Are You Building A New Home? Make it a Smart Home.

It’s difficult to escape the ubiquity of smart home devices and technology. From Nest thermostats prominently displayed at Best Buy or Home Depot to Amazon Alexa smart speakers, we’re all aware of the promise of smart home automation. If you are building a new home or embarking on a significant remodel, chances are smart home technology is high on your priority list.

You may be tempted by DIY (do it yourself) solutions. Still, GHT Group knows from three decades of experience serving homeowners in Georgia that an integrated approach – like that offered by Control4 home automation solutions – is far more likely to satisfy your Atlanta smart home’s needs and accommodate your lifestyle better than disparate systems cobbled together.

There is no better time to consider home automation than when you are early in the planning process so that you can integrate all the infrastructure that your smart home will need. Read on to view all the possibilities.

SEE ALSO: See How Easy Home Automation Can Be with Control4 OS 3

Planning Ahead

Your smart home wish list may fall into several categories. Some of them may be "must-haves" like a security solution, and some may be "nice to haves" like smart locks. The noncritical items can come later, but you don't want to incur significant rework to get them. Consider the following list of options, by no means an exhaustive one:

• Smart thermostats with temperature sensors
• Lighting control
• Motorized shades and window treatments
• Smart appliances
• Security cameras
• Carbon monoxide detectors
• Water intrusion detectors
• Smart locks
• Video doorbell
• Home theater or media room
• High performance wired and wireless networking

All of these devices and systems require some degree of infrastructure. It may mean adding electrical load capacity and additional outlets or access points. Low voltage wiring may be needed for lighting control, speakers, control systems, cameras, and more. The necessary control hubs need to be housed in an accessible central point where the correct cables and wires come together. Careful planning is required to ensure your smart home works as it should, while also meeting your aesthetic considerations.

Even if you decide not to incorporate all of the smart features on your list in the beginning, having the infrastructure in place – like low voltage wiring in all the right locations and a robust network – makes it much easier to add a system later without tearing into walls, floors, and ceilings.

Control4 - Orchestrating Your Smart Home

In nature, ecosystems are vital so that all the parts of the ecosystem can coexist and thrive. In technology, ecosystems are also critical. Some devices work well within only one ecosystem, which may limit your options. It’s essential to choose the core of your technology ecosystem wisely.

Throughout its history, Control4 has made a point to work with a vast array of third-party devices and products. While the company makes a full line of smart home solutions, it also brings many popular products into its fold, making your smart home more than the sum of the parts. Popular intelligent devices like Amazon Alexa-enabled speakers, Sonos audio, Nest thermostats, and more can thrive in the Control4 ecosystem, giving you a seamless smart home experience.

Control4 solutions are also designed to scale well. If you need more distributed audio, additional lighting control, or a new pool and water feature controlled, it can be added easily to your existing system. The company supports a wide range of connection protocols to ensure that a wide array of devices can be controlled and automated under the Control4 umbrella. And with the right physical infrastructure in place, it’s even easier.

If you are considering smart home automation for your next home project in Atlanta, bring us into the conversation and let us show you what a Control4 solution can do. Visit our Marietta showroom, contact us here, or click below to quickly connect with one of our Control4 experts. We look forward to working with you!