The term smart home popped up in the early 2000s when technology began to really take off. An influx of innovation meant the masses were finally able to afford high-tech home features that were previously rare and expensive. With increasingly complicated technology came the demand for simplicity in control, and thus the home automation industry thrived. But what does it really mean to live in a smart home and what are the benefits?
If this blog is your first introduction to us, we are Smarter Homes, a company located in Austin, Texas that transforms houses into smart homes, whether they are being newly built, or the client wants to upgrade their already existing house. Smarter Homes can install and automate just about any tech product on the market. Let’s take a tour of what makes a home “smart”, the benefits of embracing smart technology, and some fun luxury services they offer.
The Making of a Smart Home
The technology within a smart home is installed in such a way that is not only easily controlled, but also accessible from other pieces of technology in the house. That means that one piece of technology can communicate with another piece of technology, even if they perform different functions. Many homes are equipped with smart home features, such as a Google Home speaker that takes commands to control the lighting, but without an open API, the home cannot fully function and control all technology seamlessly without human intervention. Smarter Homes explains the difference between an open and closed API system here, but for the sake of brevity, all you need to understand is that in a smart home, everything is interconnected.
That connection starts with a WiFi set-up that can’t be beaten. Smarter Homes builds its clients their own private, WiFi network in which they own all of the equipment. It’s more reliable, secure, and can reach the far corners of any estate. Once your WiFi system is perfected, you have the freedom to customize your home with smart lighting, security, audio and video, and more.
One final quality that makes up a smart home is the ease with which you can control its features. Smarter Homes partners with a control company called RTI to bring complete ease to their client’s technology control. According to the preference of the client, RTI equips them with the ability to control every piece of the home technology with a classic remote control, an in-wall touchpad, a countertop touch panel, or even from their personal device.
The Benefits of Smart Home Technology
When everything in the home functions in synchronization, you end up with a home that’s human-error proof. The highest levels of efficiency can be achieved when you have the capability to automate systems prone to being forgotten. This is illustrated beautifully through Smarter Homes’ room “scenes”, security systems, and energy efficiency monitoring.
Room scenes are automated groupings that allow homeowners to design pre-selected modes for their homes to occupy, based on the family's needs. For example, with the click of an “away” mode in the app, your home will turn up or off the HVAC system, lock all the doors, arm the security system, make sure every light is off, switch off your hot water heater, and halt the functions of any left on and forgotten devices. Perhaps the family is in for the night and they just want the home to know they are ready to “stay”. By selecting that scene, your home can lock up for you and adjust the lighting to only bedrooms. The custom possibilities are endless.
By automating your security system, you can also take peace of mind with you wherever you go. Occupancy sensors detect when the home has been abandoned and will trigger your system into action, even if you forgot. You can check on the house from your phone from anywhere, watching live footage from cameras or checking who is at the door with your smart doorbell. Complicated security systems deter use, but Smarter Homes brings ease into security and gives you one less thing to remember in your hectic life. You can choose to sense occupancy, window breaks, forced entry, CO2, flooding, and smoke.
The final major benefit is energy efficiency. Monitoring your home's current and previous wattage usage is accessible within the app. Education is the first step to efficiency and with this knowledge, you can design automation systems that cut down energy waste and save you money on utilities. Smarter Homes can even put your house on a schedule that provides energy during high use times and cuts it to certain places when they are not used.
Luxury Smart Home Features
When it comes to designing your dream home, it isn’t all about practicality. Smarter Homes loves to bring elegance and luxury into the lives of its clients. Imagine for a moment, a romantic night in with your significant other. With a scene designed for just that, one button could turn on jazz, lower the blinds, heat the hot tub, dim the lights, and adjust the thermostat. Perhaps you are a movie buff or gamer.
How about a custom home theater with surround sound, a projector screen, movie seats, and low LED strip lights that slowly dim as you find your seat.
One final possibility worth exploring: the master gardener. Smarter Homes installs automated irrigation which puts your yard on a watering schedule based on the weather, humidity levels, precipitation of the soil, sunlight, and previous use.
There is truly no limit to what a smart home can do, especially with the help of a one-stop-shop home technology company like Smarter Homes. Contact them today with any further questions you may have