Enhancing Your Outdoor Living Space with Audio-Visual Design
As the days grow longer and the weather warms, the allure of the outdoors beckons us to step outside and embrace the vibrancy of spring. This season is the perfect time to reconsider the potential of our outdoor living spaces. Whether it's a tranquil backyard, a cozy patio, or a spacious screen porch, integrating audio-visual elements can significantly enhance the ambiance and functionality of these spaces. Let's explore how good audio-video design can transform your outdoor area into an inviting extension of your home, making it a perfect haven for relaxation and entertainment.
Creating a Seamless Indoor-Outdoor Transition
One of the most significant trends in modern home design is the seamless integration of indoor and outdoor living areas. With the right audio-visual setup, you can extend the comfort and luxury of your indoor space to the outdoors. Imagine, for instance, stepping onto your patio and being enveloped in the same high-quality sound that you enjoy inside your home, or watching your favorite movie under the stars on a sleek outdoor TV that matches the aesthetic of your garden.
Audio Solutions: Blending Sound with Nature
When it comes to integrating sound into your outdoor spaces, the goal is to create an immersive audio experience that complements, rather than disrupts, the natural environment. Speakers designed to blend into your landscape, disguised as rocks or tucked away among plants, can fill your garden with music without being visually intrusive. This kind of thoughtful integration ensures that technology enhances the outdoor experience, adding a soundtrack to your garden's natural beauty without taking away from it.
Visual Enhancements: Outdoor TVs
Outdoor televisions have come a long way, offering durability and clarity that can handle the brightness and variability of outdoor conditions. Placing a weatherproof TV on your patio or in your screen porch allows you to enjoy movies, sports, and more in the fresh air. When selecting an outdoor TV, consider one with a high brightness rating to ensure visibility even on sunny days, and make sure it's designed to withstand the elements for year-round enjoyment.
Expanding the Season with Screen Porches
For those with screen porches, integrating audio-visual technology can make this space a year-round retreat. With the addition of outdoor heaters and weather-resistant furniture, your screen porch can become a cozy extension of your living area, perfect for watching movies or listening to music, even as the seasons change.
Adding Value Beyond Entertainment
Integrating audio and video technology into your outdoor living spaces does more than just provide entertainment; it enhances the overall ambiance and functionality, making your home a more enjoyable place to live. Whether hosting a garden party, enjoying a quiet evening with family, or simply relaxing after a long day, these technological enhancements add a new dimension to the experience.
Moreover, well-designed outdoor living spaces with integrated audio-visual systems can increase the appeal and value of your home. As we spend more time at home and look for new ways to entertain ourselves and connect with nature, these outdoor enhancements become not just luxuries, but essential elements of modern living.
As we welcome the return of spring, now is the perfect time to envision how your outdoor spaces can be transformed. With thoughtful planning and the right audio-visual design, your backyard, patio, or screen porch can become a cherished extension of your home, blending the comfort of the indoors with the beauty of the outdoors.
Enhancing Health and Comfort in Homes with Circadian Lighting
Introduction
In an era where our indoor environments play a pivotal role in our daily lives, the significance of lighting has evolved beyond mere functionality and aesthetics. Circadian lighting emerges as a beacon of innovation in home design, promising not only to enhance the visual appeal of our living spaces but also to improve our health and well-being. This blog post explores the essence of circadian lighting, its health benefits, and its application in modern home design.
What is Circadian Lighting?
Circadian lighting, also referred to as tunable or human-centric lighting, stands at the intersection of science and technology. It is designed to synchronize with our body's natural 24-hour cycle, known as the circadian rhythm. The purpose of circadian lighting is twofold: to emulate the natural progression of sunlight throughout the day and to impact our biological clock. This synchronization is crucial for improved sleep, enhanced mood, and better overall well-being.
The workings of circadian lighting lie in its ability to adjust both the intensity and color of light. In the morning, the light is cooler and more vibrant, promoting alertness and focus. As evening sets in, the lighting becomes warmer and dimmer, aiding in relaxation and preparation for sleep. This dynamic shift in lighting directly interacts with our circadian system, regulating bodily functions and sleep patterns.
Technological advancements, particularly in LED technology, have been instrumental in developing circadian lighting systems. These systems can seamlessly transition across various color temperatures and intensities, replicating the sun's natural path.
Health Benefits of Circadian Lighting
Circadian lighting brings a multitude of health benefits. It aligns with our biological clock, improving sleep quality by regulating melatonin production. Proper light exposure, especially during shorter daylight hours, can uplift mood and combat depressive symptoms. During daylight hours, cooler color temperatures in circadian lighting enhance concentration and alertness, beneficial in workspaces. Additionally, maintaining a healthy circadian rhythm might reduce the risk of chronic illnesses like obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
Circadian Lighting in Home Design
Incorporating circadian lighting into home and workspace designs is becoming increasingly popular. Interior designers, home builders, and architects are recognizing the value of integrating this technology to create environments that are not only visually appealing but also promote health and wellness.
Real-world examples and case studies demonstrate the successful integration of circadian lighting in various settings. From cozy residential interiors to productivity-enhancing workspaces, the application of circadian lighting is diverse. Each space, with its unique requirements, can benefit from the tailored solutions provided by this innovative lighting system.
Conclusion
Circadian lighting represents a significant leap forward in how we think about and utilize lighting in our living and working environments. It's not just a matter of illuminating our spaces but about enhancing the quality of life within them. As we continue to spend more time indoors, the importance of aligning our living spaces with our natural rhythms becomes ever more crucial. Circadian lighting, with its blend of aesthetic appeal and health benefits, offers a pathway to achieving this harmony.
Want to know more about options for circadian lighting in your home or business, contact Clarity Sight Sound Design.
How much do audio video companies charge per hour?
In our field we often questioned about our rates, we are often valued lower than other trades. Most people know the cost to even get the plumber to knock on your door is $100. How much have you paid a HVAC company to fix your A/C on a hot summer day? There is a real hesitation when the cost to have an experienced AV technician cost the same or more.
Let’s start with some average cost per hour for different trades from Home Advisor:
Plumber
Apprentice $20-$40. Journeyman $45-$90. Master $70-130.
Electrician
$50 to $100 per hour with average visit between $12-$522.
HVAC
$75 to 150 per hour with average spending on a trip between $144-$451.
Technologies in the home such as networks, steaming services, whole house audio, lighting and just simple TV mounting is often perceived to be DIY. The reality is our industry is a vibrant, licensed, educated and very diverse trade. Most trades know one type of technology, a HVAC tradesman understands a handful of brands that basically do all the same things. Those systems, specially designing them takes talent and experience to plan, install, calibrate and maintain. It takes years of time, trade school or even college to be a journeyman. Electricians are the same, they understand a few technologies that we have been using for decades and replicate that over and over. These are very skilled workers; they spend thousands of hours to command their rates. They deserve it and get it.
Now let us talk about my brothers and sisters in our audio video trade. What do AV companies do? Most AV companies do but not limited to, Audio (Surround Sound, House Audio, Intercom), Video (Projection, Digital Displays, Home Televisions, Outdoor TV), Networking (Dedicated and configured routers, switches, access points), Lighting (installing, designing, calibrating), Outdoor Systems (lighting, music, video), Structured Wiring (fiber, CAT6, coax, conduit), Security/Surveillance (cameras, security systems, access control) and Automation (universal control systems, making systems work together).
Every one of these items mentioned are a trade within themselves, every one of those items takes years of experience to master, every on of those items have countless brands, models and installation options. I personally have an extensive knowledge of construction helping my contractor father most of my young life. I have been married to and had many interior designer friends and absorbed many of their skills in my decision making. I must educate myself constantly to keep up with ever changing technology. The full quote that is often cut short, “A jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one."
As an employer I can tell you, it is difficult to find someone that can run wire through wall on a construction site, setup a network with multiple access points, program an automation system and keep their shirt tucked in and show up on time.
In our region an AV company charges somewhere between $75 and $150 per hour for a technician depending on type of call and service. We still have to be licensed, insured, pay for fuel, vehicle maintenance, benefits, unemployment and more. As an owner we still must pay for continued education and update team with new technologies.
Audio Video companies and their people deserve what they are asking, most new employees with little experience make $15 per hour and lead technicians $25 per hour or up to $75,000 a year.
Remember like all trades, the Audio Video trade is a complicated, versatile, high skill level career. Years of experience goes far in providing the best referrals, installations and results for the product and services you enjoy most. My hope is when you want a skilled person to help you with your needs you love and respect the rates they command.
Can I hang an indoor TV outside?
The short answer is no, you should not! I get this question asked almost weekly, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss this as we are in spring and now is the time, I am selling lots of outdoor TV and music systems.
Can you hang a indoor TV outside, you can, no one will stop you? Buy that cheap TV and if it breaks you just replace it, right? No one is going to raid the house and take that cheap Vizio off the porch. The TV will work if its covered and has the power it needs to run, if you have strong Wi-Fi you connect it to the internet and you are good to go. Can you hire someone to do it for you, absolutely? We did it for years, probably hung a hundred TVs outside on coverage porches or screen porches. Will it void the warranty, yes? Will it die prematurely, yes? Is it a fire risk, yes? The number one reason people install indoor TVs outside is cost. TVs are responsible these days, you can get a large display for a few hundred bucks. “I can buy two TVs for the cost of one outside TV, right? Why doesn’t that make sense to do?
There is a local dealer like me that installed an indoor TV outside and eventually a bird nest showed up behind the set. That nest, hidden behind the TV, caught on fire, burned half the house down, million dollars in damage. Insurance adjuster came out and denied the claim because the TV was not outdoor rated. Now, this is worse case, but a story worth telling. This case caused a loss of a home that couldn’t be recouped without of out-of-pocket big bucks. Who is at fault, the owner that wanted the TV outside or the dealer that sold and installed it?
I suggest doing it right the first time with a good investment in all the time you will cherish and enjoy that entertainment outside.
Here are a few reasons outdoor TV are a better choice.
1. Outdoor TV just look better. They are much brighter and designed with glare resistant screens, so viewing is optimal in shade or direct sun.
2. The TVs are sold at multiple price points based on needs. A TV designed for screen porch or patio that is covered is priced like a nice mid-range set. Then if you have full sun situation the price goes up, but demand and expectations are met.
3. One TV to last years, and brands like Sunbrite are serviceable. I have sold many of these and in the rare occasions when one got a power surge or some other issue, it was fixed in the field. This is also much better for the impact on the environment. Instead of three four cheap TVs you buy one.
4. Last is they are weather resistant and waterproof. All that humidity, moisture, rain, snow and even pollen never gets in the TV.
I hope this help clear up the questions a bit and help you as a homeowner make the best decisions.
Should the movers move my TV and other AV gear?
Moving? Did you have a nice integrator that installed nice displays and music throughout your house? Are you worried about the regular movers taking down and removing technology out of your home? What technology and devices can you take from your home?
Let us tackle the question of should you take or can you take equipment attached to the home. For most of my clients and in my experience, they find it easier to just sell the technology like TV and speakers with the home. Technically if it is attached to a home, like a surface mount speaker on a deck, it must stay. Speakers in the ceiling would always stay, they match the whole in the ceiling and are best to remain. Equipment in a closet or cabinet is not attached so those details would be left for the negotiations and be in the contract. Products like Sonos can easily move to a new home and be reset and set up, but more robust system you are best served to sell with the home. TV’s are a gray area, the mount would definitely stay but TV can be removed. Most of the time a new home means new displays, chance to upgrade. Or they get moved and put in secondary rooms in the home. The mount is worth leaving, making sure that the rack on the back of the TV stays with the wall mount so the next person can use it. Like most contracts’ changes can be made in the contract to include exceptions to these few normal rules.
So, you are moving and some of those nice big TV’s and amplifiers you invested in and enjoy are coming with you. How they come down can be important, cables need to be removed without breaking the TV or the cable. This can save you thousands of dollars if a mover is not familiar with the cables, the mount and how it releases and more. Clarity moves several customers a year and there are some real advantages to this.
When an AV company moves your equipment, they know the value of it because they have installed it or something similar. They know how to handle that fragile OLED TV so it doesn’t crack. They know that and HDMI cable head can break if pulled when removing TV. They know that the TV needs to be transport on its bottom, not flat. Most AV companies like ours have storage for customers moving. We often hold TVs for days or months while moving, remodeling, painting and design takes place.
Your integrator also knows your plans on the next house and will have a good sense of what to take, what accessories you will need at your next home. Keep companies like us in mind when as you upgrade, downside or even pack for those cross country moves.
How much does it cost? For Clarity Sight Sound Design we just approach it with an hourly rate for the move, our rate is $150 for two technicians per hour. If there is a large scope with installing in new home a flat fee would be applied in most cases instead of hourly.
Happy moving!
How much to hang a TV over a fireplace?
This might be one of the most asked questions we get. Almost daily calls to the showroom, “I bought a TV and have the mount, how much to hang it?”
Now there are a lot of options that dictate how much this should cost. I am coming from a place as professional, and the real questions is should you?
Does hanging it over the fireplace make it too high? The answer almost always is yes. Ask any designer, architect worth their real degrees they will tell you it doesn’t look good. Ask a real AV pro we will tell you that it is an uncomfortable position to watch TV. All that said, homes are built this way now and we still center our family rooms around the TV. If the fireplace is centered the TV typically goes over it.
Things to think about when you ask how much. Is there power above the fireplace? Is there HDMI cables or other low voltage wire? What sources need to be on the TV? Do you want it to tilt down? How big is my TV, is it too big or too small for that space? Is it a wood burning fireplace or just a gas insert? Lastly do you want it done right? After you ask yourself those questions and have the answers, then still have us come out and look at it.
Even for small jobs like just mounting a TV I usually want to at least get my eyes on it. If you are a little ways out from shop, lets Facetime or Zoom. Keep in mind that most companies are local and can sell you all the accessories and the TV you want. It helps us make more off your install and makes it more worth it to take our time and do the job right. At the end of the day you usually save money having gotten everything from the pro, made better decisions and put shoes on our kids instead of a big CEO of a big box or internet company.
Most companies in my market charge plus or minus $150 an hour, I would say usually its a two hour thing with cleanup and planning once in the space. Our costs are fixed once you get a quote and if you get TV and equipment from us.
Hope this helps, our consultations and answers are always free.
Tesla of Home Automation
Home and commercial automation has come a long way. We can control multiple device with universal remotes, with our voices. We can make lights come on and off with a schedule. Our doorbell takes pictures of our friendly neighborhood mailman.
Loxone is a different beast. If what we have been doing is a Prius, with all its cool technology, great gas mileage, GPS and so on, then Loxone is a Model S Tesla.
With Loxone everything is based on presence. The Miniserver knows if you are in a room and makes that room what it needs to be for you. If it is 6am on a Tuesday, the morning playlist starts to wake you up. The light in the bedroom slowly rises, warm and orange like the sunrise. That bathroom has been heated to be a little warmer for your shower. When you step out of the bathroom and into your walk in closet, text to speech lets you know how to dress that day.
The sky is the limit with Loxone and the right partner like Clarity Sight Sound Design. Each room has presence sensors. Each room has audio, for alarms, music, notifications. All the lights are one the system, providing features to help you wake up, or prep you to go to bed. It is all there!
Gone are the days of light switches and wondering if you should turn on the furnace before bed. Loxone does all the thinking for you.
I urge you to come check out these amazing technologies in our showroom or call and we can do a virtual tour. Many more quick blogs on exciting tech in the future. Either way, the future of home automation is here.