KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR HOME SECURITY

Arvada Lock Installation

There are always things you can do to better secure your home.

Your home ought to be a safe place, a sanctuary from the rest of the world, where you can truly relax. No dwelling is impervious, but there are still plenty of ways you can protect your home and family from potential criminal trespass. Let’s consider how you can make your property less attractive to a thief. To keep your peace of mind, be on the lookout for any possible vulnerabilities that may come up regarding your locks, points of entry, and the premises.

Follow simple daily rules.

• Lock all your doors and windows anytime you leave, and before you go to sleep.
• Answer your door only if you know the person. (Install a peephole if you don’t have one. It’s best to use a wide-angle 160-degree peephole mounted no higher than 58 inches.)
• Keep any valuables well hidden in unexpected places.

Unclutter your yard.

Keep your shrubs, hedges, plants, and trees properly trimmed, in order to eliminate potential intruder hiding spots. If they’re too tall, not very well spaced, or otherwise unwieldy, a potential burglar will be able to hide easily.

Don’t keep a “hidden” house key.

Don’t keep your house key inside your mailbox, under the mat, or under a flower pot, because any smart intruder will find it. If you have a fake rock as a keyholder, a professional burglar will already know what it looks like. Instead, give a spare key to a trusted neighbor.

Keep all keys and garage-door remotes stored sensibly.

Don’t keep your keys and remotes in plain sight next to a door with a window, or otherwise visible to someone outside. It’s smarter to keep them handy hidden inside a cupboard or drawer instead.

Secure your air-conditioning unit.

To keep someone from getting through an unsecured window, protect your air-conditioner with a bracket, corner braces, or a sliding window lock.

Keep your ladders properly stored.

Don’t keep a ladder outside, because a burglar can pretend to be a handyman or contractor, and take your ladder to get in through an upper window, or maybe make it up to your balcony.

Keep your garage secure.

Don’t forget about the garage door. Keep it closed and locked when you’re not around, and you’ll prevent a potential criminal activity.

Use top-quality lighting, and keep your lights in working order.

Install outdoor lights with infrared motion detectors near each outside door. Motion detector lights will effectively keep trespassers away because they cannot hide. You can also choose lights that respond to changes in temperature, sound, or light, or time of day. Some lighting systems will even allow you to connect to a smart device with a mobile app, so you can continually monitor for possible undesirable activity and respond immediately.

Install timers.

You can put your outside lights on timers. Whenever you’re out for the day, or gone for an extended period, you can make it seem like people are home by using timers on your interior lights too, as well as on your radios and TVs. If you’re away on vacation, it’s even possible to monitor and control everything with a mobile app.

Reinforce your doors.

A hollow door is not as safe, because it’s easier to penetrate. Therefore, as soon as possible, replace it with a solid-core door made of wood or metal.

Fortify your doors’ locks by replacing the strike plate (the stationary piece where the bolt enters), and mounting a solid metal plate on the doorjamb for the sliding bolt. Replace any short mounting screws with longer screws that will reach the door’s studs, and this will add more strength to the doorframe.

Replace any poor-quality or worn-out locks with upgraded locks.

Locksmith professionals will always tell you that deadbolts provide you with extra security. Get a grade-2 deadbolt lock, which penetrates the doorframe. Or, purchase smart or digital locks, which provide an additional layer of security.

Secure all your windows and glass doors.

Of course, a window left open is attractive to a potential robber. Ground floor windows are more susceptible to break-ins. Upper floor windows can also be fairly attractive if someone can enter from a tree, ladder, balcony, or fence. It’s good to use a secondary blocking device, such as a wooden dowel, on each window. For optimal safety in an emergency, make sure you can easily remove your window blocking devices from the inside.

For ground level sliding-glass doors, and for any aluminum windows that slide horizontally, use anti-lift devices. Install screws half-way into the upper track of the movable glass panel, which will prevent it from being lifted out in the closed position. Then you may want to place a decal on each glass door or windowpane, near the latch mechanism, to indicate that you have an alarm system, or a neighborhood watch in place.

Install an alarm system.

If you have an alarm system, be sure you know how it works, and then don’t forget to use it! If you’re not arming it, it’s worthless. Teach everyone in the family to operate it properly every day. Consider these strategies:

• Put your system on a timer schedule.
• Add a fire alarm.
• Always keep the batteries charged. The batteries’ warning system will tell you whenever they’re getting low, so don’t allow them to drain entirely. You want your home to be protected, even in a power outage.
• If you live in an area prone to floods, you can install a moisture monitor for your basement to detect flooding.
• Add a carbon monoxide monitor.
• With some alarm systems, you can use your smart device to monitor and adjust your security system anytime.

Finally, be a good neighbor.

Get to know the people in your neighborhood ~ at least on each side of your home as well as two or three across the street. Good neighbors look out for each other. Establish trust by communicating regularly. A good neighbor will keep an eye on your home while you’re gone. You don’t have to be friends; just be civil and help each other out. Some may be willing to care for your lawn, pick up your mail, or do small things that will make it look like you’re home. Be sure to return the favor.

When you can’t do it yourself, hire a professional.

If you do find any weak spots in your home’s security, ask an expert on the best way to remedy each issue. If you’re in Arvada, CO, you may want to request a free consultation from one of the residential locksmith specialists on staff at Locksmith Arvada CO.

Visit or contact us for more information:

Locksmith Arvada CO

24 Hour Emergency Locksmith Service

Monday through Sunday, all day

Dispatch Address: 5654 Kipling Pkwy, Arvada, CO 80002

Email: Mike@independencelocksmith.net

Phone: (816) 219-0414

http://www.locksmitharvadaco.com/

Further details at: http://www.locksmitharvadaco.com/news/news.html

Article source here: KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR HOME SECURITY

DO YOU WANT TO ENHANCE YOUR HOME SECURITY? HERE’S WHY LOCKS WITH MASTER PINS ARE A LOUSY IDEA AT YOUR PLACE

Arvada Lock Installation

A master key lock is a pin-tumbler lock allowing a lock to open with two or more various keys. Master pins are utilized to pin up locks so that one master key will function in the lock, as well as a change key. This is what’s usually used in door locks in buildings with numerous occupants, such as hotels, apartment houses, storage facilities, and businesses. All tenants are given a key that unlocks only their own door, called a change key. The master key unlocks all the doors in the building.

At an elementary school, for example, the custodian often has a master key that will function in every classroom, but each teacher will have a change key, which works only for a specific classroom. There are also subordinate master keys, which typically open every room on one floor of a dormitory or office building. Moreover, a grand master key will open all of the rooms in a whole office building, hotel, or dormitory. There’s also a great grand master key, which will open all the doors for an entire college campus, or every single office in a commercial building complex. The higher you go, the more intricate it becomes. Overall, the lock’s pin stacks have multiple key pins and master wafers above the key pins, allowing several keys to function in one lock.

By contrast, a residential lock at your home is different. It has only one shear line, which means that there’s one possibility only for the split to occur between the driver pins and the key pins and the ~ so only one unique key will work. If you were to introduce master pins into the pin stacks, you would have at least two shear lines for each pin stack with a master pin installed. Essentially, that means you just shouldn’t do it, because there will be more ways for a criminal to pick the lock, since there are more possibilities of creating a shear line. In a master-keyed lock, all, or at least some, of the pin stacks in the lock have three pins rather than two. Between the driver pin and the key pin is a third pin, referred to as the spacer pin. Each pin line has two shear points, one where the spacer pins and driver meet, and one where the key pins and spacer meet. The lock opens with two keys: One key aligns the first set of shear points, and the other key aligns the second set. These locks are manufactured so that one set of shear points is unique for each lock, while the second set is identical for all the locks. A more secure kind of lock mechanism has two discrete tumblers, each of which is opened by one key.

A typical method professional thieves apply is snap guns and lock bumping. A standard pin tumbler lock by itself is susceptible to lock picking. To prevent this from happening, superior-security cylinders contain specialized security pins, which are designed to catch in the lock cylinder if a snap gun or bump key is used, thus making it much harder for a crook to break in.

You can upgrade your locks. Explore your many options first. As any professional locksmith in Surprise, AZ will tell you, deadbolts are a good way to increase your security at your home. A deadbolt lock is, hands down, better than a basic lock. There are actually many different kinds of deadbolts. You may desire a deadbolt with an interior thumbturn, which you can operate without grasping. You may want to look into a bump-proof lock or combination door lock.

You can augment your security, right away. A burglar often acts from convenience. So if any lock has an obvious weakness, it will be an easy target. Some locks are less difficult to bump or pick, and others are nearly impossible to penetrate. Combination locks and padlocks are particularly vulnerable. No home can ever be completely impermeable, but anywhere you are, you can take reasonable measures to improve your security.

There is an almost endless list of various sorts of locks, so you cannot actually ever know about them all. Therefore, before you install locks, do your homework. It’s also smart to bring your questions to an expert locksmith you can trust, who can advise you on all your property’s security issues. If you reside in Surprise, Arizona, consider choosing an accomplished mobile residential locksmith specialist such as those on staff at Dynamic Locksmiths.

Go high-tech. Is it time to go digital? You can choose to replace all traditional locks with electronic door locks. It’s an excellent way to secure your home, and it doesn’t require any keys whatsoever. Keyless locks offer new horizons today in security technology. They work with remotes; with keypads; with an alarm system with a remote code; from your smart device; and even with biometrics (eye scans, fingerprints, hand prints, and so on). New innovations continue, which could soon become commonplace ~ such as voice recognition, ear scans, and even DNA sampling and heartbeat recognition! The systems that function with your smart device are ideal when you are on vacation, because you can monitor all activity while you’re gone, and be alerted immediately at any sign of trespass. You may want to put timers on radios, TVs, lights, and so forth, to make it appear that you are still home, an effective way to prevent a robbery.

Most keyless systems give you attractive features providing added convenience and safety. When you get accustomed to the system that’s right for you, keyless locks are relatively easy to use. They’re also ideal for kids, since your children often forget their keys, but they can usually recall a simple code number you can all agree upon. Or, if you’re frustrated because you’re always misplacing your keys, then perhaps you’ll want to decide to go keyless.

Visit or contact us for more information:

Locksmith Arvada CO

24 Hour Emergency Locksmith Service

Monday through Sunday, all day

Dispatch Address: 5654 Kipling Pkwy, Arvada, CO 80002

Email: Mike@independencelocksmith.net

Phone: (816) 219-0414

http://www.locksmitharvadaco.com/

Further details at: http://www.locksmitharvadaco.com/news/news.html

Article source here: DO YOU WANT TO ENHANCE YOUR HOME SECURITY? HERE’S WHY LOCKS WITH MASTER PINS ARE A LOUSY IDEA AT YOUR PLACE

Automatic Gates: Smart Solution for Smart Homes

By Evan Javier – June 8, 2019

Gates are important structures in a building and other entrance areas. Impressive gates often help to wow the entrants for the first time. With modern technology taking hold on several matters, gates are not left far behind. Among the different varieties of gates, automatic gates have become very popular.

Automatic gates are usually used in corporate buildings, shopping malls, public parks and amusement centers, hotels and resorts, and other big places. But if you want to install an automatic gate at your home then it is quite feasible. So, if you are planning to install an automatic gate then, here is a small overview related to the gates and its benefits along with how it works.

About Automatic Gates

• Automatic gates are usually made of two related factors. One is the gate itself. The gate can be moved manually as well if it has the option. But mostly as these gates are used in secured areas, it is operated by machines.
• The machines help to open the gates and close them as well. The machines are usually operated by a skilled worker or you can time the opening and the closing of the gate as well.
• Few of the automatic gates which are used at shopping malls and corporate areas or public parks etc come with sensors. It opens and closes while sensing the entry and the exit of a person.
• Automatic gates are of six types namely sliding, cantilever, swing, vertical lift, vertical pivot lift, bi-folding, and barrier. You can select the type you want to install according to your requirement and budget.
• You can get accessories like intercoms and video systems, along with emergency exits as well.
• Choose the gate according to the space availability, the climatic conditions, the speed of the gate, weight, location and the opening size that you desire.
• Also, ensure that while buying the gate you look after the safety devices as well. Whenever installing automatic gates make sure of the fact that there are no shot-circuits. Buy gates from authorized sellers that are pre-checked before the sale for commercial use.
• The working of the automatic gates depends upon the strength of the machines. The gates are operated completely by machines unless you enable manual working too.
• Not all automatic gates have the option of manual working. So, be sure to consult an expert before you buy an automatic gate.

Top Benefits You Get Out of an Automatic Gate

If you are considering the benefits that you will get out of the automatic gates then here are a few mentioned points that you will find very helpful.

• Automatic gates give maximum security. If you install an automatic gate in your home then be rest assured about your safety and security.
• It also makes a property look more attractive and impressive. You can easily increase the value of your property by installing an automatic gate. It also gives your property the visual appeal of safety and security.
• As the gates cannot be operated without machines, you can rest be worry-free about your child or pet or both roaming around in the house or in the garden. There is a decreased risk of trespassers trespassing your property. Also, you can be sure that your kid and pet are enjoying their full freedom within your homely boundaries.
• Automatic gates also do not require you to keep security round the clock as the sturdy technologically advanced gates provide both privacy and security to your property restraining unauthorized entry.

Now you are well informed about automatic gates and its advantages, you can increase your property value and security at the same time together.

Link to the article: https://tagg.com.au/automatic-gates-smart-solution-for-smart-homes/

Related articles: https://pacomaroto.wordpress.com/intelligent-living/the-dangers-of-too-smart-homes/

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The Pros and Cons of Home Automation Systems

Home automation systems. What’s not to love about automatically controlling sprinkler systems, coordinating outlets, managing security systems, and turning appliances on and off while away?

Although these devices are certainly not new to the market, many systems have become much more affordable in the past few years, and the use of home automation is now more widespread than it has ever been before.

But is it right for you? Here are a few pros and cons to help answer that question.

The Pros
1. Energy Savings
Home automation systems have definitely proven themselves in the arena of energy efficiency. Automated thermostats allow you to pre-program temperatures based on the time of day and the day of the week. And some even adjust to your behaviors, learning and adapting to your temperature preferences without your ever inputting a pre-selected schedule. Traditional or behavior-based automation can also be applied to virtually every gadget that can be remotely controlled – from sprinkler systems to coffee makers.

Actual energy savings ultimately depend on the type of device you select and its automation capabilities. But on average, product manufacturers estimate the systems can help consumers save anywhere from 10 to 15 percent off of heating and cooling bills.

2. Convenience
In today’s fast-paced society, the less you have to worry about, the better. Right? Convenience is another primary selling point of home automation devices, which virtually eliminate small hassles such as turning the lights off before you go to bed or adjusting the thermostat when you wake up in the morning.

Many systems come with remote dashboard capabilities, so forgetting to turn off that coffee pot before you leave no longer requires a trip back to the house. Simply pull up the dashboard on a smart device or computer, and turn the coffee pot off in a matter of seconds.

3. Security
Remote monitoring can put your mind at ease while you’re away from the house. With remote dashboards, lights and lamps can be turned on and off, and automated blinds can be raised and lowered. These capabilities – combined with automated security systems – can help you mitigate the risks of intrusions: you will be alerted immediately if something uncharacteristic happens.

The Cons
1. Installation
Depending on the complexity of the system, installing a home automation device can be a significant burden on the homeowner. It can either cost you money if you hire an outside contractor or cost you time if you venture to do it yourself.

2. Complex Technology
Automating everything in life may sound extremely appealing, but sometimes a good old-fashioned flip of the switch is a lot easier than reaching for your smart phone to turn lights on and off. Before you decide which system is right for you, think about how far you really want to take home automation in your household.

3. System Compatibility
Controlling all aspects of home automation from one centralized platform is important, but not all systems are compatible with one another. Your security system, for example, may require you to log in to one location to manage settings, while your smart thermostat may require you to log in to another platform to turn the air conditioner on and off. To truly leverage the convenience of home automation, you may need to invest in centralized platform technology to control all systems and devices from one location.

4. Cost
Even though the price of home automation systems has become much more affordable in recent years, the cost to purchase and install a device can still add up. Consumer Reports offers a wide range of information and insights – including costs – on the best home automation systems on the market.

 

Link to the article: https://www.mythinkenergy.com/pros-cons-home-automation

Related articles: https://santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com/2018/05/19/what-is-a-smart-home/

For further assistance in home security, click here for more: http://www.locksmitharvadaco.com/

Article source here: The Pros and Cons of Home Automation Systems

How to Make Your Home a Smart Home

Your Home in the Age of Technology

The smartphones we carry around in our pockets are powerful tools that make life easier, and every advancement in technology enhances their impressive capabilities. The next big step forward for this type of “smart” technology is into our homes. Utilizing integrated technological systems in your home is one of the most significant new trends in digital innovation. Right now is the best time to start reaping the benefits of these capabilities.

Transitioning to a smarter home can improve your control over every aspect of how your house operates, and increase the safety and accessibility of it as well. Additionally, you can reap the benefits of a more efficient home, leading to savings in your energy and upkeep costs!

Control at Your Fingertips

By installing appliances in your house, such as a smart oven, you can now use apps on your mobile device to enjoy complete control of your home’s functions from anywhere in the world. Did you leave your home and forget to turn your oven off? Air conditioner still running at home while you’re on vacation? No need to stress. You can quickly and easily power off these appliances in seconds from the respective accompanying apps.

There are no limitations to the apps that are coming to market everyday. Developers have created apps and devices to control home stereos, water usage, lighting, lawn care, garage doors, your dog’s food dish, and even grocery shopping – all easily and readily controlled by the phone you already have in your pocket.

Safety

Smart homes don’t just allow us to avert accidental house fires from unattended ovens. These homes also allow us to keep our loved ones safe. Security systems can be installed that allow owners to monitor the comings and goings of guests and alert you when suspicious activity is detected. Doors can be locked, security systems armed, and cameras monitored from your phone, creating a safer and more secure environment for you and your family.

For those of you with children, or those caring for elderly parents, these tools can make your life exponentially easier and give you peace of mind. Alerts can be sent to your phone when members of your family leave your house, and you can even keep track of where they go after they leave.

Accessibility

If you have friends or family members who are elderly or disabled, you know how difficult even the most basic everyday task can be for them. Smart home technology can greatly increase their quality of life, and utilizing voice commands can make the learning curve much easier for someone unfamiliar with computers.

Setting up automated systems for activities like lawn care removes unnecessary stress from the lives of these individuals. As the technology moves forward, more and more difficult tasks will become accessible, improving flexibility and independence in housing for people who might not be fully capable of taking care of their homes on their own.

Energy Efficiency

While many benefits of a smart home include ease and accessibility, there are even more perks to enjoy. Smart home technology allows appliances to work with the least amount of energy needed. For example, induction cook-top stoves now have the intelligence to heat exclusively when a metal pan is placed on top of it. No more burners running uncovered, and no more pans being overheated. Stove tops can even manage a perfect boil while using the least amount of energy possible.

Saving money on that water bill has also never been easier. Certain faucet technology can maximize shower water usage by shaping the individual droplets of water to create a more full and fulfilling shower experience while still using less water than the everyday shower head.

Cost Effectiveness

If “going green” wasn’t enough to pique your interest in smart home technology, the financial savings will get your attention. In a study done by the US Environmental Protection Agency, it was reported that users of smart home technology for thermostat control alone saved anywhere from 10%-30% on their energy bill. Over the course of a year, or 5 years, those savings add up quickly.

Saving money with smart home technologies is simple and easy. Timers and monitors make sure you only use the money and energy you want, and incredibly intelligent occupation detectors insure these products are only active when users are present.

To further your savings, the addition of solar power or other energy transmuting devices can save costs, and help you become more self-sufficient.

Not only do these improvements save on your bill payments, the resale value of your home increases with each addition of these technologies. It may be a chunk of change up front, but these additions soon pay for themselves.

The Future

While some technologies are only in early development, the future is already here. Some elements of a smart home may require significant investment with long-term rewards. Others are simple, affordable, and can impact your home now. Making small changes to your home’s functionality can help you embrace the larger ones to come, and enjoy the potential savings that add up.

 

Link to the article: https://www.directenergy.com/learning-center/modern-home/advantages-smart-home

Related articles: https://technopreneurph.wordpress.com/2019/08/07/how-to-fit-smart-home-technology-into-your-business-by-peter-daisyme/

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Article source here: How to Make Your Home a Smart Home

Exploring Home Automation and Domotics

When your robot becomes a smarty pants

Photo by Javier Pierini/The Image Bank Collection/Getty Images

by Jackie Craven 

Updated February 19, 2019

A smart house is a home that has highly advanced, automated systems to control and monitor any function of a house — lighting, temperature control, multi-media, security, window and door operations, air quality, or any other task of necessity or comfort performed by a home’s resident. With the rise of wireless computerization, remote-controlled devices are becoming smart just-in-time. Today, it’s possible to pin a programmed chip onto any occupant and have systems adjust as a person passes by and through a smart house.

 

Is It Really Smart?

A smart home appears “intelligent” because its computer systems can monitor so many aspects of daily living. For example, the refrigerator may be able to inventory its contents, suggest menus and shopping lists, recommend healthy alternatives, and even routinely order groceries. The smart home systems might even ensure a continuously cleaned cat litter box or a house plant that is forever watered.

The idea of a smart home may sound like something out of Hollywood. In fact, a 1999 Disney movie titled Smart House presents the comical antics of an American family that wins a “house of the future” with an android maid who causes havoc. Other films show science fiction visions of smart home technology that seems improbable.

However, smart home technology is real, and it’s becoming increasingly sophisticated. Coded signals are sent through the home’s wiring (or sent wirelessly) to switches and outlets that are programmed to operate appliances and electronic devices in every part of the house. Home automation can be especially useful for the elderly, people with physical or cognitive impairments, and disabled persons who wish to live independently. Home technology is the toy of the super-wealthy, like Bill and Melinda Gates’ home in Washington State. Called Xanadu 2.0, the Gates’ house is so high-tech that it allows visitors to choose the mood music for each room they visit.

Open Standards

Think of your house like it’s one, big computer. If you ever opened up the “box” or CPU of your home computer, you’ll find tiny wires and connectors, switches and whirling discs. To make it all work, you have to have an input device (like a mouse or a keyboard), but even more importantly, each of the components has to be able to work with each other.

Smart technologies will evolve more quickly if people didn’t have to buy entire systems, because let’s face it — some of us aren’t as wealthy as Bill Gates. We also don’t want to have 15 remote control devices for 15 different devices — we’ve been there and done that with televisions and recorders. What consumers want are add-on systems that are easy-to-use. What small manufacturers want are to be able to compete in this new marketplace.

Two things are needed to make homes truly “smart,” writes research journalist Ira Brodsky in Computerworld. “First are sensors, actuators and appliances that obey commands and provide status information.” These digital devices are already omnipresent in our appliances. “Second are protocols and tools that enable all of these devices, regardless of vendor, to communicate with each other,” says Brodsky. This is the problem, but Brodsky believes that “smartphone apps, communication hubs and cloud-based services are enabling practical solutions that can be implemented right now.”

Home energy management systems (HEMS) have been the first wave of smart home devices, with hardware and software that monitors and controls a homes heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. As standards and protocols are being developed, the devices in our homes are making them appear smart—very smart!

Prototype Houses

The U.S. Department of Energy encourages new smart designs by sponsoring a Solar Decathlon, held every other year. Architecture and engineering college student teams compete in a number of categories, including intuitive control of devices and appliances. In 2013 a team from Canada described their engineering as an “integrated mechanical system” controlled by mobile devices. This is a student prototype of a smart home. Team Ontario’s design for their house is called ECHO.

Domotics and Home Automation

As the smart house evolves, so, too, do the words we use to describe it. Most generally, home automation and home technology have been the early descriptors. Smart home automation has derived from those terms.

The word domotics literally means home robotics. In Latin, the word domus means home. The field of domotics encompasses all phases of smart home technology, including the highly sophisticated sensors and controls that monitor and automate temperature, lighting, security systems, and many other functions.

No need for those pesky robots, however. These days most mobile devices, like “smart” phones and tablets, are digitally connected and control many home systems. And what will your smart home look like? It should look just like what you’re living in now if that’s what you want.

Sources

• Amazon Lets Users Create Their Own Smart Home by Ángel González, The Seattle Times for Government Technology, April 6, 2016
• ^{Sources: 19 Crazy Facts About Bill Gates’ $123 Million Washington Mansion by Madeline Stone, Business Insider, Nov. 7, 2014;}
• ^{The race to create smart homes is on by Ira Brodsky, Computerworld, May 3, 2016 [accessed July 29, 2016]}

 

Link to the article: https://www.thoughtco.com/what-is-a-smart-house-domotics-177572

Related articles: https://pacomaroto.wordpress.com/intelligent-living/the-dangers-of-too-smart-homes/

For further assistance in home security, click here for more: http://www.locksmitharvadaco.com/

Article source here: Exploring Home Automation and Domotics

The Advantages of a Smart House

So-called smart homes take advantage of automation technology and modern building techniques to give homeowners a new level of control. Smart homes may be built from scratch with automation as a key design goal, or constructed from existing homes during a major renovation. In both cases, smart homes offer several advantages over conventional homes.

Convenience

Convenience is one of the biggest reasons that people build and purchase smart homes. These homes give users remote access to systems including heating and cooling systems, intercoms, music and multimedia devices throughout the home. Integrated hard drives allow homeowners to watch video or listen to audio in any room; video intercoms make it easy to communicate with others in the home or visitors at the door. All of these smart home technologies streamline common tasks.

Security

Smart homes include advanced security systems with cameras, motion sensors and a link to the local police station or a private security company. Smart homes may also use key cards or fingerprint identification in place of conventional locks, making it harder for someone to break in.

Accessibility

For elderly or disabled residents, a smart home may feature accessibility technologies. Voice-command systems can do things like control lights, lock doors, operate a telephone or use a computer. Home automation allows an individual to set a schedule for automatic tasks like watering the lawn, removing the need to perform these labor-intensive tasks on a regular basis.

Efficiency

Smart homes offer enhanced energy-efficiency. Lights can shut off automatically when no one is in a room, and the thermostat can be set to let the indoor temperature drop during the day before returning it to a more comfortable level just before residents arrive in the evening. All of these automated tasks, along with modern, energy-efficient appliances, combine to save on electricity, water and natural gas, thereby reducing the strain on natural resources.

Resale

When it comes time to sell a smart home, sellers will have an abundance of effective selling points. Whichever advantage of a smart home appeals to a given buyer, the seller can explain the system and discuss how it makes life easier. Homes with automated systems have the potential to sell for much more than comparable homes with conventional technologies. Automating a home can be a worthwhile investment in increasing its market value and attracting possible buyers in the future.

 

Link to the article: https://homeguides.sfgate.com/advantages-smart-house-8670.html

Related articles: https://santacruzarchitect.wordpress.com/2017/08/27/the-advantages-of-a-smart-house/

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Article source here: The Advantages of a Smart House