top of page

New home and remodel considerations

If you are building a new home or remodeling an existing one, I'm glad you've found this page. 

 

After years of working with builders, electricians, home owners and other AV companies we wanted to share with you some thoughts that anyone building, or remodeling a home should consider. Generally these are topics we try to address very early on during the construction stage but sadly are often put off until too late and end up costing more or can't be included. The sooner you understand the impact of technology on your new residence, the better.

 

Hire an experienced AV integration company.

 

We realize this seems self-serving but read on. 

 

As you will see below, the home you are building today is far more "connected" than homes of the past. There are dozens of potential technology areas that all need be compatible to work seamlessly together and pre-wiring and understanding where things will be mounted and located will be critical to discuss early on.

 

The Network is the Key

Of all the technologies in your new home, the network is the most critical to consider; SmartTVs, Streaming Audio (Pandora, iHeart Radio, etc), Streaming Video products (AppleTV, Roku, etc), personal devices such as Apple and Android devices and wireless security cameras are just an example of what you might use. Its not unusual for even a small residence to have 40+ network devices. A well thought out network will include connecting as many devices to the physical network (cable) as possible  to reserve the WIFI bandwidth for your portable electronic devices. Additionally, the location and number of WIFI access points (AP) is key to good coverage and the ability to move around seamlessly in your residence. 

Your Lighting will be LED

Federal legislation has been pushing the old familiar incandescent bulb out of circulation since 2007. LED bulbs have many advantages over older incandescent and halogen bulbs. LED bulbs are a new technology with many advantages but they have to be controlled differently than older bulbs. For this reason we work with builders to make sure the right type of dimmer (phase-adaptive, 0-10V, reverse phase, etc) are specified correctly for your project.

4K TV is so 2015

In November 2017, the specifications for 8K television standards were agreed to by the governing bodies. Yes, 8K television. This level of television requires tremendous bandwidth. Because of this, we make sure any pre-wiring at your residence is ready for these future standards.

Pre-wire

Pre-wire simply means pulling any video, audio and network cabling prior to insulation or installation of drywall. Wiring for speakers, shades, volume controls, TVs and network must be completed before the drywall can be installed. A wired internet network will ALWAYS perform better than connecting multiple devices over WIFI.

 

Consider motorized shades

Motorized shading has exploded in the last 5 years. With hundreds of fabrics and styles now available the idea of beautiful shades that can be opened or closed at will is now a reality. Some shading solutions are battery powered with new battery solutions that last for 3 years or more before requiring a change. Additionally, if you are building or remodeling its worth prewiring for shade power supplies to avoid using batteries at all.

 

Install an Antenna

Yep, a good old fashioned TV Antenna. Most folks don't realize it but the best picture this side of a Blue-Ray/DVD will be from an Antenna. Your local broadcaster's signal is less compressed than what the cable and satellite companies offer and its signal is FREE! Don't worry about their appearance. You can usually get away with putting it in the attic of your home. Here's a link to help figure out the best antenna for your location: CLICK

If we can help you walk through any of these concepts or answer additional, please contact us.

bottom of page