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Dear
Friend,
You are a professional home builder or are just
building your new home yourself.
Either way, you are counting on your subcontractors to help educate you
& your clients regarding your low voltage options.
Here lies the first problem
Common
Mistake # 13
Using
an Electrician To Wire Your Home For Low Voltage
I
don't mean to offend anyone. Perhaps you might even be using an
electrician right now.
I have nothing against Electricians personally, in fact...I am a
licensed & certified (Non-Practicing) electrical
contractor
myself.
Years ago, the only low voltage options builders had for new home
construction were:
- TV jacks
- Phone Jacks
The only thing that made business sense back then was to have
your electrician run the phone & cable TV wire. (I ran more than my share when I was an
electrician)
Unfortunately, phone & TV jacks are not the only low voltage
items going into today's modern new homes.
Over the years, I have interviewed any electricians about
handling "Today's Low Voltage" requirements. And you know what?
They feel uncomfortable dealing with them. They consider
phone
and cable a necessary evil to tackle as part of their wiring process.
In fact, considering all of the service calls related to phone
& TV…
They just rather not deal with it.
Even if you have an electrician that seems to be doing a good
job…
Did
You Know That They Need To Pass a Grueling Test
& Be Certified With A Special State Low Voltage License?
You
would be surprised how many licensed electricians that are pre-wiring
for phone ,cable TV & security …
Are NOT state licensed card carrying low voltage contractors.
But this is only the tip of the iceberg.
Common
Mistake # 12
Using
A Security Company To Wire Your For
Home Automation
While
this is definitely a step above using an electrical contractor, do you
really want a company that specializes in home security to be designing
your home theater system that you may be investing thousands and
thousands of dollars into?
Do you want a certified security
installer pre-wiring
& installing your home for:
Distributed Whole House Audio?
Hanging your $3,000 plasma TV over the
fireplace & wondering if it will fall?
Integrating the lights with Movie
watching?
Common
Mistake # 11
Incorrect
installation of Cat-5 phone & Data Wire
Can
you imagine having DSL internet access & still having slow dial
up service speed?
That's what happens when these two things are overlooked:
Did you know that installing your
phone / data wire with the incorrect pulling tension can decrease your internet speed drastically?
Did
you know that incorrectly untwisting the wires in the box when hooking
up the phone jack will murder your down load & surfing
abilities?
That leads us to…
Common
Mistake # 10
Not
Running Individual Home Runs
For Cat-5 phone & TV Jacks
I
can not
believe how many electricians are still running their TV &
Phone
lines in a "Daisy Chain" fashion. Simply put, instead of
running
an individual "homerun" wire from the panel to the phone or TV
jack…
To save a few bucks on wire, they jump from phone jack to phone jack or
TV jack to TV jack in a loop wiring pattern.
Why
You Do Not Want This Wiring Method
Sure
it may save some time & a buck or two.
But think about this:
Imagine, you are about to email a client about an important matter. You
turn on your computer & its flashes:
"No
Internet Connection Available"
You
run to another room to use a computer there, only to find the same
message flash:
"No
Internet Connection Available"
You
turn on your laptop, but it isn't working either.
With your detective hat on… you pick up the nearest phone,
but
there is no dial tone. Every other phone in the house is dead as well.
Frantically you call the local phone company. (On
your cell phone) . The best they can
do is send a tech
out in a few days.
The eventful day arrives, and you have to stay home from work without
pay. They promise to be there between 9-12:30 that morning. They arrive
late as expected somewhere around 4:45 that afternoon.
With anticipation you eagerly await for them to tell you that
everything is working again, when they drop the bomb that the "problem"
is in your house & that you need to call the electrician.
What
Happened?
When
your phones & TV jacks are wired in "Daisy Chain"
Fashion…So when one goes out…
Everyone after that one goes out.
That's right, one cut in the wire at the front of the first phone
jack…Means no service for anyone.
But don't worry, its nothing a few cut holes won't fix.
Common
Mistake # 9
Not
Installing A Structured Wiring System Panel
To
save a
few dollars many people run all of their phone & TV cable wires
to
the outside of the house instead of installing a structured wiring
system panel inside the home.
Imagine having the ability to:
- Change phone numbers to different phone jack locations?
- Convert
a phone line to a dedicated fax line?
- Turn
a phone jack into a phone/ Data port?
- Add
a Hard wired computer network without having to cut any holes in the
drywall later?
- Network closed circuit Video cameras that
can be watched on any television screen ?
These are just a few of the benefits of a structured wiring center, not
to mention the added perceived value your home offers to
future
home buyers that may have a home business.
Common
Mistake # 8
Not
Pre-wiring For Security System
Its
hard to believe that this still happens. But its true.
People think they will worry about it later.
The problem is that they are left with costly retro installation , not
to mention the drywall repairs.
The other option they are left with is to use a "wireless"
system, that is not as reliable &
is a
lot more expensive.
Common
Mistake # 7
Not
Pre-wiring Windows Correctly &
Voiding Manufacturers Warrantee
We
just
signed up a new builder because of this recently. The home owner sued
him because the previous security company drilled out the vinyl windows
incorrectly.
- This
caused water to stain the inside of the painted wall under the window.
- They voided the window manufacturers
warrantee because of incorrect drilling. And worse of all...
- That's right...this led to mold damage
inside the home.
The windows will need to be replaced.
Wet Drywall & insulation tore out.
Mold remediation.
What an expensive lesson to learn for the builder.
Common
Mistake # 6
Not
Pre-wiring For Surround Sound
You
mean my new home is not pre-wired for surround sound speakers in the
family room?
That is frustrating question I hear over and over from new homeowners.
But that is not as frustrating as the next question:
"Why didn't my builder pre-wire it before? It would have been so easy
to do it before the drywall".
The only recourse is to string speaker wires all over the floor,
setting up tripping hazards not to mention worrying about your
expensive equipment being knocked over!
The other option is to cut drywall
Common
Mistake # 5
Not
Pre-wiring Correctly For Plasma or LCD TVs
Over The Fireplace
This
is classic.
You are excited as you uncrate your brand new 42' plasma. You just know
its going to look great over the fireplace.
You spend hours mounting & securing it.
You then go to hook it up and… Oh no.
Where are you going to put the satellite box & the DVD player?
Are you going to balance them on top of the fireplace mantel?
No the mantle is far too narrow and it looks way too tacky.
Its back to cutting holes & pulling wires again.
Common
Mistake # 4
Technicians
That Do Not Design A Detailed Map
Of Your Homes Wiring Locations
Imagine,
you are in your new home and are ready for your extras to be trimmed
out and finished.
The technicians arrive clueless. They can't remember exactly where the
speaker locations are. No one took the time to draw & log a map
of
your wiring locations that remain hidden behind the drywall until you
are ready to use them.
You here them whisper:
"Are they here...or maybe over here.
Lets cut a hole over here & see if we can find them."
Common
Mistake # 3
Hiring
An Audio Video Company That Charges A Low Introductory Rate...Then
Raises it...And Raises It Again
That
is one of the biggest complaints we hear.
"So and So" only
charged us $$$. So we gave them all of our work.
The fact is that we here at A.D.S.
Home Technologies lost
a few builders to "So & So" for this very reason.
Then came their price hikes. First a 50% increase in 6
months. And then another hike 6 months later.
Needless to say, most of the builders that left because of price, have
come back home to us.
Common
Mistake # 2
Hiring
An
Audio Video Company That Charges A Low Pre-wire Rate & Then
Overcharges & Ticks Off Your New Home Owner Clients
Recently
we picked up a new Custom Home Builder.
Would you like to know why?
"So
& So", his
former Audio Visual Company, totally
ignored the home
theater budgets of the new home owner & pushed a system that
cost over $100k.
This turned a client who was ready
to buy a $15k
system, into a extremely irate customer who felt taken advantage of.
The client went back to the home builder & complained.
Apparently
this wasn't the first time he heard this before. Such strong armed
tactics produce nice commission checks for sales people...but do not
build long term relationships between the home builder , the client
& the home technology subcontractor.
Common
Mistake # 1
Not
Teaming Up With A Professional Home Technology Company WITH…
A Local Showroom To Educate your Prospective Buyers
Imagine,
having a low voltage design consultant offering a complimentary walk
through to your pre-sale clients. Imagine how special your
clients will feel as they get to pick & choose the locations of
phone, cable , data & speakers.
Your clients will be educated on the positive & negatives of
any
upgrades that they might be interested in. How they pay for these is up
to you. They can pay directly for all of these extras, or you may
choose to have them roll them into the loan with an extra percentage
tacked on that we can negotiate later.
Finally they are invited to our showroom where they can play with all
of the latest gadgets & toys that are available...without any
pushy
salesmen.
My
No Strings Attached Offer To You
Take
a moment to listen
to this letter by clicking here to your right .
Honestly ask yourself if any of the frustrations I speak of here
resonate with you as true
Take a moment to read some
of our testimonials posted here.
If then you think it makes sense call me.
I have listed my personal cell phone here. Lets discuss some of the
frustrations you are having with your low voltage company. Lets
brainstorm on how we can resolve some of those frustrations so that we
make low voltage easy for you.
I then invite you to drop by our showroom to see what 50 plus custom
builders like yourself have found. I'll put on a pot of
coffee
& let you play with some of the latest home automation
technologies
we can showcase your homes with.
If you are still not sure...
Call for your free
DVD showing
some of the affordable technology we can share with your clients.
Sincerely,
Frank Cheshire
A.D.S. Home Technologies
Flowery Branch, Georgia
770-561-3178
Home
Theater Atlanta GA
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