Water Sensors

 

Damage to homes and businesses from extreme temperatures, power outages/surges, failed/faulty appliances, and in-home flooding can cause personal and financial devastation. In fact, these environmental extremes are in the top five causes of insurance claims. 

According to the American Insurance Association, water damage claims have been growing faster than any other component of homeowners insurance. One in 50 insured homes has a property damage claim caused by water damage or freezing each year.

Here in North Carolina where we have multiple weather events each year, such as Ice storms, Tornados, Hurricanes, Flash Floods, Extreme temperature swings and power outages – the potential for property damage due to water is high.

But you can protect yourself from the property and financial devastation that water damage can cause by acting proactively — have a professional security alarm/sensor company install a multiple environmental sensor system into your home or place of business.

Note: To be fully protected and be credited by homeowners’ insurance, the system must be installed and monitored by a professionally certified company – self-installed and monitored systems do not qualify.

Whatever the installation challenge, Secur-Tek’s Honeywell Home Environmental Sensors can play a critical role in helping to prevent damage due to flooding or extreme temperatures in your home or business while lowering insurance premiums.

Here’s what a professional environmental sensor system can do for you: 

  • Monitor kitchens, basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms, freezers, boiler rooms and other areas for flood and extreme temperature detection 
  • Minimize or avert costly damages from flooding or faulty appliances
  • Help alleviate dangerous health risks from mold 
  • Help create a safer home and work environment 
  • Give you peace of mind with 24/7 central station text alerts on mobile devices via Resideo Total Connect Remote Services 

So, if you are living in Central North Carolina, isn’t it time to give us a call to discuss what a sensor system can do for you?

4 Reasons to Consider Home Automation

Home automation can add convenience and enjoyment to home activities.  Here are some examples:

Music and Entertainment

Whether exercising, entertaining, relaxing, or waking up in the morning, it helps to get the tunes right. This means queuing up your favorite playlist while adjusting the balance of tone, sound, and volume of the speaker system to your mood. With Secur-Tek’s professionally installed Control4 multi-room control, you will be able to queue up your favorite music in whatever room you are in. Or if a movie, sporting event, or TV show is in order, tuning in is just a click away.

Lighting
Your sleeping environment should be a restful one; an easy way to ensure this is to optimize your bedroom lighting. With Control4 home automation, you can set the sensors for bedtime that automatically lower the blinds at sunset and dim the lights to a softer level to help signal to your brain that it’s time to wind down at the end of the day. In the morning, set wake-up times to open your blinds to let the sunshine in and start the day off right. Integrations like these can be set up to be timed or added to voice commands using Control4 approved home assistant to make waking up or going to sleep more seamless and convenient.
 
Temperature

Medical sleep experts recommend keeping your bedroom between 60-67 degrees Fahrenheit for sleeping. Using a smart thermostat to automatically adjust the temperature to optimize your sleep makes it easy and comfortable to get a good nights’ rest. You can add an adjustment to your bedtime or wake-up automation so you always have the optimized temperature, whether for sleep or wakefulness.

Outdoor Living

After a long dreary winter, we are all ready to take advantage of warmer weather by relaxing outside. With a Secur-Tek Control4 installation, you can create the same kind of seamlessly automated experience outside that you have available to enjoy indoors. From outdoor TVs, non-obtrusive landscape speakers, and the ability to telecommute from your backyard with robust networking capabilities, Secur-Tek can help you create your ideal outdoor area for relaxing and entertaining.

Secur-Tek, Inc. can help you create a customized environment that enhances your home’s safety, security, and convenience. Call us at  919.387.1800 or fill out the form below for a complimentary consultation.

Secur-Tek, Inc. is locally owned and operated in Apex, NC, offering home and business security and monitoring. Secur-Tek also provides automation, audio, and central vacuum systems to customers in the Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Chapel Hill, Clayton, Garner, Holly Springs, Durham, Raleigh, Morrisville, and Pittsboro areas.

Six Benefits of a Whole House Audio System

Imagine: Instead of hearing an alarm first thing in the morning, you hear your favorite song softly nudging you awake. One that helps set a positive mood, energizes you and gives you a lift to your step while getting ready to start your day.

Then, as you enter the kitchen to make the coffee, crystal clear music is there to greet you as the rest of your family rushes in to grab their breakfast.

Throughout the day, your situation, mood, and energy levels shift, and you may move from room to room, or even outside. The sound of music flows with you throughout your home as you move from zone to zone, and the natural acoustics of the different spaces create the perfect listening experience.

Sound like a resort fantasy? It can be your everyday home experience and is well within your grasp! These scenarios are possible with whole house audio installation. Secur-Tek, Inc. can design and install a custom multi-room audio system that blends seamlessly into your home’s interior design while maximizing your listening pleasure.

Six major advantages to installing a total home audio system:

  • Seamlessly play music throughout all your spaces. That way, whether you work from home or come home after a long day at work, you can press play and walk from the living room to the bedroom without missing a beat. Whole house music is also great for entertaining friends and family. If you are having a party, your guests can move from room to room or even outside while enjoying the music’s perfect quality and volume no matter where they go.
  • You can play different music in each zone of your home. If you have children, teens or young adults, each one can pick their favorite songs and play them as they are getting ready in the morning. If Dad and Mom are cooking in the kitchen, they can listen to their preferred sound while preparing dinner. Each family member gets to choose their radio station or music selection in his or her own area.

Enjoy outdoor music without disturbing the neighbors. If you choose to install outdoor audio, through acoustical analysis and design, we can help ensure your neighbors will not be disturbed by the music you are enjoying.

  • Expand your music selection. You can easily access your own personal libraries on iTunes or Amazon Music and choose from songs on streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, and Tidal.
  • No ugly wires. No one likes seeing unsightly wires and speakers all over the house, and if you have speakers in every room, they use valuable space. With whole house audio, speakers can be installed in the walls so that they are out of the way, freeing up space for other things. Your guests will focus on the music and their conversation – not the sound devices sitting around since they will be barely able to notice them. The speaker grills can even be painted any color you like to match your home’s color scheme.
  • Most important — convenience! One of the best aspects of high-fidelity, whole house audio, is that it is all easily controlled from an app on your smart phone, mobile device, or computer. That means if you are sitting in your favorite chair reading and listening to music, you do not have to get up and find a controller to change songs. Or, you can be in the garage blasting rock and roll while packing for a family camping trip. You can turn down the music and answer the call without disrupting your progress! Your music is at the command of your fingertips, controlled by a simple app on your smart phone or other device.

Whether you are renovating or building, adding a whole house audio system can increase your enjoyment and value to your home. Secur-Tek, Inc. can design and install a custom multi-room audio system that blends seamlessly into your home’s interior design while maximizing your listening pleasure.

We also offer Wi-Fi enabled multi-room and outdoor audio solutions which are ideal for finished homes, updating existing audio systems, or expanding audio to your patio, deck, or pool area.

The technicians at Secur-Tek, Inc. have extensive knowledge and experience – our company has been providing multi-zone audio solutions as an authorized Bose dealer since 1990. We also customize audio systems using Klipsch speakers and Sonos wireless audio components.

For more information, check out our Audio Systems page or call us at 919-387-1800.

How a Smart Home Adds Value

 

A smart home can increase your safety and convenience to help you enjoy it!

It’s a new year and believe it or not, spring is right around the corner. Now is the time for planning those 2019 home improvements you’ve been thinking about. Installing smart home features is not only a great investment and wonderful convenience; it can give you greater peace of mind.  

How does it do that you might ask? Think about:

           Traveling– If you are a person that travels a lot – either job related or if you just enjoy exploring on the weekends — you can check on your property and valuables anytime you like. Furthermore, it allows you to let family/neighbors into your home to check on plants, pets and/or elderly parents you might have living with you.

            Maybe you have children that are at the age where you know they will be okay staying at home alone but just want the peace of mind and convenience of being able to check and monitor what is happening while your away. Or even let them in when they lock themselves out (as kids often do). Again, it is also a great way to handle the logistics of senior care or infant babysitting, freeing you up to do what you need to do.

            Beyond providing essential home security, smart home system can also save you time and money. Say goodbye to wasting PTO being stuck at home during one of those infamous “anytime between noon and 5 pm” delivery windows – just have us add a Skybell video doorbell to your home security system.

            When you have smart door locks, you can let people in to drop off deliveries or make home updates from your smartphone app. An exterior door camera lets you see exactly who is arriving, indoor monitors watch the progress while they are in your home, so you know everything that is happening. In addition, a Smart Home can start saving you money immediately. Your system can turn lights on and off and smart thermostat can help automate your temperature settings saving energy while making sure your home is comfortable when you arrive. You’ll be able to remotely access and control the thermostat, set up schedules, and receive temperature alerts, all through the app on your smartphone or tablet.

            It’s a Great Investment! Statistics prove that a home security and automation system can actually help sell your home. Coldwell Banker’s annual smart-home survey, published in January 2018, asked potential homebuyers about the importance of smart home devices:

                        63% want smart locks pre-installed

                        66% want smart home security cameras pre-installed

                        75% want smart smoke detectors pre-installed

                        77% want smart thermostats pre-installed

            Flexibility, with a Smart Home from Secur-Tek, Inc. – you can start with the level of features you would like and based upon your timeframes and resources, build on as you go!

As you can see, installing a Smart Home in 2019 can make sense from an economic, safety and convenience perspective. At Secur-Tek Inc., we have highly trained, reliable and friendly people to help you choose the features and level of Smart Home that is right for you.

If you would like to learn more about the Smart Home features offered by Secur-Tek, Inc. give us a call or fill out the form below.

Secur-Tek: Reliable, Local, Recycles

 

Secur-Tek offers reliable, local service and installation for Home Automation and Security Systems while implementing a “green” approach to doing business – we believe in protecting your home and the environment as well.  

As stated in their website, “Klipsch Sound carries a strong sense of responsibility when it comes to preserving the environment”. Klipsch has been delivering highly efficient premium speakers since 1946, and much like Secur-Tek, are always looking for earth-friendly ways to run their business. As they state, “From engineering and manufacturing to product packaging and displays, we want to remain committed to understanding green concepts as we shape our future products”

Klipsch began implementing “green” processes well before the environmental movement started. Their “horn technology” is the best way to achieve high efficiency and low distortion from a speaker. This principle remains the foundation of Klipsch products today and not only creates powerful, detailed audio performance but its speakers are among the most efficient offered in the market today.

Here are some ways they show their commitment:

  • Reduction of Hazardous Substances – All Klipsch products are RoHS (reduction of hazardous substances) compliant, meaning they do NOT contain substances that are harmful to humans or the environment           
  • Reconfiguration – Klipsch conducted a facility energy study and implemented several changes to their operations. The upgrades have resulted in 30% reduction in electrical costs and 52% reduction in gas consumption in just a two-year timeframe.
  •  Horn Loaded Efficiency Design – An average home speaker requires 1 watt of audio power to produce 85 to 88dB sound levels. Klipsch speakers can produce up to 6db more sound output for that one watt. This difference can reduce amplifier power needs by a factor of four, cutting electricity utilization by 75 percent.
  • Built to Last – As stated in their website, “Klipsch speakers – across the board – are not built with obsolescence in mind. We’ve been manufacturing long-lasting products for over 65 years, and we support them with repair parts and valuable customer service to keep them running”. This emphasis on longevity and durability, coupled with high quality results in less waste produced.

           Offering high quality, durable products with an emphasis on minimizing the impact on the environment — these approaches are complementary to Secu-Tek’s way of doing business for our customers! 

If you would like to learn more about Klipsch’s line of products and how we can enhance your home music / theater experience, please give us a call at (919) 387-1800 or checkout our Klipsch Audio page.

If you are looking to decrease your carbon footprint and are looking for convenient recycle centers, the listing below might help get you started: 

  

Wake County Convenience Centers

Multiple Centers in Wake County

http://www.wakegov.com/recycling/Pages/default.aspx

 

Durham County Recycling Centers

WEBSITE

 

Orange County Recycling Centers

WEBSITE

 

Hwy 55 C & D Landfill

Apex, NC

(919) 367-2895

Open until 5:00 PM

DIRECTIONS

 

Greenway Waste of Apex

Apex, NC

(919) 367-2895

WEBSITE

DIRECTIONS

 

South Wake Multi-Material Recycling Facility

Apex, NC

(919) 387-4312

Open until 4:00 PM

WEBSITE

DIRECTIONS

 

Cary Recycling Drop-off Site

Cary, NC

(919) 469-4090

Open until 5:00 PM

WEBSITE

DIRECTIONS

 

Citizen’s Convenience Center

Cary, NC

(919) 469-4090

Open until 5:00 PM

WEBSITE

DIRECTIONS

 

SMART Recycling US

Apex, NC

(919) 267-6848

WEBSITE

DIRECTIONS

 

South Wake MSW Landfill

Apex, NC

(919) 325-3000

Open until 5:00 PM

WEBSITE

DIRECTIONS

 

Cash for Junk Cars Raleigh, Cary, Garner, Durham, Clayton, Apex, Morrisville, NC

Raleigh, NC

(919) 624-4793

Open until 6:00 PM

WEBSITE

DIRECTIONS

 

American Greenz Inc.

Recycling Center

Morrisville, NC

(855) 372-7270

Open until 4:00 PM

WEBSITE

DIRECTIONS

 

           

 

 

 

 

         

How secure is your home network?

hackersWe call it The Internet of Things. And it’s very likely that you have it in your house: you know, the connection of electronic devices to the Internet so that you can have access to them. It could be your baby monitor, your home security network, your heating/cooling system, your coffee pot or your refrigerator—all these things can be connected to the Internet so that you can check in and/or make adjustments to them via your computer or smart phone. The Internet of Things allows us to be connected to most everything these days, making it more convenient for us to access and control our devices from almost anywhere there is an Internet connection, as well as monitor our homes and the goings on inside.

No doubt the Internet of Things gives you peace of mind, knowing that you can check in on your baby from another room or while you’re out. It allows you to adjust the temperature in your- home, so that it’s that perfect 68 degrees when you get home from work. Or you can lower the temperature of your refrigerator so that your favorite beverage is chilled when you walk in the door. You can lock or unlock your doors from another location. The ease of it all is amazing, isn’t it?

Let’s take a minute, however, to play devil’s advocate. If you can access your home, others can, as well. The Internet opens the doors for many great things; yet at the same time that it opens the doors for you, it also presents the opportunity for hackers to get inside your home and take control just as you would. A hacker could take control of your home security system and disable your locks or cameras. A hacker could take control of your baby monitor and speak through it. That same person could take control of your computer and use the installed camera to spy on you.

A recent article in the News and Observer highlighted the risks to using companies that don’t  know what they’re doing – the non-experts that have got into the security game purely to make money.  So, how can you protect yourself and your family against these invasions of privacy?

To protect yourself from hackers, you need to make sure you have a system that is secure. Choosing a professional security company to install your systems is the best route. Security professionals can make sure that the equipment you use in your home conforms to safety standards and that any data you transmit over the Internet in order to control your devices is encrypted. They can set your system up so that the Internet of Things is convenient and secure, minimizing your risk to a hacker’s intrusion.

For more information on securing your family and home, contact Secur-Tek at 919-387-1800.  All consultations are complimentary.

Cut Through the Mess with Structured Wiring

wiring panelIn today’s technology-driven world, many of us have a multitude of electronic and video devices in our homes, from televisions, DVD players and cable boxes to computers, modems and printers. And while these products have added to our home experiences, there was a definite period of frustration we had to endure before getting to the point of enjoyment—you know that time when you had to connect all the pieces of the puzzle together, getting the right wires to the right places, all the while trying to minimize that bundled mess of cable, which is now tucked behind the console.

There’s a solution to the wire and cable chaos—and that’s “structured wiring”, a generic term used to describe a network that efficiently and effectively distributes data signals throughout your home, including all the audio, data, phone, stereo and video signals, as well as temperature controls, home security controls and lighting.

Structured wiring not only gives you a centralized location (a structured networking panel) from which all devices are controlled, but gives homeowners:

  • More consistent signal quality: splicing wires/cables decreases signal strength. Structured wiring allows each device its own connection.
  • Simplicity in control and troubleshooting, as everything is centrally located and uniquely connected, eradicating wiring guesswork.
  • Signal speed: Wired signals come through faster than wireless signals. For those who need faster Internet, an Ethernet connection would be preferable.
  • The opportunity to more easily integrate and add components as needed.
  • An increase in home value: structured wiring improves your home entertainment and work experience while adding value to your home.

So why wouldn’t you consider structured wiring for your home? Whether it’s a new construction or an existing home, structured wiring can add simplicity and ease to your lifestyle and value to your home.

For more information on structured wiring, contact Secur-Tek today at 919-387-1800.

 

The Power of A Great Music System

Bose In-Wall SpeakersWe’ve all found ourselves tapping our toes or fingers, swaying our hips or humming to the sounds of music. It’s fun. It’s uplifting. And studies agree that listening to music can and does indeed lift spirits.

It doesn’t matter what type of music you listen to: jazz, pop, rock or new age. Listening to music can improve your mood, or if you’re already in a good mood, it can intensify that good mood.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have music all around you all the time? And if that music makes you feel good, what could be better? Good music, good feelings. Wow. Your quality of life just skyrocketed.

One way to infuse music into your home is to install a music system.

Invisible to the eye, Bose music systems allow you to listen to different music in different rooms at different levels throughout your home. The system is created to complement your style. You can use your favorite CDs or your iPod library. There are no large speakers hanging from the walls, but rather in-wall speakers are installed for a clean look and feel without losing the beauty of music in each room.

There’s a reason we listen to music and we naturally move to it. There’s a reason we use phrases such as “music to my ears.” And there’s a reason we have music at festivities. It makes us feel good! For more information on the Bose Music System, contact Secur-Tek at 919-387-1800.

And it’s not just for your home. Click here to learn how music can have a positive effect on your business!

How Music Affects Your Business

Bose SoundTouch™ 20 Wi-Fi® music system  Wireless streaming music speakerStudies have been done to show that music is uplifting to the spirits. But we really don’t need to read official papers on that. We all know that. We love music. That’s why there’s such a huge industry for it. There’s music in our homes and in our cars. There’s music on our phones and computers, in our video games, in our toys, in television shows and as the main topic of shows.

Music is pleasurable.

But did you know that music can affect your business?

For business owners, knowing that music can have a positive effect on people, would steer you to have a system in place to provide music to your business. For employees, it can help put them or keep them in a good mood. Happy employees are good employees.

Music can have an effect on your sales as well.

Consumers tend to recall brands that have music connected to them, music that is fitting to the brand. Among younger consumers, aged 16 – 24, more than half stay longer in a store if there is appreciable music in the background. Business owners know that the longer a person stays in a store, the greater the chances that that person will make a purchase.

The key, however, is not that any type of music be played, but the appropriate music ought to be played to reflect your brand and the opinion consumers will have of your brand. Having the wrong music play overhead can be extremely detrimental to your business.

If the music chosen doesn’t match the product or face of the business, this can yield negative results. If the volume of the music is too low, too loud or is absent, this can also have an unwanted effect on consumers. However, if you think about your brand and your target audience, and you have the right music playing in the background that your customers would enjoy and appreciate, then you are headed in the right direction.

Again, people enjoy music. It’s uplifting. For both your staff and your customers, there are very good reasons to have music at the business. Bose offers a music system that allows your place of business to discreetly have music throughout.

For information on the Bose Music System, contact Secur-Tek at 919-387-1800.

CCTV By Secur-Tek: Keeping the Triangle Safe and Secure

CCTV imageIf you live in Apex, NC or across the surrounding Triangle region and you own a business of any size, Secur-Tek Inc. has the product to have on-site that just might make all the difference in the success of your company.

Secur-Tek knows that business owners can always benefit from a closed circuit television system (CCTV).  Whether it’s an issue of trust, safety or just for peace of mind, CCTV can provide an aspect of protection to any business.  Just the presence of security cameras in customer and employee areas will often minimize issues ensuring the safety of your operation.

Secur-Tek of Apex, the premier installer of CCTV systems in North Carolina, offers any size system, from one to one hundred cameras that can be installed and configured by our installation team!  Custom specifications make each system unique and tailored to each and every business.

CCTV systems are highly effective in:

  • Monitoring and ensuring safe practices in an industrial or warehouse setting.
  • Discouraging theft within a business from both external and internal parties!
  • Reviewing performance of employees in action, both in real time and in replay.
  • Reviewing inconsistencies in normal operation.

If you have any doubts about your employees, or feel like heightening security could positively affect your business, do not hesitate to call today for an estimate of the cost of your custom developed system.

At Secur-Tek we offer:

  • Customizable specifications that allow total flexibility of your system.
  • PC based systems that easily monitor and keep track from the computer and related devices!
  • Remote video transmission systems to make it even easier to review the video
  • Strictly observation systems, for an affordable protection option.

Choose the system and functions that work best for your operation, and we take it from there!  You will benefit greatly in safety from the addition of every level of added protection.  Call Secur-Tek Inc. today to explore the options and make a change for the better!

Security & Home Automation