Like Fixing A Hole In The Roof Recently, I had the fun chore of finding and fixing two broken irrigation pipes for our sprinkler system. It seems every year, without fail, there is always a broken sprinkler head to adjust or replace, but this time, two different zones...
What Is Professional Home Automation? This simple question generates and lot of different and unexpected answers. When I ask many people what they think distinguishes a Pro from a consumer DIY project, I get may different answers but the only thing everyone agrees on...
Spring has Sprung! Now that we have swung full speed into Spring, it’s time to plan for re-planting the smart home garden of controllers, devices, and appliances. Every Spring I take an inventory of where things stand, what needs to be fixed or changed, and what I...
The Pen Is Mightier Than The Sword The biggest secret to a successful smart home project is not in the design or the building, but in the documentation. Without exaggeration, I must admit it has taken me many years to learn this simple lesson. Recently, I...
DIY or Pro Integration? As your smart home continues to grow, it can reach the point where you may feel like you are losing instead of gaining control. That simple home automation project to turn a few lights on or off at your command has morphed into a...
Cost-Effective Smart Home System Choices Most DIY projects serve two different masters - our enjoyment of doing something by ourselves and the desire to save money. But the fun of learning, hands-on doing, and fiddling around with smart home tech is very...