Category: Integrated Home


Oct
2021

Best Ways To Get Your Home Secured

categories: Integrated Home

The evolution of security has led to many security products being created, but one of the newest innovations is the security alarm dog fence. An electric dog fence can be a great way to keep a pet out of your yard while you are at work or away from home. If you need a great alternative to an expensive security system you might want to consider an electronic pet fence for your yard. Here are some of the best ways to get your home secured with a CCTV camera and an electric dog fence.

The easiest way to keep a pet out of your yard is by installing a security alarm. You can find affordable security systems that will alert you when a pet approaches your property. A barking security alarm will keep nuisance animals such as raccoons, squirrels, foxes and skunks away from your home and possessions. These devices work by emitting a high decibel sound that scares away intruders.

Camera lens.

Other security alarm systems provide perimeter protection. You can install a high-powered infrared motion detector lights that flash in the night. Most of these systems use a high-intensity light to discourage intruders. When you have an electric dog fence installed, you can stop these unwanted sounds just by turning on your security alarm.

For a more thorough security system you can invest in an integrated security alarm. This is especially useful if you want to protect your entire home. You can use an indoor motion sensor to detect movement around your house. You can then activate the security alarm, which will alert you and your security personnel. This system will automatically call the local police and fire department, as well as monitor any remotely-piloted surveillance cameras that may be collecting data on your property.

Person holding a tablet.

Many people consider security cameras one of the best ways to get your home secured. There are many types of security cameras, ranging from simple hidden cameras to professionally-installed electric dog fences. The advantage of having security cameras is that they record video footage for future playback. This makes it possible to identify burglars who have evaded detection by using special cameras, as well as identify suspects involved in other crimes.

Home security is something that you should not take lightly. There are many ways to protect your assets and family members against intruders or possible burglars. A security system can provide you with the best means to do this. If you are looking for best home security solutions, you should review your options today.


Mar
2021

How To Decide if An Electric Fireplace Is Right For You

categories: Integrated Home

Fireplaces can be a very desirable feature for just about any home. Especially if they are well-maintained and ready for use, it may be the make-or-break reason that a potential buyer wants one home over another. It’s easy to understand why – nothing really beats coming in from the cold on a dark winter day and warming up next to the open flames.

The problem though is that not every house has a fireplace, let alone a chimney. What’s more, a huge percentage of the world doesn’t live in a house, per se. They might live in condos, apartments, or other living situations where a fireplace is simply not going to make sense. If you are in a house and it doesn’t have a fireplace already, it’s going to be quite expensive to put one in. So, if you want this luxury added to your home what are you left to do?

Well, you do have a couple of options, but we’re going to discuss electric fireplaces and when they are the right choice for you and your home.

When an Electric Fireplace Is Right For You

Open book in front of a fireplace.

People are quick to bat an eye at the concept of an electric fireplace, but the reality is that these days it’s unwarranted. These devices can be installed just about anywhere, no fireplace or chimney required. Many of them work by plugging into an everyday outlet, so installation is a breeze to boot. There are also no real flames in the unit, so you won’t run into any issues with condo associates or apartment rules set by your landlord.

As Home Reporter News discusses, electric fireplaces come in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and designs. If you have a small apartment you can get them in free-standing designs that are nice and small and will still put off a good amount of heat. If you have a larger and more luxurious condo you can recess units up to 72″ and larger into your wall for a truly elegant look and feel.

Many people wonder if electric fireplaces are worth the money. They fear that they won’t look real, or worse they’ll even look drab. Our best advice is to go see one for yourself in person before you write them off. They can actually be quite impressive, and the amount of control they offer really makes them a great option for a lot of people.

Whiskey and pecans by the fire.

For example, you have complete control over the flame height. In some cases, you even have control of the flame color. Simultaneously, you have control of the heat level, which can be run at full blast, off, or anywhere in between. All of this can usually be controlled from a convenient remote, so all you have to do is sit back, relax, and enjoy the show.

So, if you’re in a situation where you don’t have a chimney and installing one is not a possibility, an electric fireplace is certainly worth considering. They can actually be quite affordable too, so if your budget is tight that’s another reason to consider one. If you haven’t taken a look we encourage you to. They may just suit your needs.


Jun
2018

Smart Home Devices: Should You Become an Early Adopter?

categories: Integrated Home, Technology, Trends

Smart Home devices are increasingly being released that provide automation and voice control options. These smart home devices provide flexibility and convenience to individuals and are gaining wider acceptance than ever before.

Still, these Smart home devices are still new to the market and are evolving as time goes on. Many people are wondering if these Smart Home Devices are right for them and whether they should adopt these devices early. Here are some of the considerations to look into when choosing to adopt smart devices.

What Smart Home Devices Exist?

Smart home devices are proliferating all over the home and generally offer convenience and greater control over your home. Smartphones are integrated with these technologies and provide the ability to control your lights with a smartphone or with a voice command, allow you to turn on or off appliances in the same way, and allow you to monitor your home remotely.

Smart security systems allow you to view your front door from your cell phone and will save photos of those who ring a doorbell. You can turn on an oven or appliance so that your dinner is ready before you return home so your dinner is not delayed. You can also monitor the internal temperature of your home or even your Sunday roast from the convenience of your home.

Smart home devices provide the ability to record tv shows when you are away from home, allow you to turn on your tv with a voice command, and eliminate the need for separate remotes. There are virtual assistants that can respond to questions and play music at your command.

This is just a sampling of the many options available for a Smart Home device. While these may seem convenient to you, you may be wondering if it is better to pursue these technologies now or wait until they are further fleshed our before buying.

Should You Become an Early Adopter of Smart Home Technology?

Smart home technology is still being worked out and there are several competing technologies out there that are vying for dominance in the industry. Companies like Apple, Amazon, and Google all have their own solutions and there is not a significant variance between their product offerings. By choosing to join the Smart Home technology early as an early adopter you risk spending a significant amount of money on a specific technology, only to have it outdated in a short period and replaced with something else.

However, the cost of many of these Smart Home Technologies are not so significant and can be purchased individually without the need to purchase every option out there. As an example, you can purchase an Alexa Echo and experience some of the benefits of a Smart Home by integrating your television with its voice control capabilities. Alternatively, you can integrate Phillips Hue lightbulbs with voice controls through an Amazon, Apple, or Google Smart Home device.

While the technology surrounding Smart Home devices is changing and still early in its life cycle, if you are interested in the capabilities of Smart Home devices and believe that you will benefit from using it, then by all means make a small investment and see how well you use the devices and how effective you are finding them. In addition, if you suffer from a disability and believe that these devices can increase your accessibility and mobility, then give Smart Home devices a chance.

Smart Home technologies are the wave of the future and a small investment now will provide you with exposure to a burgeoning technology that can expand your knowledge of the offerings and how they can be used. Start slowly with a small investment to start with but by all means learn about how these product offerings can change your life.


Jun
2018

The Nest Thermostat in Review – To Buy or Not To Buy?

categories: Integrated Home, Technology

There are several things that you will need to look at when you are deciding to boy or not to buy the nest thermostat.

Pros

The first pro is that you are going to be able to save a lot of money. Even though, the thermostats are going to cost a lot of money at first, they are going to pay for themselves after you have used them for about two years. This is going to be even better if you have a larger home because you are going to be able to save even more money on your electricity.

The second pro is that you are not going to have to worry about some rooms being too hot or too cold. This is because you are going to be able to customize the settings on your thermostat, so that each room is going to be comfortable. Some rooms are going to have high ceilings or the circulation is going to be poor, so it is going to cause the room to be cooler. Therefore, you will be able to adjust the temperature in these rooms so you are not going to be cold while you are in that room.

The third pro is that this is an investment that is going to be well worth your money. These little upgrades are going to make a big difference when you are trying to sell your home in the future. This is because it is going to increase the value of your home. Plus there are a lot of people who are going to be more willing to buy your home if you have smart technology installed inside of the home. Potential buyers are going to love that you have a smart thermostat like the Nest inside of the home.

Cons

The first con is you are not going to be able to use the smart thermostat if you are living in an apartment or if you are planning on moving to an apartment. This is because the investment that you make in the thermostat is not going to be worth it since you are only going to be living in the apartment for a short period of time. This is unless you are planning on uninstalling the thermostat when you move out of the apartment so that you are going to be able to take it to your new home.

The second con is that there is a chance that the home might not be compatible with the new technology of the Nest thermostat. This means that you are going to need to have a HVAC system that is going to work with the smart thermostat. Therefore, you are going to need to check the website before you buy the thermostat to see if the home is going to be compatible before you buy it. This is the best way to save you a lot of hassle and worry when you are buying a smart thermostat for a new home.

The third con is that you are going to have to learn new technology. This is something that a lot of people are going to be annoyed about. This is because within the first week, you are going to need to do all of your programming so you are going to need to do a lot of work. You will have to figure out which comfort levels that you are going to like for the different times of the day. If you do not do this step, then it is going to cause you to become very frustrated with the thermostat.