Smart home installation: a world of possibilities

Imagine being able to control all the electrical appliances in your home from a remote control or your smartphone in the comfort of your bath! More and more people are opting for home automation in Quebec.

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What is home automation?

This is automation specifically tailored to your home. Thus, telecommunications, IT, electronics, and building technology are put at your disposal for your comfort and security. This “intelligence” given to your private world allows:

• The automation of electrical devices and components (lighting, cameras, locks, appliances, audio-video equipment, alarms, heating units, etc.);
• Maximum control (programming, management, adjustment), simple, and easy operation via a computer, a telephone, or another common interface (tablet, remote control, etc.);
• Save time energy, time, and money.

By being able to remotely access the functions and controls of your devices to start them as needed or to change their programming, you stay in control: the technology listens to you … and responds. Moreover, the wireless network Z-WAVE also allows you to integrate everything, to connect everything (bidirectional communication devices) in your home reliably and inexpensively.

Make your new home smart with home automation

• Security and surveillance cameras. The installation of a home automation system often involves from the outset devices for securing the home. In this respect, the choice is vast and the possibilities are numerous. Because new home automation systems are very flexible, drilling holes or wires are not required, and the technologies are increasingly reduced. The aesthetics of your interior will not suffer by placing:
• • intrusion detectors
  • motion detectors
  • glass break detectors
  • smoke detectors
  • water leak detectors
  • gas detectors
  • door opening detectors
  • lighting variation detectors
  • temperature variation detectors
  • surveillance cameras (wireless, HD)
  • cameras with “night vision” mode
  • thermal cameras
  • indestructible outdoor cameras
  • concealed surveillance cameras, etc.

• Lighting control and lights. If home automation and security are linked, the fact remains that the automation and programming of home lighting also adds to the comfort of your home. Aside from electric lighting, lighting atmospheres inside your home are created according to your taste. Whether through motorized blinds, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and halogen luminaires, or by the fine integration of light-emitting diodes (LEDs), scenes and decorations can take shape according to your preferences and time of day. The exterior lighting can also be automated in an intelligent way based on changing needs and to discourage thieves.
• Lock control, remote lock. A home automation specialist will not fail to promote new door lock modes. In fact, it is possible to control everything remotely with a mobile phone, an application, and the Internet. This can be useful when you want to allow access to someone in particular but only for a limited time. Home security for locks and devices have evolved: coded keys, smart cards, fingerprint-enabled locks (biometrics), proximity sensors that unlocks the door on your approach (or the other way around), and so on.
• Heating control and thermostats. In addition to the flexible, remote, and targeted control of the indoor temperature of your home, the advantage of home automation is also to increase the efficiency of heating and air conditioning. For intelligent “thermal management”, several devices can be coordinated, some as producers of calories (heat pump, air conditioner, etc.), some as accessories (blinds, lighting, fan), and others as readers of environmental parameters and as controllers. Thanks to home automation, thermostatic control is taken to a higher level: household habits and the time of day are taken into account, consumption statistics are collected, operating curves (routine or after a prolonged absence) are established to maximize impact and minimize costs, etc.
• Control of the audio & video system. In your home, devices dedicated to communications and entertainment can also be integrated into the home automation system. A television can be controlled remotely or automatically turn on at the desired time, the desired channel, in the desired room, etc. The Hi-Fi system can play the desired music at the right time, create a soundscape throughout the house or in a particular area, and stop playing when you go out or when you’re asleep. The combinations are limitless. Cameras, intercoms, microphones, speakers, smart TVs, acoustic walls, etc. A variety of audio and video elements and devices can be integrated into the home automation network of your home and, therefore, are manageable by smartphones, tablets, computers, etc.

Home automation and energy savings

In the context of energy efficiency with home automation, it is necessary from the outset to think of your house as an integrated whole, all of whose components related to energy consumption and conservation must be considered. Thus, it does not make sense to provide your home with a maximized thermostat without first checking the condition of the insulation (roof, wall, windows).

With that said, to save on energy costs – essentially, in Quebec, those related to heating, hot water consumption, and  secondarily, air conditioning – it is important not only to have efficient systems but also avoid unnecessary expenses or even energy waste. To this end, moreover, home automation is also useful.

For example, smart home automation means that the demand for thermostatic energy (for heating or cooling) decreases when you are away, when you sleep at night, or when you spend an extended amount of time alone at home such as in your office, for example. A programmed and intelligent system, able to detect activity or human presence, will modulate and adjust the temperature according to your needs.

Here is another example. Sensors and detectors specifically designed for windows and doors not only tell you (via your smart phone or tablet) when they are not properly closed, causing heat loss or chill, but can automatically close through their connection to electromechanical devices. Energy-consuming omissions are thus corrected so as not to unduly affect your average consumption.

Whether for people with disabilities or loss of autonomy, or for any family wishing to optimize the energy efficiency of their home, home automation is very useful. The routines (closing / opening) related to artificial and natural lighting as well as the use of household appliances are automatically based on a pre-established schedule. Think only of the oven left on for hours after a meal by a distracted older person, or the pool water heater that we forget at times to check the cycle before going on vacation.

In terms of home automation equipment, the advice of a specialist is necessary. Whether it is signal transformers, intensity, load-bearing devices, sensors (of any kind), room thermostats, remote controls, control units, interfaces, etc., do not take risks by tinkering with your home automation system on your own. It is important to know safety standards (construction, electricity, etc.) and comply with them.

Home automation system: Determine your needs

You have a role to play and get involved when it comes to determining your needs. It is the first step in a residential home automation project. For specialists to design an appropriate home automation system and provide a reasonable price, you have to think about what you want, what you need, and document things a little bit. To this end, the following questions are relevant.

Is home automation being considered for a new house, a house under construction, or of a certain age?

• How big is your house? (the dimensions per floor)
• Surveillance, automation, integration … home automation touches how many rooms?
• How much is your house worth?
• What is the budget you want to give to your home automation?
• Does one of the occupants of the house have significant physical limitations with the project?
• Do you give much importance to home entertainment (cinema, music, etc.)?
• Is energy savings important to you?
• Do you have computer equipment?

Do you want to enhance the appearance of your home, increase its value, make it more convenient, or safer? Do you have other goals?

Compare submissions from home automation specialists in Quebec

For you to come out the winner with your home automation project, it is important for you to be sure to get value for the price. There is no other more effective method than to get quotes from different specialists in the field. You will be able to make the necessary comparisons.

The web platform Compare Home Quotes is the perfect service to use when it comes to investing for a home and in your home. You get 1 quote in record time and without any commitment on your part. Fill out our form and see what our home automation staff can offer you. Compare Home Quotes is also useful if you are looking for a broker, a plumber, a building inspector, a notary, etc. The quality is guaranteed.