You might not think much of roller shades, but they’ve come a long way in history! Decorative cloth and paper roller shades first appeared in 17th-century Holland, but it wasn’t until 1858 that a New York factory would begin mass-producing window shades.   

Window blinds stayed relatively the same for more than a century until the 1980s, with the new concept of a “smart house.” Today, brands like Hunter Douglas and PowerShades produce sleek and stylish custom roller shades you can automate in one tap of a button with systems like Control4 and Crestron.  

Our clients in Davenport, IA, love the convenience that smart blinds provide. Upgrading to motorized blinds is like going from hand-washing dishes to owning a dishwasher. Once you experience the difference, you’ll never go back to regular blinds.  

But you may be wondering, “Are motorized shades really necessary?” We share below seven helpful ways smart shades will enhance your daily routine.  

Imagine you’re on an evening stroll and spota restaurant or home lit up with warm, ambient light. You hear music wafting through the air and laughter while people enjoy drinks or a dip in a pool. “I want to be there,” you think as you pass by. 

What if your backyard could feel that way? With recent advances intechnology, you can take the power of the smart home to easily customize and control your outdoor space’s atmosphere. Outdoor lighting, speakers, screens, and even pools can be controlled from one system. 

To get started, you’ll need weatherproof equipment and an installation that syncs technology to one compatible smart home system. Explore the possibilities for your Des Moines, IA, home below.  

The past year did no favors for houses of worship. Here in Iowa, churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques closed for weeks and months at the start of the pandemic. Many Des Moines congregations struggled to open their doors, while others offered limited capacity with live-streaming services for those at home. 

It was an eye-opener to many religious leaders that their technology was not up-to-date or capable of adequatelylive streaming. As we continue to deal with the pandemic and look forward to the future after it, you may be wondering how to enhance your own church audio-video. 

As AV installers, we work with many houses of worship to build high-quality sound and video systems. We’ll share how professionallyinstalled AV will enhance your worshipservices, allowing you to reach more people in your community. 

Although they sound similar, monitored security and home surveillance are not the same thing. In our last article, we discussed the differences between the two smart security methods.

Essentially, monitored security means that a remote monitoring agent will be notified when alarms or sensors go off on your property. They’ll try to call you, and if you can’t be reached, they will inform the authorities. Alternatively, a surveillance system doesn’t include any monitoring, but instead a network of security cameras you check yourself.

Is there a time when one solution is appropriate over the other? We’ll share the advantages of both monitored security and a home surveillance system so you can learn which is best to protect your Davenport, IA, home.