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Avoid These Common DIY Disasters

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Partner With a Home Automation Company From the Start

Smart home technology has developed dramatically over the last few decades, with intelligent systems and devices becoming prevalent in many homes. These devices can make a home more comfortable and convenient, something every homeowner can enjoy. Unfortunately, many Oregonians fall victim to the pitfalls of DIY when they first embark on their smart home journey. Several visit the local big-box retailer to buy a “smart ____.” Fill in the blank with your choice of device; it likely exists, but it’s not nearly as smart as it lets on. Read below to learn three reasons why going the do-it-yourself route can become a nuisance and why you should instead work with Launch Systems, your local Portland-area home automation company.

SEE ALSO: 3 Reasons Why We Love Control4  

DIY Mistake #1: Incompatible Systems

Disparate devices do not communicate with one another. Each speaks a different language, so synchronizing them all together is a feat, if not impossible. That means you need to juggle multiple apps and cables in order to use every smart device you would find at a big-box retailer. Instead, Launch Systems can design a customized Control4 home automation system that incorporates every smart device in your entire Portland home. Control4 works with the leading technology companies – like Sonos, Amazon, Lutron and Sony, to name a few – plus the brand offers its own family of smart devices, too. These seemingly incongruent products are programmed to work together in unison with just a tap of your finger or with designated smart scenes.  

DIY Mistake #2: Not Scalable

The average U.S. household has 45 light bulbs. Think about your own home for a moment. If you have a larger home, then you could easily double that number. Now think of the other tech devices you have. DIY home automation cannot control all of the smart devices inside and outside of an expansive home. Even with a robust home network triaging device traffic for you, a poorly designed residential control system simply can’t support every motorized shade, audio/video component and tunable LED bulb. A professionally designed system with expert installation will not only incorporate every single device you currently have, but it will have room to grow when you add additional devices that demand extra power and bandwidth.  

DIY Mistake #3: An Eyesore

Though some homeowners may not care about this particular mistake, we consider it one of the most dreadful issues we encounter when coming in to fix DIY disasters. At the local retailer, color and finish options are skim. Color options are typically white or black, and finishes come in matte or glossy. Luckily, you don’t have to live with these drab options in your home. Custom-etched wall plates are available in satin, metallics, matte, or glossy finishes are available, so operating your smart home can be a stylish activity. Clunky black boxes don’t need to mar your interior design. We work alongside homeowners to find custom finishes and fabrics that complement your décor and meet your technology needs.   For more insight on what it takes to incorporate smart home technology into your Oregon or California home, be sure to follow us on Facebook. And if you’re ready to explore the possibilities of home automation, connect with us using our online form. We can’t wait to hear from you!

3 Aspects of Home Audio You Don’t Want to Overlook

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Don’t Forget These Small Yet Important Details When Designing Your High-End Audio System

A music playlist can change the feel of any situation. Relaxing, cool jazz sets the mood for a romantic dinner for two, while fast-paced metal beats keep your blood pumping during a cardio session in your home gym. To experience life with a stellar soundtrack in your Huntington Beach, CA, home, high-end speakers and an expertly designed home audio system are required. High-performance amplifiers, speakers, and cabling are all necessary to enjoy the best possible audio experience in your Orange County home, but there are three often-overlooked components of home audio that you shouldn’t ignore. Read on below to learn three small details you can incorporate into your whole-home audio system for a more enjoyable listening experience.

SEE ALSO: Are High-End Speakers Worth It?  

Room Correction

Sound waves can reflect off of surfaces or absorb into fabrics. Taking the room's physical makeup into consideration when designing your home audio system ensures music, TV, movies, podcasts, and your other favorite audio entertainment sounds clear with no distortion. To further combat possible echoes and audio issues, digital room correction technology can improve the listening experience. Many high-end speaker systems incorporate digital room correction functions that includes internal software and microphones. When a sound is emitted, the software then measures the response time for the sound to return. A digital filter is then placed over the audio waves to combat distortion and improve sound quality. If you were to change your room's layout, you would need to rerun digital room correction to combat sound absorption and reflection in the room adequately.  

Surge Protection

In California, homeowners are no stranger to electrical outages and planned power grid failures, especially during wildfire season. Even though some outages are planned, those that aren't can have catastrophic consequences on the electronics in your home. To protect your high-end equipment, you need surge protection. During an outage or power surge, a surge protector reroutes extra energy so that it does not harm your devices. Over time, multiple surges can wear down your equipment. Robust protection is required to protect your technology investments for years to come.  

Home Network

With the rise in audio and video streaming’s popularity, your home’s internet connection is increasingly important. Slow music downloads and buffering icons during movies are just two mild annoyances that can stem from a poorly designed or underpowered home network. The experts at Launch Systems can create a system that triages your internet traffic, dedicating bandwidth where and when it matters most. Your music and movies won’t lag when you’ve addressed your home network!   Home audio is more than high-end speakers, and it requires an attention to detail that only the professionals at Launch Systems can provide. Connect with us using this online form so we can help get you started!    

3 Reasons Why We Love Control4

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Learn Why This Home Automation Brand Is Our Favorite for Portlanders

Can you imagine walking into your Portland-area home and having it respond to your every need? Nothing is nicer than stepping into the foyer after a long day at work and pressing a button to initiate a sequence of smart device responses that help you wind down and ease into a relaxed state of mind. What we just described isn’t fiction – it’s possible with Control4 home automation! Your entire Oregon home is at your fingertips or operable with a simple voice command. Read on below to learn three reasons why Control4 is our favorite home control brand.

SEE ALSO: Incorporate Control4 OS 3 Into Your California Home

1.      Control4 is Simple to Control.

We’re not exaggerating when we say using a Control4 system is as easy as pressing a button. Custom-etched wall keypads that match your décor, sleek touchscreens mounted on the wall or on table stands, remotes in stylish finishes, and even your smartphone are all possible devices to use to control your home. The app’s user interface is intuitive and customizable, so you can program your favorite settings and customize scenes with just a few swipes.

2.      Control4 Improves Energy Efficiency.

Your window treatments communicate with temperature sensors via your Control4 system, automatically lowering in response to the room's temperature rising to prevent heat gain in your living spaces. A temperature rise will trigger your HVAC system to turn off or on depending on the time of year and your preferences. A smart home with climate control will save you money because it can learn your habits and adjust accordingly to reduce energy waste.

3.      Control4 Transforms Your Home.

With home automation, you can change the ambiance in mere seconds. Select the ‘Relax’ scene to dim tunable LED lighting, lower the shades, and start streaming your favorite jazz station on Spotify to help you wind down at the end of the day. Raise the blinds with a voice command to let natural sunlight shine brightly into your home at the beginning of the day. Dim the lights in the home theater whenever you queue up your AV system. It’s all possible with a home powered by Control4!   If you’re ready to explore the simple pleasures of a Control4 system in your Portland-area home, fill out our online form to get started! We can’t wait to hear from you.

A Day in the Life With Tunable LED Lighting

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Smart Lighting Supports You from Sunup to Sundown

We’re lucky to have great weather for most of the year in California, but with the winter months here, many of us are spending more time indoors than we are accustomed to. The decreased time spent in natural lighting may start to drag a bit on our moods. To combat the winter doldrums, consider tunable LED lighting. Tunable LED lighting puts you in control of simulated natural lighting. From sunrise to sundown, your natural circadian rhythm is supported with variable color temperature lighting. Keep reading below to learn more about this innovative lighting solution, and we’ll walk you through what a typical day in your Huntington Beach, CA, home would look like.


SEE ALSO: 3 of the Top Benefits to Tunable LED Lighting

Good Morning

Clocks fell back last month, and with the time change, early mornings are darker than they’ve been all year. That means it may be a bit more difficult to wake up feeling rejuvenated without any natural sunlight streaming through your windows. This is where tunable LED lighting shines, literally and figuratively. You can program your smart lighting to sync with a timer, turning on every day at the same time in sync with your alarm clock. Bluish white light with a color temperature around 7000K imitates daylight, so your lighting can support you more naturally as you get started on your day.  

Good Afternoon

Many of us tend to hit a productivity slump midday and find it difficult to concentrate on the tasks we need to complete. A bright, cool white light will keep you awake and alert so that you can focus more easily. This bluer tinged white light has a color temperature between 4000K-6000K. Throughout your day, tunable lighting will transition through the color temperature spectrum to support your needs. In the morning and early afternoon, lighting supports your productivity and alertness. As the afternoon turns to evening, lighting helps you and your entire family wind down.  

Good Evening

Studies have shown that different durations, intensities, and wavelengths of light affect the human body. The circadian rhythm, or natural biological clock, can be interrupted by bright, artificial lighting and potentially cause health issues. This disruption can also affect our sleeping patterns, causing insomnia and restless sleep. A warmer, white light will support your circadian rhythm, signaling to your brain that it’s time for tranquility and relaxation. This warm white light has an orange or yellow hue and a color temperature in the range of 2000K-3000K. You can program your lighting to transition automatically, or you can press a button on your wall keypad or smart device to change the lighting at your discretion. Once you’re ready for bed, simply press another button on your smart device or use a voice command to turn off all of your lighting. The tunable LED lighting cycle can start again in the morning, supporting you and your family throughout another day.   Your Huntington Beach, CA home deserves to be highlighted in beautiful LED lighting, and you deserve the wellness support that this innovative lighting offers. To setup a consultation, fill out our online form or call us today. We look forward to working with you!

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