-
How Your Smart Home Helps in Emergencies: Emergency Features
If you’re thinking about investing in smart home technology, you may be under the impression smart homes only add cool tech features to your house. Sure, it’s nice to adjust the temperature in your home without getting out of bed or turn off all your lights with a voice command. But, smart homes provide you with more than just fun tech gadgets for your home. A smart home keeps your home and your loved ones safe in emergencies.
In emergency situations, smart homes provide unbeatable safety and security features. Your smart home’s built-in safety and security features allow you to get help faster and respond to emergencies quickly and easily.
Smart Home Emergency Features
There are a number of safety and security features that can be added to your smart home. These features can make a huge difference in response time in the event of a burglary or medical emergency. In addition, a smart home security system provides you with around-the-clock monitoring so you don’t have to worry when you are not at home.
Burglaries and Break-ins Many smart homes come with home security and monitoring, but they also have other features you might not be aware of. Depending on the alarm system you select, your smart home can provide an arsenal of protection during a burglary. If an alarm is triggered, your exterior floodlights and carriage lights will automatically turn on. This will not only scare off an intruder, but it creates the best lighting to capture a high-quality picture of the would-be burglar or intruder.
Today’s smart home security systems also have numerous advanced features. If your alarm is triggered or disarmed, your smart home can be programmed to do several things immediately to prevent a break-in. For example, if you have Control 4’s Home Security system, you can set up enhanced alerts. If your alarm is triggered, you will get an alert, but t will also trigger emergency protocols to keep your home safe. The police will be alerted to the event. Your exterior lights will flash on and off to attract attention and scare away any intruders. While this is happening, you can view what’s going on inside your home through any television and outside of your home through your security cameras.
Medical emergencies
Home monitoring isn’t just for security, it can be life-saving during a medical emergency. If you care for an elderly family member or someone with medical issues, home monitoring provides you with much-needed peace of mind. It allows you to check on your loved ones when they are home alone easily right from your smartphone.
If there is a medical emergency, the medical emergency button on your alarm can be pressed (or controlled from a smartphone remotely) to automatically send emergency personnel out. Your home’s entry gate can be opened remotely to allow emergency vehicles and personnel to get to you or your loved one quickly.
Fire and Storms
Smart home monitoring alerts you when there are changes within your home. Flood sensors, smoke detectors, and carbon dioxide detectors let you know about potential emergencies inside of your home before they happen. You can check on your home without being in the home. If there is a fire, personnel can be dispatched quickly. Your entry gate can be opened remotely. Your front doors can be opened remotely. All of these features allow fire or rescue crews to get to your property more efficiently. You will also be able to see what’s going on at your home during an emergency.
Monitoring and Sensors Allow you to Check on Your Home RemotelySmart home security systems come with so many options from smart sensors, to alerts, and alarms. In a weather emergency, flood sensors can let you know if there is water or flooding in your basement. Smart fire, smoke, and carbon monoxide detectors can alert you to smoke inside the home. Sensors can alert you to close your windows before it starts to rain. Having sensors in place that alert you before there is water or fire damage, allows you to take preventative actions even if you aren’t at home, such as integrating smart water control valves to automatically shut off the water if a leak is detected.
Along with safety and security technology, just being able to check on your home remotely is one of the best reasons to have a smart home. If you have children that are home unattended, you can check in on them any time. If there is a problem in your home, you have quick and easy access to cameras. You can easily take care of issues remotely or send out police or emergency personnel from your smartphone.
If you are considering turning your home into a smart home, reach out to Intuitive AV’s smart home professionals. We can answer any questions and help you get started with smart home technology.
-
DIY TV Mounting: Why Mounting your TV Shouldn’t be a DIY Project
You purchased an amazing flat-screen TV and now you need to mount it. You might be thinking about doing it yourself. What could go wrong? While it may be tempting to save money by doing it yourself, you really should leave this project to the professionals.
Before you decide to do it yourself, we are going to explain all the reasons why you should work with a professional to make sure your TV set is mounted safely and correctly.
7 Good Reasons to Hire a Professional to Mount Your TV
Finding the Best Place to Mount Your TV Isn’t as Easy as You Think
You have the TV, now where should you place it? You know you need it mounted securely, but your TV also needs to be mounted in the area that creates the best viewing experience. In order to mount your television securely to the wall, the TV needs to be secured to a stud in the wall or multiple studs depending on the TV size and mount type. What if the location of the stud is not where you want your TV set mounted? What if you can’t mount it at a comfortable viewing height? This is where a professional can help. They can help you find the ideal location to mount your television, and may have solutions such as an automated TV lift to allow you to move your flat screen up or down.
Hiding Power Cords Can Be DangerousTo mount your TV safely, doing it yourself isn’t a good idea. If you want your television wiring to be hidden behind a wall, you can’t just run your TV’s power cord behind the wall. It’s illegal and dangerous since that is against electrical code. But, a professional can conceal your electrical wiring safely behind your wall, while maintaining electrical code standards.
Unsafe Mounting Injures 18,000 People a Year
Imagine what could happen if your television is mounted incorrectly. What would happen if your television suddenly came crashing down? You might not think this will happen, but it happens more often than you think. According to a report by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, over 18,000 people a year are injured from falling televisions, mostly children.
A professional knows the best method for mounting your television, as well as the weight limits for the brackets being used. Additionally, mounting your TV may require a combination of brackets to ensure that it’s safely mounted to the wall, or wherever it is placed.
Concealing Wires is Challenging
Nobody wants an unsightly setup for their entertainment system. Hiding wires requires technical know-how and the right kind of wiring. One of the ways to conceal wires is to hide them behind a wall. However, this is not something you want to do yourself. Not only does this come with electrical safety concerns, how to do it without damaging your walls can be tricky. A professional can assist you with the best plan for concealing wiring, either through in-wall cables or other solutions.
Mounting a TV to a Brick Wall Requires Special CareTrying to mount your tv to a brick wall, tile, or stone? This comes with a lot of challenges. If you have never mounted a television to a brick wall before, don’t assume that you can just follow a DIY YouTube video. Mounting a television to a brick wall requires experience and knowledge. Drilling holes into a brick wall can damage your wall, and even create structural issues with your wall if done incorrectly. You also can’t just throw cables behind a brick wall. Before you damage your home, call a professional. They know the correct way to do this so that your television is mounted securely without damaging your walls.
Mounting a TV Over a Fireplace Should Never be a DIY Project
Even if you’ve mounted a television before, mounting a television over a fireplace, requires the right kind of fireplace, television, and mounting methods. A fireplace puts off a lot of heat. Heat and electronics are not a good combination. If you’ve seen a fancy house with a TV mounted above the fireplace, it’s almost guaranteed that it was professionally installed. Before you even attempt to put a tv above your fireplace give Intuitive AV’s professional team a call, to let us evaluate if this is a feasible option for your home and the best way to mount it.
A Professional Installation Comes With Cool Features You Can’t Do YourselfWant a television with automatic lifts? How about a TV concealed in artwork or a bathroom mirror TV? You can even have an outdoor television mounted on your patio or deck. These kinds of features you can’t do yourself. They are not only cool but add value to your home.
A Professional Mounting is Fully InsuredOne of the biggest reasons to hire a professional is because all of the work is licensed and insured. If you do it yourself and damage your television or home, you may not be able to get your home owner’s insurance to cover it.
If you are interested in professional TV mounting services, give Intuitive AV a call to see how we can help.
-
Hidden Speakers: Beautiful Home Design Trends
Hidden speakers are a must-have for homeowners that love minimalism. Nowadays, overdone electronic systems are not a sign of a high-tech home. It used to be cool to show off your amazing sound system, with all your subwoofers, speakers, and all that equipment with the flashy lights. Now, nobody wants to see all the wires, power cords, and speakers cluttering up their beautiful home.
Hidden speakers and sound systems give homeowners the perks of a smart home while maintaining an aesthetically appealing and minimalist atmosphere. We know that many of our clients are looking for a minimalist approach. We know what they desire, but the question becomes how minimalist? The answer comes down to hiding as many components as possible, even down to the speakers.
The Minimalist Design Trend
With technology inundating every area of our lives, we are constantly surrounded by it. Interestingly, this is the driving force for the minimalist design trend. People want the convenience and luxury of a smart home, without having to see it.
The minimalist trend is everywhere, even our websites and product packaging are getting simpler. The old saying “less is more” is true, especially when it comes to home design. People want fewer cords, less visible technology, and more space in their homes.
If you have a gorgeous home, you don’t want to take away from its clean, stylish look by placing large speakers all around your room. Hidden speakers are a wonderful way to add high-quality sound to any room, without losing the beauty of your space. It’s a popular home design trend that’s here to stay.
Why Hidden Speakers?
When you think of a traditional sound system, you probably picture large speakers placed around your living room or another entertaining area. While this will deliver the all-around sound you love, it doesn’t look pretty. If you are interested in minimalism or having a modern home, old-fashioned speakers just won’t cut it.
The fact is, a great sound system is an investment, so why not make it one that also adds elegance and value to your home. You can hide speakers in your ceilings, walls, and even outside.
Ceiling Speakers
Ceiling speakers are a great choice for adding surround sound to your room. Do you know how it sounds when you are in a movie theater? The sound comes from all over, including the ceilings. You can have this same experience in your home, but the sound is totally hidden. These speakers are the perfect addition to any smart home.
Entertaining guests? Dim the smart lights, and turn on some music all with the touch of your smartphone. Your visitors will be amazed by the immersive sound and they may not even realize where all the incredible sound is coming from.
In-Wall Speakers
In-wall speakers are great and are certainly more discrete than floor standing or traditional bookshelf models. There are plenty of in-wall speaker styles and sizes to choose from, but truly hidden in-wall speakers are a level up and can provide great sound quality with no speaker visible whatsoever.
Moving your speakers off the ground, and installing them in your walls, reduces the sound reflection and in many cases, this allows for even better positioning of the speakers. The sound is not bouncing off the wall, but instead, it’s coming directly out of the wall. This results in a clearer sound, with less interference as the sound waves aren’t bouncing from the floor to the wall.
Adding in-wall speakers with accompanying ceiling speakers, will deliver sound to your home that can’t beat. Your home will be the coolest house in your neighborhood, with discrete, nearly invisible speakers. It’s not just a smart move in home design, if you are going to invest in a surround system, why not add hidden speakers instead?
Hidden TV
To conceal more of your electronics, you can also hide your TV. Television is great for watching movies, sports, or shows, but not everyone wants the TV set to be center stage in their home. This is especially true if you have a large home theater room. Several popular options exist for concealing your flat panel TV including Samsung art frame TV, Mirror TV hide, Traditional artwork TV hide, and motorized projector screens. With a motorized flat screen, your TV can be tucked away when not in use.
Outdoor SpeakersEven your outside can be filled with music. Did you know they have outdoor speakers that can be concealed right in your patio, landscaping, or walkways? Speakers are no longer what they used to be. You can add speakers that look like rocks, or other natural elements to your backyard and listen to music no matter what area you are spending time in.
Add value to your home with hidden speakersHidden speakers are a great investment in your home. If you are just starting to move towards a smart home, speakers are a great place to start. They don’t just add cool sound to your home, they add value to your home. Talk to an Intuitive AV professional to find out how you can add hidden speakers to your home.