If you’d like to automate your home’s lights, security, audio, and more into one system, you may be wondering—can I install this myself? As smart home technology grows in popularity, we’ve seen more plug-and-play products pop up in stores. But will you be able to achieve the functionality and seamless integration you desire on your own?

You may be quite handy, but there are several things to consider before attempting DIY home automation. To see if you could benefit from working with a home automation installer in your Austin, TX house, consider the points below.

SEE ALSO: The Latest Smart Tech for Your Home Entertainment System

Wiring & Safety

If you’re only planning to use a single, stand-alone device like a Nest thermostat, you can probably install that yourself. However, it’s much more complex when integrating multiple smart home systems like smart lights, alarms, multi-room audio, etc. For a clean aesthetic, you’ll want a professional to wire your system so that it functions reliably. Unless you’re qualified, it isn’t safe to wire a system yourself, so be sure to partner with an installer for help.

Home Security

Smart security is one of the most useful features of home automation. From automatic locks to surveillance cameras and alarms, you can protect your home even when you’re away. If you’re fitting a door entry system, this is not an area for cost-cutting. You won’t want to accidentally have a fatal flaw in a security system, and a professional will know how to avoid that.

We spend a lot of our time indoors. Many of us work in front of computer screens under fluorescent lights, only to return home to our living rooms and TVs. But exposure to fresh air and nature has been proven to lower stress, reduce inflammation, and lessen fatigue. Enjoying time outdoors has also proven to lower anxiety and supplement treatments of depression.

While you may want to spend more time in the sun, that doesn’t mean you need to skip watching a Longhorns game or cancel dinner plans to go on a hike. Now that central Texas weather is finally cooler than 90 degrees, why not take your entertainment outdoors?

Outdoor audio video solutions allow you to share music and watch your favorite shows with weatherproof technology. If you’d like to swap your living room for the patio in your Tarrytown house, continue reading to learn how below.  

SEE ALSO: Is It Time to Upgrade Your Outdoor Entertainment System?

Adding Outdoor Speakers  

Just like with an indoor multi-room audio system, your outdoor speakers can synchronize to play the same music across your yard, and even connect to the music playing indoors. You’ll need a receiver or distribution amplifier to power speakers and connect them to your audio sources. Stereo setups sometime don’t sound great in a large property because speakers may be spaced too widely, so you may want speakers that play both left and right channels in one. Use stereo-input speakers with both left and right connections, or amps that combine both to send mono signals to standard speakers. Cables to your outdoor devices can be buried below-ground for a clean landscape appearance but are best run through a hard-plastic conduit to protect from animals and accidental damage from garden tools.

We all remember a time we visited a coffee shop, bar, or restaurant where the audio or visuals were noticeably lacking. There’s the classic scenario: straining to hear what your family says during dinner because of the booming speakers overhead. You might ask to move tables, only to find that the sound is no better by the windows.

Or perhaps you’ve faced the opposite dilemma: walking into a café that is so quiet, all you can hear is the baristas talking about your order and the microwave beeping. Feeling awkward, you might decide to take your meal to-go.

Even if the dishes are superb, guests will bring home the memory of your restaurant’s experience. So, if they stopped in your bar to watch the game and can’t see the screen—or if they hoped to hear live music, but the sound was distorted—it will leave a bad taste in their mouths.

What will visitors take away from your restaurant? To learn more about what a restaurant AV installation can offer your Lakeway, TX eatery, continue reading our points below.

SEE ALSO: Set Up the Best AV Installation in Your Restaurant or Bar

Hosting parties and get-togethers is the surest way to gather friends and family under one roof. There are perks to hosting, like choosing the music and dinner cuisine. But planning a party can be stressful too. Setting up beforehand can be a tiring endeavor, and you’ll want to ensure everyone is having a good time. 

But with an outdoor entertainment system added to your backyard, parties will practically assemble themselves (well, you still need to invite everyone and serve food). With durable, weatherproof speakers from Coastal Source integrated with a smart control system, it will be easier than ever to make sure everyone’s having a blast. 

Keep reading to see all the benefits outdoor audio can have in your Austin, Texas area home!