Category "Smart Home"

Planning a home renovation project?  There’s a new tool that can make the difference between frustration and smooth-sailing success.

It helps you project-manage, protect your home, and solve tricky scheduling and security challenges—all from your phone.

It’s called smart home security—powered by Catawba Security & Alarm.com—and it comes with an array of features that simplify renovation projects big and small. It’s also a valuable home upgrade in its own right, giving you state-of-the-art protection with smart home automation that’ll enhance your original project.

1: Smart locks take care of access for contractors

Even if you’re a handy DIYer, most renovation projects require professional help, which means contractors who’ll need access to your home. Do you plan to be onsite every day to let them in, or will you risk the spare key approach?

Alarm.com gives you a better solution: smartphone-controlled door locks. Need to be at the office early? No problem: have your contractor press your doorbell camera when they arrive, verify them via video feed, and tap once to let them in.

If a contractor needs repeat access, give them an Alarm.com user code. This four-digit code will unlock the door within a specific timeframe and can be deleted (or auto-expired) when the job is done.

2: Alerts and video keep you in the know

Did your electricians show up late when you weren’t there? Did they really stay for three hours? With Alarm.com’s activity alerts, you’ll know.

You can stay in the know with user code-triggered smartphone alerts, including “late arrival” and “no-show”. If you need to verify contractors’ hours on longer projects, you’ll find a complete activity history in your web dashboard.

Want a real-time progress update but don’t have time for a call? Alarm.com’s indoor and outdoor security camera options offer live video feeds, visual alerts, and two-way voice communication, making it easy to see what’s going on and communicate essential information.

Don’t have internet in your property yet? Our cellular-connected Image Sensor has you covered.

3: One-touch security protects your property instantly

A renovation increases the security risk at your home. Thieves target unattended sites for tools and materials. A dishonest contractor could leave a window open for a return visit after hours.

Alarm.com is up to the challenge. Proactive, tamper-resistant and professionally monitored for emergencies, a smart home security system stays on guard around the clock and can quickly alert you to an open window or unexpected activity. It can even hit the lights if a video camera detects a person outside after dark.

While tough on intruders, Alarm.com makes security easy for you, with no “doorway dashes” required when arming or disarming. A single Scene command on your smartphone is all it takes to lock up and turn on the alarm when the day’s work is done.

4: Bonus: It’s an instant upgrade for your whole home

Smart home security isn’t just for renovations: it’s also a true home upgrade with long-lasting benefits and serious homebuyer or renter appeal.

If you’ve been considering a smart home makeover but weren’t sure where to start, Alarm.com is for you. We can quickly add smart lights, ENERGY STAR®-certified thermostats, locks and more to your security system, giving you a fully-automated smart home controlled by a single app.

It’s the easiest way to enjoy better security and safety, energy savings, and convenient home automation with no hi-tech work on your part required.

Want to get started? Click here to see how to get in touch with us!

Choosing whether to handle your home automation project yourself or to hire someone is a big decision. Each approach has its merits, but you’ll reap the greatest rewards by hiring Catawba Security. With extensive knowledge and rigorous training in wiring, networking, audio/video, and more, we are your Control4 smart home professional that is armed with tools, resources, and experience to create a truly intelligent home of your dreams.

WHY HIRE A PRO?

Having your system professionally installed means you’re getting our years of experience, hands-on training, and access to our award-winning tech support team. We are armed with the knowledge that delivers on your smart home dream.

TAILORED FOR YOU

Missing from a DIY system will be the customization and scalability you get from a professionally installed home automation system. A professionally installed smart home system is tailored to perform precisely the way you want it to. Then after the initial install, When >> Then personalization gives you the power to change or modify your system as desired. You can adjust and fine-tune many of the features of your system to match exactly what you need on your own, with the confidence of knowing Catawba Security is here to help if you ever get stuck.

RELIABILITY GUARANTEED

Even though your home automation system is built to last, from time to time, technology needs a little extra TLC or updating to stay fresh and always work reliably. The wireless network in your home might need to be tweaked or a wire may need to be routed to an area that’s difficult to reach. We have the tools, knowledge, and training to guarantee that your home automation system will perform optimally. And should you ever run into a glitch—even months or years after the system has been installed—our local trained technicians are here to help.

GET INSPIRED

When turning your home into a smart home, it’s important to work with someone with experience who can help you discover the best solution and possibilities in your own home. Incorporated into our showroom are working examples of home technology, which have been made to look and function just like spaces in your own home. This paints a vivid and realistic picture of what it’s like to live with and benefit from home automation.

SO WHAT’S NEXT?

Whether you are building your dream home and would like to get us involved from the beginning or you are looking to transform your existing home into a smart home, give us a call or stop by our showroom.  One of our knowledgeable staff will explore with you what you are looking to achieve and discuss how Control4 can help automate your life!

Another day, another smart device for the home. Some are smarter than others. Some are very smart. Some are the smartest devices ever. And yet, they don’t quite make a smart home.

So what is a smart home?

It’s a bit like a good football team.  Each player has specialized skills, but they can only win games by working together – and that takes a good coach.  Throughout the game, the coach gets information from players and assistants to understand the big picture of what’s happening on the field.  With this intelligence, he can call plays that use the unique talents of each player to get more from the team.

The true smart home has such a coach. It’s a platform: cloud software built specifically to connect and control every device in the home.  It gathers intelligence from around the home and coordinates actions to make the home safer, smarter and more efficient.

You might not see what’s happening behind the scenes, but you will definitely notice the unique features and value that only a platform-controlled smart home can deliver.

Let’s consider three such cases.

A home that complements security with privacy

Video monitoring is a popular smart home security solution. Standalone smart cameras record motion-triggered clips of activity in the home and send them to the homeowner, providing valuable awareness of what’s going on.

A smart camera powered by a platform can do more.   The security system can tell the platform who disarmed the system or where important activity is happening, such as someone entering the back door.  With this information the platform intelligently directs the camera to capture important activity and then alerts you with a video clip on your smart phone.

When the homeowner disarms the system, the camera doesn’t record. The platform enhances awareness when you’re away and privacy when you’re home.

A home that senses every opportunity to save energy

A standalone smart thermostat knows when the homeowner walks in front of it.  But that’s not a lot of information to decide whether it should make the entire home comfortable, or set back to save energy. You might call it guesswork.

A smart home platform knows everything that’s happening around the home.   It knows definitively if the homeowner is away (security panel), if they’re in bed (motion sensors), and even if they’ve left a door open (contact sensors). The platform knows the right time to save energy and the right time to make things comfortable.

A home that protects itself from water damage

Smart devices can help protect your property.  For example, a water sensor can alert the homeowner that a pipe is leaking in their empty home.

A smart home platform can go further and respond proactively. When the water sensor is triggered the platform immediately commands a connected water valve in the basement to shut off the home’s water.

And that’s just the beginning.  While the standalone device offers value in each case, the platform is the key to multiplying their value and solving complex, real-life challenges for homeowners. With more devices joining the Internet of Things, cloud platforms that integrate them will become essential to maximizing their capabilities.

For more information about our smart home solutions please contact us today!