Home Automation: Plan the Wiring Before the Walls Close

Smart devices are easy to buy and awkward to retrofit. During a renovation the walls are already open, the electrician is already on site, and adding a cable costs very little. Once the drywall goes back on, the same job means cutting it open again.

1. Get The Network Right First

   Every smart device depends on the network. Wired connections to the main access points and a hardwired run to anything that matters - cameras, TVs, office - is what keeps the system reliable when the house fills with devices.

2. Lighting: Switches, Not Just Bulbs

   Smart switches keep working when someone flicks them by hand, which is what guests and family will always do. Plan the scenes room by room, and add dimmers where the room is used at different times of day.

3. Heating And Cooling

   A smart thermostat pays for itself faster in a house where rooms are used at different times. If zoning is part of the renovation, the wiring for it gets planned now.

4. Cameras, Doorbells And Locks

   Decide the camera positions while the walls are open, and run power to them. Smart locks and video doorbells need a solid door, decent Wi-Fi at the entry and somewhere for the chime.

5. Keep The Controls Simple

   One app, sensible names, a few useful automations. A system nobody in the house can operate is worse than no system at all, so we set it up and walk you through it before we leave.

The best time to plan home automation is while the walls are open and the trades are already booked. Even if you only run the cables now and add devices later, the hard part is done.