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Process from initial consultation to quote approval, ordering and installation
The installation process starts with a consultation. We inspect the site and evaluate the stages of the installation project as it relates to the renovation or construction. For example, if the walls and roof are up – we get a good picture of the space. Or if we are looking at just a set of plans – this will require some flexibility is necessary as things can change as the project evolves, and some adjustments may be needed, for example where to position the electronics or the projector.
In the consultation and as we do the initial inspection we will asses the space and make suggestions on how that space can be used for the installation. We’ve seen a variety of ways to install equipment and will recommend which would be most suitable. We are happy to pass on our experience and knowledge to our client, and build a relationship and trust to ensure the best outcome for the project.
After the initial meeting we will prepare a specification and communicate if any additional information needed, or discuss if there are any questions. The specification will be organised by line items, so it will be easy to discuss each section, and how the total comes together.
From here the client accepts the quotation and pay the deposit. The terms for deposit can vary depending on the stage of the projects. For example if you are just installing cabling infrastructure to start, the deposit would be lower, but the project is closer to ordering the equipment then the deposit would be higher, so it can be ordered in advance and ready for the installation when its required.
From the moment all the required information is supplied, the quote can be done from as quickly as 2 days. If it’s a complex job it can be a bit longer up to 5 days.
From quote approval to ordering and installation
For new construction jobs, we usually need to complete a “pre-wire” or “rough-in”, prior to wall linings or rendering being completed and construction is being finalised. As a guide this work generally takes 1-5 days to complete. We then return after the walls and ceilings have been lined and plastered, but before painting to cut-out holes required and prepare to locate wall-plates and speakers etc. After the painting we install all the equipment, so there’s no dust and the equipment is safe. In this situation timeframe depends on construction stages, so typically 1-5 days work over a few months. We ensure we have a good understanding of other trades and we communicate well with them to make the whole process efficient.
Typically for renovations projects the process is similar to the above.
For Re-fits or simple projects where there’s no waiting involved, the whole process can take about a week. For example, refitting a theatre, installed and commissioned.
Another example of a project could be mounting a TV on a wall, installing a soundbar and running some cables through a wall and putting a WIFI point – this could be completed same day. During your initial consultation and depending on your homes construction we typically recommend the possible options available and if any remedial work is required.
If you have any questions – feel free to Contact us.
Planning home technology for your new home or renovation
When you’re building or renovating a new home you’ll start thinking about how your home technology devices will connect to the internet and what features would you like. A lot will depend on who will be living in the new home – a family, a couple or a single.
Family homes
For family homes and also for professionals a good place to start is planning for good WIFI everywhere for easy connection for mobile devices. Next step from there could be planning for TV and movies. Which may lead to thinking about better audio performance or setting up a dedicated movie room. Often people already have services like Netflix, Apple TV, Google Play, Chromecast that they would want to work on their TV seamlessly. There are quite a few options for home technology installation so the best way to go through the planning is to invite a professional installer for a consultation. It’s a much more efficient process in person, where they would evaluate your wants and needs, the area available and make recommendations. Sometimes we recommend not to spend money on certain things that you might think you need, but rather on things that you would use and appreciate. Our goal is to listen and understand your needs and preferences, and then design and create something you will love and benefit from.
New Homes
This often happens in the new home where people haven’t lived there yet. We would recommend against spending money on certain items, based on our experience. For example, sometimes it’s more beneficial to spend a bit more on home theatre and not as much on speakers in the study or other rooms. Consultation is key here, especially when renovating or building a new home. After the consultation, we prepare a design, spec and costing that we present to you and have further discussion from there.
The space that’s available and construction stage pretty much dictates the design of the job. In some cases other contractors could be on site doing electrical work for example. Here we would advise how things would integrate, or crossover with other technologies, like data, TV, other electrical. Everything needs to be wired and converge. Often clients already have costs for electrical work and adding another costs for technology installation can be complicated. So the best way is to do a thorough consultation and planning.
When we discuss a job we definitely suggest costing for individual items where possible. For example, for a room that’s 5-6m long, a quality Home Theatre projector would cost $2,400-$4,500 and a screen around $2000. We have a few packages on our website that give you an idea of costs.
WIFI first
Home technology needs a reliable internet and WIFI access, that’s a backbone that other devices depend on. For example, a 3-level brick home would potentially require 3 access points installed to have a reliable internet access, and it would depend on physical factors, interferences, materials. You have to allow for a cable infrastructure to be designed & installed that will provide flexibility, multiple access points etc. But when installed it might end up that only 1 access point is sufficient, or 5 are needed. We test and verify coverage nearing the end of construction to confirm the actual real world performance.
When our clients just renovating a room without any structural changes, replacing the carpet, painting walls, they often are looking to just upgrade their home theatre or a projector. As this is much more straightforward, one of the packages we have available could be a good option. Often we could use infrastructure already installed keeping the costs lower.
In conclusion – the best way to start thinking about home technology for renovating your home is to start with a consultation. Each individual situation is very different and a professional installer can advise and guide you towards the best solution for you, recommending where to save money and where to spend it.
If you have any questions – feel free to Contact us.
Our work, expertise and commitment
We pride ourselves on the quality and workmanship of all the work we undertake, from start to finish our professional approach delivers on satisfaction for every client. We focus on retaining all our clients providing honest reliable and committed service.
We offer a broad range of services for the modern home providing extensive knowledge and integrated solutions on all wiring and connected systems from Electrical, Security, Audio Visual and Data networking.
Having completed many projects both big, small and in between, our objective and focus is based on intelligent design with quality not quantity our philosophy. The service we offer is complete from start to finish including Consult, Design, Supply, Install, Service and Maintenance.
Investing in your movie experience
If you’re lucky enough to have a dedicated room for a Home Theatre, then why not invest in this experience making sure it lives up to expectation. A truly cinematic experience is easily achievable and probably not as expensive as one might think.
Design is the single most key ingredient. Investing in $5,000.00 worth of equipment from a retailer because this is supposed to be a great deal is very much a waste of budget. It’s the other little things like previous experience, knowledge and attention to detail that make a Home Theatre truly cinematic.
Smart design is the difference between good and bad home technology installation
Product life cycle
If you decide to invest in your home, your investment is required to stand the test of time. As a guide, Consumer Electronics are generally useful for approximately 5 years EG. TV’s, Blu-Ray players, laptops, computers, routers etc. Although these devices may last much longer, their speed or functionality could start getting a little dated, which is fine if you do not require new features. Good quality power amplifiers, receivers, Hi-Fi components and network switches are just few examples of devices that can last much longer. Functionality can be upgradable by connecting new, generally cheaper network devices EG. streaming/media devices, modem/routers, wireless Access Points to name a few.
Reliability
Harder to replace items like lighting control systems consisting of relays, sensors and key switch inputs etc. are generally very reliable providing trouble free operation in excess of 10 years. To ensure longevity, mains surge protection devices should always be installed to help prevent damage caused by both high and low voltage transient spikes. Uninterruptible Power Supplies should be installed protecting other low voltage devices like access control and alarm systems, modem/routers & network switches etc. Some devices are operating 24 hrs/day, 365 days/year, other devices sleep or enter standby mode to reduce power consumption and disruption to mains power can cause a range of issues including failure. Like most things, general maintenance will always be required to keep your systems operating smoothly over the long term.
Getting Started
A well planned and thoughtful design is what makes the difference in every home theater or home technology installation. Whether your project is large and complex, slightly more modest EG. 2 bedroom apartment or using some of the new plug and play products available, the principles remain the same. The installation locations and access provided to cabling and infrastructure, equipment and devices for maintenance and servicing is crucial! This can include the identification of circuits, cabling and wall outlets. Its not acceptable to jam all your wiring, circuit protection and relays into really tight fitting enclosures without leaving adequate space, stuffing your A/V equipment into a joinery unit with a tangled mass of cabling behind then quickly shut the door, hide your access control or security systems, data cabling etc. under the floor maybe in the roof or right in the back of a cupboard. Consultation and forward planning is essential including completing a system design before any installation commences. This will provide the Scope Of Works determining things like user requirements and convenience, locations and volume of space needed, accessibility, ventilation and cooling, integration between services, operation and future maintenance.
Conclusion
Thinking and planning will save you big $$$ over the life of your home technology systems and is one big difference between a good and bad installation. So whether you are doing it yourself or have professional help make sure you develop a Scope Of Works before you start.
If you would like additional help then please contact us today to arrange a consultation.
3 reasons to consider NuVo for Multi-Room or Whole Home Audio Distribution
Every day more and more people now enjoy listening to distributed audio in their homes, whether you are renovating, building or upgrading, distributed audio systems are now more affordable and easier to use. When it comes to multi-room or whole home audio systems then Sonos is the name that most people would be familiar with. Well NuVo is a similar type of system due to its wireless set-up capability, IOS and Android control applications, Tune-in internet radio service and other music streaming services EG Deezer and Pandora. While it does not provide powered speakers in its product line-up EG a Playbar, Play5-3-1, it does provide for other distinct differences when compared to the Sonos product. Below are just 3 differences which could possibly make NuVo more suitable for installation in your home.
- NuVo players all provide a USB 2.0 socket for simple direct connection of any storage device loaded with your Music library and play it through the system.
- NuVo players all provide Mastering-grade, high-fidelity uncompressed audio and deliver to every area of your home, and kept perfectly in sync, even when all rooms are playing the same tune.
- NuVo 3500 professional rack-mount 3 zone player is a single unit providing clean installation option requiring less cables, maintain cool operation and provide superior amplification suitable for 100W per channel with 4 Ohm loads utlising Bang and Olufsen’s intelligent ICEpower® audio technology.
So if your considering Whole Home Audio distribution and would like to experience the enjoyment of a more powerful high fidelity music system then NuVo might be your solution.
Contact us today for more information or to arrange a system demonstration.
3 Easy Tips on building a better Home Network
Fed-up with your WiFi not working as well as you would like? Having trouble when everyone is home from school and work and all trying to use the internet at the same time? Then these 3 things could be your solution.
- Upgrade your old modem router, check the specs and chances are if its more than 3 years old it needs replacing to obtain the best performance for your latest devices
- Install Wireless Access Points to improve coverage and congestion
- Install a switch to connect more devices by Ethernet and free-up some wireless bandwidth
Now your network is running smoothly have you thought about some easy to use security cameras around the home, work or holiday house? Checkout the new range of NETGEAR Nighthawk WiFi ADSL routers, CLICK switches and arlo smart home security cameras. These products could be your solution.
Contact us today to discuss your requirements, health-check your existing network or arrange a demonstration.
Critical Listening and a huge surprise!
Dolby Atmos is the latest extension to the Dolby Audio codecs creating a 3Dimensional sound field delivering audio around the listener from the typical 5.1 channel speaker lay-out and from above with two, four or further additional ceiling or upward firing Dolby ATMOS speakers located in the front (5.1.2) and rear (5.1.4).
With A compatible Audio Visual Receiver like INTEGRA, turns your room into an amazing place for entertainment.
Contact us today to discuss your current system or advice on a new DOLBY ATMOS system. Our showroom is currently under construction and due for completion in early August.
One Push is all it takes
Have too many remote controls? Sometimes can’t turn ON your TV or Projector? Need to simplify your current A/V set-up? Push Controls may be your solution. Push Controls is A/V automation controller and application for Apple iOS and Android mobile devices. We typically integrate Push with some of our more complex projects and integrated home systems.
Contact us today to arrange a demonstration.
4 good reasons to consider Home Automation: Comfort, Convenience, Entertainment and Security
Do you need some advice on a new home automation project? Assistance with alterations to your current installation? Systems like Clipsal C-Bus by Schneider Electric can provide features like Digital Labelling Technology (DLT) providing the ability to label switches with text or symbols, Scene creation like Welcome, Away & Goodnight also Scheduling of events to trigger, daily, weekly monthly etc. A well designed system can provide these features and many more.
Contact us today for advice or to arrange a demonstration. Our Sunshine Coast showroom is currently under construction and due for completion in early August.