Intelligent Garage Door Automation- Smart Home Automation
We have recently completed some installations where we used existing garage door control and took it to the next level. We know garage door control isn’t exactly the sexiest topic, but there are some really cool home automation tasks you can do with your garage door.
Think about it, it is the largest opening into your home, so you want it be secure. You also want to be able to control it from anywhere in your house. You also want the system to be smart.
KeypadLinc Controlling a Garage Door
First- Convenience. It’s extremely handy to be able to first “see” if the garage door is open from all over the house, and then to control it from there as well. This is easily done with a keypad placed throughout the house, or at least in prime locations like the kitchen and each entry way. Check out this diagram from Smart Home.com to show what I mean. An individual button can be set up (either using the 6 button or 8 button keypad) to show at a glance both if the door is open (LED light on- for example) or closed, and then it also gives you the ability to close the door right then and there.
Second- Security. With some simple scripts you can set it up so that the garage door always closes itself after a set amount of time of being opened. This way as you drive away you don’t have to worry if you left the door open. Or, the home can notify you, audibly, via a whole home audio system through speakers placed throughout the house, if the door is left open, say at a certain time each night. “Excuse me, but the garage door has been left open, would you like me to close it for you?” This can be at 8pm each night, or something to that affect.
Insteon Garage Door Status Kit
Does Your House Talk to You?
Having a house that can alert you of situations can be a real convenience.
Our home alerts us of many different situations,
Apple's Airport Express- Fits in your hand.
problems and events throughout the day. This can be done many different ways. We use a Mac control system that uses applescripts to activate and deactivate, along with switching sources, to all the different speakers around the home, connected wirelessly via several of Apple’s Airport Expresses. This is a inexpensive way to have speakers in all the rooms in the house. Plus with software on the Mac, you can send just about any audio source wirelessly around the house. Read more
Featured Installation #3-Photo Beam Kits for Security
Recently we installed a new product that has a lot of potential uses in your smart home. We installed a pair of Photo Beam Alert Kits (available at Smart Home).
Insteon Photo Beam Alert Kit
We had a customer with an existing Insteon Network that was controlled with Mac Software Indigo, by Perceptive Automation. I know I have mentioned this software before, but that is because I really like it, and love how flexible and powerful it is. Read more
Join Duprey Home Automation in Cocoa Beach Wed. Aug 4, 2010 at Cocoa Beach Country Club
Duprey Home Automation
Visit with Duprey Home Automation tomorrow, Wed. Aug 4, 2010 at the Cocoa Beach Country Club, in Cocoa Beach, Florida. The event is sponsored by the
Cocoa Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, of which we are a member (click to view our page).
We will be participating in a show and would be excited to talk to talk to you about the benefits of Home Automation and how it can help your family SAVE MONEY at home, and make your home more GREEN, Convenient and FUN!
Don’t forget to check us out on Twitter for technology & smart home automation news, along with everything that is going on with us. Thank you !
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