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frequently asked questions

My builder says "his sub" can wire for half the price of HD for everyone; is this true and if so, what's the difference? Anyone can wire your home for as little or as much as you or they like. But what are you getting for your money and how long will it provide solutions for you? With structured cabling being such a broad term, you can be told you are getting a smart house and just simply not be getting much more than a house built 20 years ago. 

Just because you are getting Cat5 in your house, does NOT mean you’re wired for everything! On the contrary, our HD For Everyone Team often must inform homeowners, who were wired by various "cabling" firms, that they were barely wired for today's technologies, much less anything into the near future. The homeowner thinks they have Cat5 everywhere, but on closer inspection, we’re able to find only one Cat5 and one coaxial cable per room. This configuration simply doesn’t offer any more functionality than a home built 20 years ago: you just have better wire. You need the proper cabling for each sub-system you want to control (audio, video, touchscreens and keypads, lights, pool/spa, HD video, and more) in each room and location that requires it. The industry standard price for structured cabling spans a wide range, but typically you’ll see $1 to $2 per square foot as the nominal cost for wiring a home including trim-out and panels. See below for cabling explanation.

What is the difference in cabling?  I have Cat5, doesn't that mean I’m ready for the future? Two big variables exist in structured cabling. First, the type and ratings of the wires and cables used, and second, the method and quantity of cables pulled throughout the house. So simply putting Cat5 in each room is not sufficient. Several types of cabling are used in today’s homes, RG6 coaxial for video, Cat5 and Cat6 for phone, network, control and more, 16/4 and 16/2 wire for audio to speakers, and 18/4 shielded for other control applications such as gates, sensors, locks, etc.  The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the home automation industry’s association, established standards for cabling, and even enacted a quantitative system to rate a homes technical abilities, called the TechHome Rating System. For more information, visit www.ce.org or www.techhome.com.

The CEA states that a 1 x1 configuration, with all cables home run in a star configuration, is the minimum starting point to be called a structured cabling system. This arrangement offers basically 1 Cat5 and 1 Coax to each room or location, and gives you little or no more functionality than putting cable and phone in each room. Or if you forego having a phone in that room, you can use the Cat5 for networking, but not both at the same time (a common misconception).

The next level is 2 x 2, that is 2 Cat5s and 2 Coaxial cables per room. This configuration provides a few variations, but it primarily gives you a phone outlet, a network outlet and 2 cable outlets per room. This set-up is considered entry level structured cabling (the BASIC starting point for home automation), as it’s the first level to offer any variability as well as new connectivity.  

From here you begin adding the cable needed for whole-house audio, control of equipment and components, lighting control, keypads, distributed HD video, home automation and more. You can add on in one of two basic ways: you or the company you hire determine exactly what it is that you want and install the necessary cabling for those items in those specific locations. As you can imagine, this method is not using much forward thinking. This configuration means that, in addition to the 2 x 2 cabling in the specified rooms, you decide where you want speakers, keypads, touchscreens, TVs on the walls, which TVs will have HD and where its applicable equipment will be located, and whether you want gates, garage doors, pools, spas controlled, etc. Once you’re wired for these choices, you’re wired for only the systems you purchased at the time you made these decisions. Since adding new devices, components or a later emerging technology will most likely require additional cabling, you won’t have that cabling in place.

The BETTER way to achieve your wired home that allows for new, expanding technologies is to hire a professional systems integrator to design a system and discuss growth and expansion options that you may be interested in later. This discussion will likely cover most of what you may want to do later. You should hire an integrator who is familiar enough with emerging products and technologies to foresee what you cannot and the necessary wiring needed to facilitate this growth. 

 

What are the typical features of a HD for everyone system? Our systems are built around your personal lifestyle and designed to improve your daily living. Our greatest features are ease of use, customization and personal attention to your needs — no two HD for everyone homes are the same, and no “cookie cutter” system exists. We deliver these features through custom, high-end technology, encompassing all the areas of  home systems integration. For starters the Universal Cabling System covers any phone, networking and video needs around the house, as this is all basic for today’s homes.

Almost all of our basic systems include the following:

  • A lighting control system
  • Whole-house audio distribution
  • Home control system
  • HD video distribution
  • Home theaters - THX speakers, projectors on lifts or fixed, fixed or motorized screens, theater seating and furniture
  • Pool/spa control
  • HVAC control
  • Security integration*
  • iPod integration
  • Music server
  • Video/DVD server
  • CCTV and camera DVR
  • XM, Sirius, FM/AM distribution
  • Keypads and or touchscreens around the home
  • Remote access to all connected systems, including those mentioned above.

Some advanced options include:

  • TV and video lifts
  • Automated drapes, blinds and storm shutters
  • Electronically-controlled water heaters
  • Gate control
  • Garage door control
  • Residential access control systems (keyfob and chip based door locks)
  • Driveway sensors
  • Infrared beams and sensors
  • RFID for control and access to the home
  • Bluetooth cell phone control of the home
  • Audio and video calibration services

What products/systems do you sell and are you authorized to sell?  HD for everyone is a RTI Authorized Dealer . We’re also authorized dealers for a variety of control and automation products, too many to list.  HD for everyone also sells Denon, Harmon Kardon, Krell, Sonance, SpeakerCraft and many other lines that are available. HD for everyone staff and management are trained in every product we sell and install.

What other services do you offer?   HD for everyone also offers on-going service plans, maintenance agreements and extended warranties.