Q&A: We Answer Your Common Smart Home Wiring Questions
Get Our Cabling Installation Tips for Your Control System
As smart homes grow in popularity, homebuilders are taking notice and partnering with integrators to install prewired automation systems into new properties to accommodate customers’ demands. But even though smart homes are increasingly popping up on the market doesn’t mean all homes have been prepped for smart technology.
If you’re interested in joining the world of home automation, chances are you need some guidance on how to get started. Below, we’ve answered some of your common questions about preparing a robust cabling installation for all of the integrated technologies you’d like to incorporate into your University Park, TX home. Read on to see our answers!
SEE ALSO: Wireless or Wired Internet, or Both?
Can I Wire an Already-Built Home?
Whether your home is five or 50 years old, you can wire it to accommodate your most desired smart technologies—but it’s not always an easy process. Wiring your home after it’s been built usually tacks on more work, additional costs, and prolonged waiting time. Depending on the extent of your desired smart home, you may even need to tear down walls in order to install wires where they need to go.
Fortunately, it’s often possible to install wires in a less intrusive manner, such as running them through basements or ceilings. But if you’re unsure about the optimal location for wiring your cables, don’t fret. Our team at Texadia Systems can help you every step of the way.
In What Location Should Everything Connect?
All of your wired smart devices need to connect to one particular point in your home. Whether you refer to it as your control room or wiring closet, this location is incredibly important as it houses all of your systems. When selecting the right spot in your home for this purpose, it’s crucial that the location you choose meets the following criteria for optimal safety and convenience:
- Has enough space for the security system, wire panel and an equipment rack
- Is positioned close to the wall where service feeds enter your home
- Has plenty of electrical outlets for plugging in your gear
- Maintains a moderate and reliable temperature
- Keeps out dust and debris
- Is easy to access
How Do I Keep My Cables Organized?
If your smart home is ready for use but lacks cabling organization, troubleshooting or upgrading your system will only be more of a headache as you navigate through the mess. Instead, keep your cables organized in small bundles with zip ties, which allows for simple adjustment and provides support for any heavy wires you may have.
Another effective way to keep your cables organized is to color code them to their specific function. For example, if your audio/visual wires are all blue, you’ll know right away to tend to your blue wires when there’s an audio/visual issue or if you’d like to extend your home’s audio system.
Bundling and color coding are reliable organization tactics that help you save valuable time when solving a system hiccup or adding on to your devices.
Wait, Can’t Everything Be Wireless?
Smart technology is becoming increasingly wireless, so you may wonder if you need to deal with a cable installation at all. While wireless solutions offer ample flexibility and less mess when installing your devices, many technologies will prove less reliable when installed wirelessly instead of hardwired to your network.
Some of your smart devices, like your doorbell or thermostat, may only require small amounts of data and a simple wi-fi connection to work as they should. But that’s not the case across all of your devices. Your outdoor AV system and desktop computer, for example, require heavier amounts of data and work much more reliably when hardwired. This conclusion may mean that a mixture of wireless and wired solutions will work best for your home.
Upgrading to a smart home can be an exciting project when you’ve properly planned every step of the process. However, any uncertainty along the way may lead to disaster. Trust Texadia System to eliminate the stress of wiring your smart home yourself. Our team of longtime experts will do all the heavy lifting for you, from design to installation and maintenance, so you can simply relax and look forward to using your smart home without the hassle of piecing it together.
Get started today by contacting us here or sending us a live chat below now. We can’t wait to work with you!
