speaker

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.

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

 

           

 

 

 

 

         

Add to Your Outdoor Enjoyment

The sky is Carolina blue and the sun is shining. You’re standing in your backyard thinking about the perfect summer barbecue. As you survey the yard, a few fantasies dance in your mind:

A new deck or stone patio?

Built in Grill?

New outdoor furniture?

A fire pit?

Or maybe even a DJ …

 

Your imagination runs wild with the vision of family, friends and neighbors laughing and talking in your backyard – but wait …. there’s something else making it fun and festive – music!! With a sad glimmer of nostalgia, you remember the boom box that used to crank out your favorite party tunes (Jimmy Buffett comes to mind) – too bad that sudden summer shower destroyed it! With those fond memories running around in your head, you decide to look into something more durable. Something that is designed specifically for your yard where you can enjoy high-fidelity sound without worrying about the batteries, extension cords or weather.

Guess what… you’re in luck! Outdoor sound systems have come a long way since the boom box era.

When installed professionally, today’s systems produce extremely high-quality sound for listeners’ enjoyment. They are also very durable and can sound great for many years. However, there are a few key factors to consideration when designing your musical environment.

First off, an outdoor sound system can’t take advantage of the reflective surfaces that make indoor speakers more efficient (e.g. floors, walls and ceiling). In addition, there is ambient noise from passing cars, chirping crickets, and kids at play to consider in your design. Because of this, outdoor speakers require enough oomph from an amplifier with sufficient wattage to power them. The most common mistake people make with outdoors systems are under powering them which leads to distorted sound, or worse, blown speakers.

Consideration must also be given to the specific design of the area where people are to gather and the type of music you prefer to play. If your area is large, you’ll want to spread the load among multiple speakers and ensure optimal positioning. Multiple speakers playing softly in the right positions will sound much better than a few pushing too hard.

The backyard environment will also expose your system to the extremes of our North Carolina weather. Quality speakers must be able to endure sun, rain and hot/cold temperatures while melding in nicely with the landscaping. There are two basic types of all-weather speakers used: simple bookshelf-type models wrapped in protective casings, or stealth speakers that masquerade as garden rocks, flowerpots, or even benches. Although these speakers are built to be left out year-round, they will last longer and look and sound better if care is taken in determining their placement. For example, box-type speakers can be positioned under the protection of eaves or arbors. In the case of stealth speakers, they can be integrated and protected by natural cover like trees and bushes.

Finally, for convenience and user flexibility, wireless outdoor speakers are ideal. They operate on a designated frequency to deliver sound from your audio devices or Internet radio and can be tied into your home automation system.

So, this summer, you can stop just thinking about it and create the outdoor experience you have always wanted by adding quality sound to liven up gatherings or help you relax after a long, stressful day.

For more information on designing and installing quality outdoor sound systems, please contact Ken Henke at Secur-Tek: (919) 387-1800.

What Is Sonos?

Sonos 2What Is Sonos?

Sonos is a wireless audio system of HiFi speakers and components that lets you listen to music in any room with no skips, delays, or drops. You place the speakers throughout your house and then use the Sonos app to combine and access your music collection. Individual songs can be listened to on each speaker or the whole system can play the same song.

Sonos works with a variety of music sources. Wherever you like to get your audio—iTunes, podcasts, radio stations, Spotify, or Pandora—you can find it and file it into a dedicated local Sonos network through wireless or Ethernet connections and stream it to any Sonos device on the network. The Sonos system creates a dedicated path for playing audio which means you get smoother playback.

The Sonos system can be controlled by PC or Mac desktop applications, or apps for iOS or Android. Having a computer-based system means that you can customize all the playlists and music you want to hear. It’s like having an iPod in every room of your house that plays all the music you like—with great quality.

How It Works

The Sonos system consists of Zoneplayers and Controllers. “Zoneplayer” is the Sonos name for an element which outputs audio either via digital or analog connections or via speakers. Zoneplayers can be set up through wired or wireless connections. The Controller is the Mac/PC or mobile phone that runs the Sonos app.

If you have a home where WiFi doesn’t reach everywhere, you can use the Sonos BRIDGE to extend the range of your Sonos network. The BRIDGE also creates a dedicated wireless network for your Sonos system. The BRIDGE plugs into your router with an Ethernet cable. If you’re in an environment where the WiFi has performance challenges, you can use a BOOST—it’s like a super-charged BRIDGE.

For speakers like the PLAY:1, PLAY:2, or PLAY:3 you can simply plug them into the power outlet and they will wirelessly connect to your existing WiFi network or your dedicated Sonos network (if you have the BRIDGE or BOOST).

Place your speakers in the rooms where you want to listen to music. Then download and install a Sonos Controller app. You can access your entire music collection from anywhere in your house with the Controller. Follow the quick set-up guide that comes with the system and simply tell the Sonos app where the Zoneplayers and music library are located.

Last, but not least: play music! You can use any Sonos Controller to make music selections. Choose a music source from the Sonos music menu on a handheld controller, or from the MUSIC pane if you’re using the Sonos Controller App for Mac or PC.

You can tell the system to play the same thing on every stereo that’s linked to it or you can have a different playlist or source going in every room of the house.

Once you’ve got your system set up, you can easily add more Sonos products whenever you want. Only one part of the Sonos system needs to be linked with your home network; the other components link together directly. Since the Zoneplayers each transmit individually, each player you add increases the range of the Sonos network.

Why it’s Great

The main benefit of the Sonos system is that it delivers HiFi audio while really simplifying wireless streaming. The Sonos app lets you easily control the system and access a variety of music sources. There’s no need to link your phone with any of the individual speakers—all the speakers are controllable through the same app, no matter where in the house they’re located. Sonos uses their years of wireless networking know-how to make sure your music is in perfect sync and skip-free. It’s also super easy to get it going and new features are constantly being developed that work even with some of the oldest components.

Contact Secur-Tek today to find out more about the benefits of Sonos in your home.

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.

Secur-Tek proudly serves the North Carolina communities of Apex, Cary, Fuquay-Varina, Chapel Hill, Clayton, Garner, Holly Springs, Durham, Raleigh, Morrisville, and Pittsboro

Security & Home Automation