In a day and age where our devices are getting smarter and we increasingly have the ability to integrate our systems, it might be time to consider smart wiring your home.
Don’t mistake smart wiring with network cable. Smart wiring is a unique system enabling the combination of many different types of wires used around the home into one platform allowing for the integration of a number of smart home systems, ideally with the ability to add more at any time.
From phone and cable lines to lighting and home security, there are a number of wires that exist around the home and integrating them into one system just makes sense.
While it’s ideal to have your home smart wired during a renovation or even under construction, it can be done at any time. The handy folks amongst us may attempt to do it themselves, but this is not recommended as smart wiring really does require a fair amount of skill. And if you’re making the investment it should be done right.
A licensed contractor may quote anywhere between $2,500 and $5,000 depending on the size of your home and the number of cables being run. It’s recommended that you always add more than you need to incorporate other systems in the future.
While it may seem like a substantial investment, smart wiring has a number of benefits and isn’t really considered to be a luxury anymore. Smart wiring your home allows you to be more comfortable – enabling you to do everything from setting your thermostat to adjusting the lights and even opening and closing the blinds all from the touch of a button either inside or outside of your home. You’ll also feel safer by being able to check on your home security while at work or on vacation.
When hiring an electrical contractor to smart wire your home, be sure they are proficient in such jobs. You can find a number of professionals listed in the Yellow Pages but they may not all have the ability to do the job.
Ask for references, and if possible, to tour the homes they’ve worked on to ensure they can do what you want. And of course, get a few quotes to check pricing. Chances are if the deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is.
