Welcome! What's On Your Mind?

Wellness is an ongoing hot topic, and the technology industry is no different.  At Echo Workshop we offer air and water purification systems from Pure365 and Bluewater to help eliminate allergens and toxins.  Whether you’re looking for a single room or a whole-home solution, Echo Workshop has the technology to help keep you and your family healthy. 

Have you been feeling tired lately?  Perhaps you can’t sleep through the night.  Echo Workshop has partnered with companies like Savant Systems and Lutron Electronics to simulate your circadian rhythm.  We spend more and more time indoors and to keep our bodies and minds in balance, we not only crave the outdoors, but truly need it.  By simulating the sun’s natural path through automated lighting, many sleep issues can be eliminated, mood disorders improved, and, as an added benefit, people often find themselves with far more energy.   

I think most of us can admit that over the past couple of years we have learned that we like being at home, and our homes don’t just provide sanctuary, they can provide us with a lot of fun.  Have you been thinking about turning an extra room into a theater, or perhaps adding audio and video features outdoors?  Echo Workshop has the newest technology available from Samsung, Sony, Sonos, Revel, and Sonance, to take your family’s fun to the next level.

Home automation helps make our lives just a little easier.  With a smart home system that will monitor your security, improve your living environment, adjust shades, lights, and your thermostat, and allow you to enjoy whole-home audio and video, our homes truly can take care of us.  Let Echo Workshop help your home take care of you.

CONTROL OVER YOUR PRIVACY

While getting natural light is important, so is privacy. Instead of using curtains, tapestry, and shutter blinds, you can opt to install a privacy glass, which is the best way to attain privacy, while also reducing congestion. With a switchable privacy glass window or door, you can change from plain to semi-transparent to opaque. For instance, when you hold a meeting to discuss an important issue concerning the company, you may need a more private and distraction-free environment. A privacy window or door can help.

Besides having privacy settings, smart window films can also help reduce or regulate the noise from the outside environment. This enables attendees to concentrate while also creating a quiet and conducive environment to hold a meeting effectively. With privacy glass, you can redefine the room in seconds with ease.

At home, even though you want a well-lit house that allows the morning sun to penetrate easily, your privacy should never be compromised. You can ensure this by installing privacy glass at your front door, bedroom, living room, dining room, media room, or window. You can switch from clear to opaque at different times of the day and vice versa.

CONTROL OVER ROOM TEMPERATURE AND LIGHT

High room temperatures and irritating glares can make you uncomfortable and lead to underperformance at work. If you are working in a position with direct sunlight, you may struggle when reading documents, thus having less productivity. With privacy windows, you can switch to opaque, which will not only reduce the room temperature by 60% but also block at least 98% of the UV rays. This will create a friendly working environment, which translates to high productivity.

Window films can also eliminate hot spots, thus preserving room temperature, which helps save energy. As a result, you can reduce the chances of your HVAC appliances wearing out.

TOP-NOTCH SECURITY AND SAFETY

Perhaps the most paramount concern that you might have about yourself or a loved one choosing to age in place is safety. Thankfully, home automation addresses many of these concerns. Home automation allows for much more consistent communication and monitoring of a security system than previous systems do, as much of the controls can be handled remotely. The Savant system, for example, can be controlled with the touch of a button on your smartphone, allowing you or your loved one to activate alarm systems, see 24/7 security camera footage of different rooms, and monitor the surrounding neighborhood (and who's on their doorstep) whether you're near or far.  

EASE OF USE WITH ENTERTAINMENT

As people age, it may be harder for them to perform tasks that they have been doing their entire lives. Fidgeting with the knobs and buttons on a radio or television set may become difficult, and with home automation, these finicky things can be a way of the past. Home automation, like the Savant system, allows for voice-controlled media systems, allowing you or your loved ones to turn on the big game, increase the volume when the home team scores, and turn down the volume after the team has won all by speaking it into existence. 

MORE EFFICIENT ENERGY CONTROLS

Home automation controls so much more than security and entertainment. Much of the energy that a home uses can also be controlled remotely or from within the home with the touch of a button. Lighting controlled this way can be particularly useful, for example, if someone wakes in the middle of the night and needs to use the bathroom. Controlled lighting from a nearby smartphone can allow the person to see where they are going and ensure they get there without walking into anything accidentally. Gone are the days of walking completely in the dark and feeling around for a light switch, only to run head-on into a door. 

Aging in place is important as it can be seen as a way to maintain independence and dignity as we all grow older. The safety, security, and ease of use that a home automation system can provide for you and your family are second to none. With home automation, you'll no longer have to worry about consistently checking in with someone who has chosen to age in place. They will be able to continue life as they had already been living it, with some marked improvements. 

To learn more about what a home automation system can do for either you or a loved one in the greater Houston, TX, area, give us a call. We are a family-owned and operated smart home company that has been working with the Houston community since 1999. 

See Also: HOW HOME SECURITY HELPS PROTECT YOUR SPACE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

ALARMING STATISTICS

According to a 2013 study by UNC Charlotte, 80 percent of thieves look for an alarm system before trying to break into a home. Moreover, 60 percent will look for another target if they find one.

Porch pirates operate differently. They don’t want to break into your home. In fact, they probably didn’t even plan to steal your packages at all. Most package thieves steal because the opportunity presents itself. 

By making sure your security features are visible, you can help prevent crime from coming to your front door. Surveillance cameras, floodlights, and other components will make your home appear less like a target, so you’re less likely to become a victim.

COMMUNICATION IS KEY

When you're preparing to visit family out of state, the US Postal Service suggests you let a trusted neighbor know. They can pick up deliveries and keep an eye on your home while you're gone.

See Also: HOW HOME SECURITY HELPS PROTECT YOUR SPACE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

CLEAR THE VIEW

If you want your surveillance system to work correctly, you'll have to ensure the cameras have a clear view of your home. Make sure you trim hedges, remove spider-webs, and clear other obstructions that may impede visibility.

It's also an excellent time to check that your cameras are working correctly. If you don't want to rely on battery-powered IP solutions, consider upgrading your surveillance system with hardwired cameras. A hardwired system is more reliable, harder to hack, and offers better quality than IP surveillance.

TRIM BRANCHES

Make sure to trim back any tree branches that may make it easy to climb into your yard or windows. It’s a good idea to check for any overgrown foliage in and around your property. Most criminal activity happens when it's convenient. By removing easy-to-exploit elements like overgrown branches, your home becomes a much less appealing target.

Additionally, installing a surveillance system that’s easy to see from the street will help. According to the UNC School of Criminal Justice, 60 percent of criminals surveyed said they would re-think breaking into a home if they knew there were security features present.

See Also: HOW HOME SECURITY HELPS PROTECT YOUR SPACE FOR THE HOLIDAYS

IN THE MEDIA ROOM

The holidays are a time when everyone enjoys gifts of their favorite electronics. From the latest video game consoles, to the coolest new 4K TVs to fully immersive surround sound systems, there’s a good chance your home will see at least a few new pieces of technology this year.

That means learning how to use it all can be difficult, which turns into a hassle that results in under-used technologies.

But there’s a simple solution. Savant home automation combines all of your controls, so you don’t have to learn how to use them. From a single tablet or remote, you can adjust volume, select content, and choose media inputs in any room without any problem.

THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE

Of course, smart automation does a lot more than just make it easier to control your new systems. You can combine controls to create easy one-touch adjustments of all your technology.

See Also: 5 Ways to Make Your Home Smarter in 2018

WHEN TO START WORKING WITH AN INSTALLER

If you’re a designer or builder, home technology can seem like an afterthought. After all, homeowners can add whatever technology they want and customize their own space.

But the fact is, technology is integrated in every aspect of the home. Smart TVs and thermostats may seem like secondary features, but the wiring necessary to support them isn’t.

Running wires for your AV, security and smart devices is an important part of setting up a network strong enough to support everything, and it’s easiest if it happens before the drywall goes up.

And if you’re renovating an old building, a technology professional can help determine where you need to build or add to include modern devices.

Safety:

One of the greatest home automation benefits is the safety! Your home is equipped with the special cameras and alarming system to help you monitor even from remote location. For example, a smoke alarm rings up when it detects fire or you can watch over your mobile screen who is entering your property.

It Monitors Your Health:

Home automation system plays an important role in health monitoring also. Many dedicated sensors for this purpose are installed to the home to check the health and wellbeing of the elderly, disabled and people with chronic health conditions. Plus, they send the alert to the caregivers an elderly relative doesn’t wake up in a morning, while an Internet-enabled medicine cabinet checks if a patient has taken the medication or not. You can customize them to fulfill you wide range of needs.

It Saves Your Utility Bills:

A continuous surge in electricity bills can be the worry for other homeowners, but not for someone living in a smart home. They save on your monthly utility bills. For example, a smart lighting system has energy efficient bulbs while the automated controls will turn off the lights and appliances when they are not in use. In this way, home automation system helps you save on electricity.

You Can Control When You’re Away:

You can control most of the things in your home when you’re away. For example, you can turn off/on the lights and monitor the security with your smartphone. A smart lock system lets you generate digital keys which you can handover to another person via mail. In other words, you can control your home functions when you are not even there.

It Creates a Wonderful Ambiance:

Whether it’s a dinner party or film watching, smart home creates the environment according to the event. Thanks to the motorized blends and smart lights that create the mood with their automated settings. Blinds roll up and lights turn off when it is morning!

You Need a Smartphone for That:

You need to pair your smartphone’s Bluetooth with deadbolt to lock or unlock your keys. Just simply tap that deadbolt to open your door. Yeah, it’s pretty cool and handy in the situation when you lose your keys. Plus, it gives you a freedom from carrying the bunch of keys with you.

Send e Keys to Your Near and Dear Ones:

Don’t make your family members and friends wait outside because you’re not at home. Send the eKeys to them via the mobile app so that they can let in. This is the other great benefit of using smart locking system. So, you don’t need to skip office hours or send somebody else to hand over them a key.

It Detects Your Presence:

Let’s accept it, many of us are either locked outside or inside our home accidentally. Instead of screaming or worrying, you can trust your smart locking system. It knows whether you’re outside or inside the home.

Ensures You a High Security:

Burglary is the common threat for all home owners. Any unwelcome guest can easily break into your home, no matter how stronger your lock is. But a smart locking system is the hard nut to crack for them, since it is without any keys. Their mechanism is based on the security protocols deployed in bank system. It means their digital encryption mode can’t be duplicated or broken. In this way, the burglars are unable to pick or bump the system. With smart door locking system, you can decide who can enter your home at what time. It lowers the risk of anything get stolen.

Convenient for Elderly and Physically Impaired People:

Technology has made the living much easier for disabled or elderly people. And smart door locking system is no exception in that! Since it can be opened with smartphone, a senior citizen or disabled don’t have to struggle with keys or go near the door to open it.