Structured Wiring
Installing a basic technology infrastructure in the home provides many benefits to homeowners. The demand for basic structured wiring of homes is rapidly growing for some very legitimate reasons:

Added Convenience, Comfort & Security
Structured wiring sets the stage for a comfortable lifestyle, both in actual available features and the ease of mind that comes from being prepared for the future, whether it’s a computer, high definition television, distributed audio system or advanced security system. You can rest assured that you are ready for the technology and services of today, as well as tomorrow.

Enhanced Entertainment
With the basic structured wiring system, you are ready for whole-house distribution of audio, video, voice and data. You’ll gain the maximum value from both existing and yet to be purchased entertainment components.

Cost Savings / Increased Value
If you are building a new home, you have a one-time opportunity to wire it inexpensively. The costs are relatively small to wire and equip homes to accept current and future technologies during home construction, and will definitely save you a lot of time and money down the road. A small investment in structured wiring now is a sound investment for the future. As important as being technologically up to date is, the importance is increasing very rapidly in today’s world. Soon potential homebuyers will not only be looking at the number of bedrooms in a home, but also at the level of installed technology as an important buying criteria. A properly designed wiring system will have a direct and positive impact on the value of your home.

Home Automation
From simply having a remote control to turn on your home’s lights when you pull into the driveway to hearing a chime when the mail has been delivered, there’s really no limit to the convenience, comfort and security you can add to your life through home automation. After all, you want your home to be safe, comfortable and enjoyable. Here are a few examples of how technology can help out in your day-to-day life:

Convenience
Would it be nice to have the ability to turn off the lights and arm the security system from inside your car or from your cell phone? If you remember you left the iron on, you can dial your house from any phone and shut off power to that outlet. Or have your system turn off the outlet every time you leave the house, so you don’t have
to worry about it again.

When you return home, a motion sensor can turn on the lights as you walk into the room. You can walk to the touch screen on the wall and fill the house with music. When you’re watching television, you can dim the lights and turn off the ceiling fan with the same remote that runs the TV. When you are going to bed, instead of running around the house turning out all the lights, hit a single button on your nightstand and save yourself a trip around the house.

You can automate most lights, audio / video, heating and air conditioning and sprinkler systems to save you time and money. With home automation, convenience is what it’s all about.

Security
Home automation can provide a heightened sense of security in your home. Not only can you install motion sensors outside to turn on exterior lights, you can program the system to turn on interior lights to make intruders think they’ve been spotted. What about programming the system so that the sprinkler system turns on, giving an unpleasant welcome to anyone wandering where they should not be. When you’re away from home, you can create a lived-in appearance by randomly timing lights to turn on and off, and by having drapes and blinds open and close during the day.

If you hear a noise at night, you can hit a button on your nightstand and fill the house with light before you go investigate. You can check on the nursery through a video camera and any television in the house, and install video cameras outside, and even have a motion detector activate a VCR to record who is at the front door.

So in addition to a basic alarm system and outdoor motion detectors, we can design a system to take care of any concerns you may have dealing with home security.

Lower Energy Bills
“By dimming an incandescent fixture to 90%, you decrease energy consumption by 10% and effectively double the life of your bulb.”

Automation is a practical way to save energy and, in the process, money. Your thermostat can be dialed back whenever you ‘arm’ the security system as you leave the house, and the system will reset when you come home and ‘disarm’ the security system. We can even set your climate system so you can have control through a computer or over the phone when you’re away from home.

Another opportunity for significant energy savings is with HVAC Zone Control. Your HVAC system can be controlled on a room-by-room basis and not just on a system-wide basis. Electronic Duct Dampers can be added to your current system or to a new system as it is being built. These dampers shut off the air to the area they control. This can be done by an automated schedule or by occupancy sensors that sense when certain parts of the home are occupied. By heating and cooling only the areas that are needed, you will save money on your utility bill every month.

Sensors can be installed to turn exterior lights on and off according to the amount of natural light, and to keep the sprinkler system from coming on the morning after a rainstorm. These may seem like small things, but will save you money over the long term.

You can increase energy efficiency just by having the ability to dim the lights. Running the lights at 85%, 90%, or 95% light levels will make a difference in your utility bill with very little visible difference in light output. Incandescent light bulbs also enjoy a longer life when operating at lower levels, so you’ll even save a little time and money by having to replace them less frequently.

Systems can be as simple or complex as you would like. The important thing is that a homeowner is offered the chance to install a system that will make an immediate and positive impact in their lives.

www.riverdesigns.com