For anyone considering a self build home there are some things you just can’t do without. Increasingly, home automation is one of those things, whether it be a single room with some basic lighting control or a fully integrated, connected home. Mistakes and omissions can be expensive to rectify so here is our self build guide list of 5 common home automation mistakes:
- Failure to plan – This is by far the most common and most expensive mistake we come across. I have lost count of the amount of times we have been called by people who “have almost finished a renovation and want some home automation put in”. If you are using a specialist contractor, they will need to be involved as early in the design process as possible. Get them involved in meetings with your architect and respect their advice. Housing all your equipment is something many overlook. An equipment rack can be 250cm high, it’s no good thinking you will tuck it all in the cupboard under the stairs.
- TV on chimney breast – I know, it’s so tempting and sometimes it just can’t avoided, but mounting your TV above the fireplace is one of the worst things you can do both for your TV and for your viewing pleasure. Firstly, the heat and soot will get into the inside of your screen and reduce the life of it. If your manufacturer notices this they will likely void your warranty. Add to this it’s literally a pain in the neck. A TV should be at eye level when you are in your normal viewing position (generally seated on a chair / sofa). Mounting your screen above the fire means you are recreating a viewing experience akin to sitting in the front row of your local multiplex. Finally, although better now than it has ever been, LCD screens in particular suffer from “viewing angle” meaning that for every degree off 90 degrees you are sitting, there will be a degradation of picture quality. This is apparent as you watch an LCD screen from the side as well as viewing from above or below.3 Wire for connected TV – Just about any flat panel you buy now will be “smart”. This means it can be connected to the internet, which whilst right now may not be important to you, in two or three years time it will be. The model of how we watch TV is changing from broadcasting to the masses, where execs sit in an office and decide what you can watch – when, to narrow-casting to specific markets. YouTube, Amazon, Netflix are all bidding to buy original content for their respective internet video offerings. Of course, these connected smart TV’s will generally come with WiFi built in but a TV is not something you are going to move to regularly and so if you can hard wire, then hard wire.
- Ventilation / cooling for rack – Have you ever put you hand on top of a Skybox and been surprised how hot it is? Amplifiers, hard drives, streaming devices, even a router all give out heat and all have a specified margin of tolerance within which your equipment will work perfectly well. But, allow your equipment to overheat and you will run into trouble shortening the life and reliability of your electronics substantially.
- Not using a CEDIA Certified Consultant – CEDIA is the Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association. A global body who’s objective is to promote training and best practice within it’s members. Using a CEDIA member to help with your self build will ensure you don’t make any of these mistakes and will get the very best home automation solution that your budget allows. Visit www.cedia.org to find a consultant near you.
These are just five of the most common mistakes that we come across on a regular basis, which can be incredibly expensive to put right once you have moved in.
Plan, plan and plan is the best advice I can give, and find a CEDIA Consultant you are happy working with. Most will visit with you free of charge to discuss your needs, the better ones will want to be as involved in the design process as you are willing to allow them and will do all they can to provide you with the solution your budget will allow. In our industry, reputation is everything.
If you are carrying out, or considering carrying out a self build in London or the South of England then Audio 7 will be happy to help and advise you. Visit our website www.audio7.co.uk email alex@audio7.co.uk or give us a call for a chat 0845 073 7227