4 Reasons NOT to Go DIY with Home Automation

Are you the techy type that all your friends call for advice on the latest devices? Maybe you’re also handy with home projects and enjoy the undeniable satisfaction of doing something yourself. If so, you might be quite tempted to try your hand at doing a DIY home automation project. 

Depending on what you want to accomplish, you might be fine going the DIY route. But if your home is large, you want sophisticated automation sequences, and you want a system that doesn’t need frequent debugging, you may want to read the rest of this blog. Or you can skip it and call GHT Group, Atlanta’s leading Control4 installer, about your smart home wish list. We’ll be happy to help! Now, keep reading below for all the reasons to bolster your decision to call us – just in case you need some. 

SEE ALSO: What You Get with a Certified Control4 Installer

Apps, Apps, and More Apps

About a decade ago, when smartphone apps were still in relative infancy, Apple trademarked the term “there’s an app for that.” When it comes to DIY smart devices, that could not be truer. If you go DIY, you’ll have an app that comes with each device. What’s wrong with that? They’re all designed differently and present different ways to navigate or create shortcuts to the things you use the most. When it comes to unifying devices and making them work together, you must rely on platforms like Amazon Alexa, Google Home, Apple HomeKit, or Samsung’s SmartThings. What’s wrong with that? Most of those platforms don’t support every feature of your smart device. So, you may want to automate a particular feature, and you'll have to use the device-specific app to do it. Multiply that by a few devices, and you'll understand the complexity.

Your Home’s Layout and Architecture

Most smart home devices rely on wireless networking protocols to work. Your home’s layout and materials can have a significant impact on how well those wireless protocols work. Do you know the intricacies of Zigbee, Z-Wave, and Wi-Fi? Distance and construction matter for these protocols. You don't want a Zigbee smart lock that only works intermittently, right? Or the Alexa speaker that fails to understand you because it can't communicate to the cloud on your Wi-Fi network? 

Upgrades and Maintenance

The software and firmware on smart consumer devices are routinely getting updated. In fact, if they don’t, that’s a red flag. What’s wrong with that? The good part is that new software typically fixes problems and brings new functionality. The bad part is software updates often break automation sequences because the new functionality works differently. Sometimes you have to log on to the cloud service for the app to make it work again, and sometimes your Alexa automation doesn’t work because of an update. If you’re a software programmer or tinkerer, you might be OK with this. But some people just want the lights to turn on when they issue a voice command. 

Privacy and Security

For many people, privacy is a big issue. With many consumer devices and services, the low cost of the products is subsidized by the data they collect about how you use them. This data is used to deliver targeted advertising to you from many sources. If that’s a tradeoff you’re willing to make, that might be OK. But many people are increasingly concerned with smart speakers and other devices that are always listening in the home. How is that information being used? Are you familiar with the terms and conditions you accept on how they use the data when you use the app? 

Why Go with a Control4 System

If you’re not a techy, want to control your privacy, and want a unified smart home system that doesn’t need ten apps, you should consider a professionally configured and installed Control4 system. Control4 doesn’t send your information to the cloud, controls thousands of devices including things like pool and spa equipment, and provides you an intuitive, powerful interface that works consistently across touchscreens, remote, wall keypads, and apps on your smart device. Moreover, it scales up to meet the needs of large properties, and you won’t need to understand the difference between Zigbee and Z-Wave. 

Want to learn more about robust smart home automation with Control4? Visit our Marietta showroom, contact us here, or start a chat below to quickly connect with one of our experts. We look forward to working with you!