5 Home Automation Upgrades You’ll Need This Winter

See How Smart Home Control Solves Your Winter Woes

When you think about winter activities, what do you picture? In the Chesapeake, VA area, we all know it gets too cold for many outdoor activities from October to March. The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a long, snowy winter for Coastal Virginia, forcing us all inside our homes more often. 

Since most of our gatherings and leisure time will take place indoors, we rely more on our smart home control technologies to get us through this long winter. Enjoy your season with smarter home automation that will make the most of your natural resources and home environment. 

SEE ALSO: Take Your Holiday Party to the Next Level With Smart Home Automation

Let the Light In! 

Nights are longer and days are shorter during the winter months, but our bodies crave natural sunlight all year round. That’s why it’s important to let in as much sunlight as possible from outside. Smart home control systems automatically adjust to daylight savings changes and “harvest” outdoor lighting during the brightest daylight hours. Similarly, motorized shades work with natural lighting patterns to maximize the light in your home by opening and adjusting based on the exact time of day.

Inside the home, dimmers create more light during the morning and early afternoon. By using sensors and advanced home automation, lighting levels inside react to the proportion of natural light inside your home. Balance your circadian rhythms by programming all your lighting modules to “trick” your brain into using the natural lighting to balance your energy, focus and mood. 

Greet Guests

Houseguests are likely to visit this season, so set up your smart home network with guest access. Show them how to control the temperature, light, shades, security and entertainment -- all from one remote or smartphone application. Users tout Control4 systems’ user-friendly interface, so we trust that your guests will quickly learn the system.

Improve Safety

Automated lighting automatically adjusts when residents and guests approach the door and greets them with welcoming light that keeps them from slipping on a hidden ice patch or unshoveled snow. Similarly, surveillance camera integration also senses potential criminal behavior and turns on the lights to ward off intruders. 

Control the Temperature

As the temperature falls, the heating bills rise quickly, but motorized roller shades lock the heat inside the house. According to a U.S. Department of Energy study, motorized shades reduce winter heat loss by about 40 percent when correctly installed. 

Similarly, they keep the AC air circulating throughout your home and cut your summer utility costs, so the one-time investment in motorized shades proves beneficial all year round.

Entertain With Style

TVs are getting flatter and more minimalistic, providing seamless entertainment and news throughout the home. You can program your screens to play before guests arrive in every room or in your designated home theatre. If you know your guest’s taste in music, you can distribute whole-home audio to set a warm ambiance. Guests will feel more than just welcome -- you’ll enchant them with the wonders of a fully automated entertainment system.

Want to bring more smart home control to your Virginia home? Give us a call or fill out our online contact form to schedule a no-obligation consultation with our team.  We’d love to hear from you!