water leakage issue.
The plethora of options available are unique for you and the way you live in and use your home.
Installation and Design Considerations
While wi-fi provides a lot of cordless benefits to the users in your home, wiring a home for smart devices and usage is key. This is where your home automation and installation plan becomes crucial. The plan will show the location of all planned devices, types of outlets, wiring, etc. The electricity voltage, type, capacity, usage and connection points are all important factors to consider.
If you are considering having a server or media room in your home, all the wiring should be connected to or accessible from the hub for reliability. A control center or media hub can provide better connectivity, media storage, and even closed-loop systems.
Architecturally speaking, most clients want the hardware to be discreet. Gone are the days of three-foot-high speakers that sit at the front of your living room. Today’s invisible speaker technology allows stellar sound from devices that are literally hidden behind your drywall.
Out of the Box Solutions
While there are a lot of DIY and off-the-shelf solutions, there may be also a lot of integration problems across platforms. The best home automation plan integrates state of the art technology with platforms that are highly rated for their integration, installation, and long-term use.
Maddox AV utilizes reliable systems like Control 4 and Josh.ai to integrate technology that is truly cutting edge and reliable. Some manufacturers provide great control panels while others have more intuitive design. With access to hundreds of manufacturers, we can recommend the right technology for your specific use.
The most important thing to remember is that nothing can replace the knowledge and capabilities of a Home Automation Engineer. Maddox AV will design, engineer and install your system. In addition, Maddox provides a white-glove approach to meet the expectations of our most discerning clientele. Are you ready to get started? Contact Maddox AV today for a design consultation.
