Services-
Standardized practices.
Unrivaled results.
Our staff is continually trained on the latest smart home industry trends and products in order to deliver a wide variety of first-class installation services. Through our wide-reaching capabilities we offer technology solutions entirely tailored to your needs.
Consultation
Project Specification
Once we’ve undergone that original needs analysis, we’ll document it to include your specific budget qualifications and performance expectations. The initial design proposal outlines the subsystems you want to include in your home in an easy-to-follow room by room format. We go in-depth to outline the features and functionality for each room when it comes to Lutron lighting, video, home audio and networking. For example, our consultants will document which rooms of your New Buffalo, MI home should have WiFi coverage and the different shading models you may want to include in each. After presenting the project specification, r:home consultants integrate any of your feedback before proceeding to the project design.
Design & Engineering
We take the approved project specifications and interpret them with exacting detail to match all of the capabilities and functionality you expect, from the structured cabling plan to the final business or smart home installation. At this stage r:home consultants will outline hardware model numbers and prices as well as all the labor needed to execute the job. Backed with Computed Aided Design (CAD) technology and project drawings, our engineering team crafts a comprehensive plan for all technicians and trade partners to follow. These include vital information on low-voltage wiring, looping and grouping of lighting loads, engineering schematics, rack elevations and keypad specifications needed for your Chicago-area project.
Lighting Design
The goal of a professional lighting system is to achieve the right mood in each room of your property. It all starts with that initial needs intake to find out what activities you want to accomplish. Then it’s up to our experts to craft a layered lighting design by selecting the right fixtures and loads. For example, we’ll use ceiling fixtures for overhead lighting, sconces for accent lighting and down lighting in cabinets or tables for specific tasks. We then group your fixtures within dedicated loads for greater control. For example, an “Artwork” load controls all the fixtures geared at showing off the pieces of art in a specific room from one Lutron switch or dimmer.
System Documentation
Extensive documentation in the form of CAD designs and project drawings results in a streamlined and transparent construction and installation process that lets us stay within schedule. This documentation serves as a vital tool for our technicians to use to ensure the end result includes all the capabilities and functionalities you wanted in your smart home or home audio installation. The project documentation from our expert consultants will include all structured cabling requirements, device locations, power specifications, rack elevations and schematic level engineering. We share this documentation with you as well as any property managers, architects or designers involved in the installation process.
Project Management
Coordinating the installation of our smart home projects requires active project management from our staff to ensure protocols are met, design plans are followed and that any as-built documentation is updated whenever new work orders or changes occur. Since different groups may be working on security, home audio/video and lighting subsystems separately it’s important to have a dedicated consultant in charge of bringing them all together. Our project consultants oversee and communicate with technicians, contractors and subcontractors to ensure they’re following the project design and staying within schedule.
Wire Installation
Low-voltage wiring serves as the foundation behind all our integrated technology projects. As part of our project designs, we integrate the fiber and copper wiring needed to support any AV, security, networking, lighting and surveillance capabilities. Our structured cabling infrastructure accommodates all current system requirements and allows for future technology upgrades in the future. Not only do we take great care to choose the appropriate wire for each application, but we meticulously organize our racks for easy maintenance and upgrades. Different solutions are available for new construction or retrofits of an existing space in your New Buffalo or Lake Geneva property.
Programming
No project is complete without the programming and system configuration needed to create a platform that brings all your technology together in your Winnetka, IL home or business. Reliable programming serves as a universal language between your Lutron lighting system, home audio, video, security and more. Each one of our consultants brings their technical expertise to create an effortless control experience via touch screens, keypads, remotes and smart devices. Every job is unique so we will tailor your system interfaces to match your project’s capabilities and desired functionality.
System Monitoring
Our technicians can actively monitor all your network and IP-connected devices from a remote connection. From a centralized performance dashboard, we can immediately gauge the status of all your devices. We’ll see a real-time update on your Winnetka home’s lighting, climate, security and audio/video components and know immediately if there are issues that need to be resolved. Just as important, we’ll automatically download any new software upgrades or patches. As part of your system monitoring, we’ll also conduct regular network performance tests since latency is often a cause for performance issues.
maintenance & support
We offer world-class service for all our projects in the form of ongoing maintenance and support to resolve any issues quickly and efficiently. All technology experiences some wear and tear, so we constantly fine-tune your smart home system to ensure it meets all your performance and functionality standards. We offer service plans tailored to your project which include 24/7 remote system management, tech support, priority response time and yearly on-site tech reviews. We’ll also serve as your technology consultant and let you know when we hear of new technology that may enhance your Chicago-area home’s system performance.
