What's So Great About Home Automation?

Smart homes are becoming more and more common with each passing day. This article explores a little bit about what a smart home can offer you as far as convenience, as well as discuss our preferred smart home system.

Home automation refers to the automatic execution of desired events in your home.

For example…

When you walk into your den and turn on the TV between 7:00 & 8:00 pm on a Thursday, it’s usually to watch the same program as last Thursday, with the lights in front of the TV off and your reading light dimmed to a particular level. Why not let your system take care of the details? Automation can make this all happen with the touch of a button on the wall as you enter the room, or even by you just sitting down in your favorite chair.

You could also get a notification whenever a car enters your driveway or an outdoor motion sensor is triggered while your security system is armed, like when you are in bed in the middle of the night or at work during the day. However, perhaps you don’t need that notification at 7:30pm when the kids are outside since you’re up and active in your home. All the details are up to you. Your home can and will do exactly as it’s told... by you!

Individual features like these are further enhanced by the integration of various systems in your home, and the ability to tie multiple systems together adds functionality and enjoyment to all these systems as a group. The sum is greater than its parts, and so is the value.

With home automation, you enjoy many benefits:

· Convenience - You can control virtually everything in your home from one interface.

· Remote control capability - This is a logical extension of convenience. You can also control everything from a cell phone app from your office or while traveling.

· Enhanced home security - With motion detectors, cameras, and door locks all integrated and connected to a single in-home interface and a remote app, the sky's the limit.

· Increased energy efficiency - your home knows how to keep you comfortable when you're there and adjusts thermostats and lighting when you're not to help save you money!

· Home management data - Your home can keep track of energy consumption and help you find new ways to improve efficiency you haven't thought of yet.

· Elevated resale value - A smart home on the real estate market is in another league.

So which control system do we recommend?

Our control system of choice is Control 4. In fact, we are one of the only Control 4 certified dealers in the greater Central IL area! The simple fact of the matter is that no home automation company is more popular among both consumers and installers than Control4.

The most common issues consumers have with smart technology have nothing to do with the devices themselves, but with the network. One reason we love Control4 is because they addressed this issue very early on by acquiring network giants Pakedge to serve as the foundation for smart home projects. Another reason we love them is that their driver and certification programs ensure that a wide range of devices can be integrated both efficiently and reliably.

Not many companies deliver quite like Control4 where ease-of-use, compatibility and customization come into play. Better yet, they are continuously evolving.

They offer the widest variety of solutions, boasting nearly 14,000 compatible devices for AV, security, climate, and more. This is why we consider Control4 to be the “Swiss Army Knife” of smart home technology. Everyone enjoys interacting with their technology differently. A Control4 system allows you to design a smart home that integrates motion sensors, voice control, elegant keypads, and so much more! Control4 is even compatible with Siri, Google Home, and Alexa!

Of course, support is key whenever it comes to smart home technology. Even professionally installed systems need some TLC from time to time if you want them to continue performing their very best. Control4 uses Pakedge’s cloud management system to allow us to monitor your system 24/7/365 for any issues or necessary upgrades. These issues are more often than not resolved before you even realize there was an issue. However, if a service call does become necessary, our expert installers are ready at a moment’s notice to come and get everything back to working order for you as quickly as possible!

So, do you think that you might want to jump on the smart home bandwagon? Book an appointment with us for either a free in-home consultation or a private showroom demo of our latest Control4 technology!