Bought home w/ defective drywall. Help me automate from scratch!

[Relleum]

Last month I purchased a home at a discount that was known to have defective chinese drywall. I am one month into the four month remediation process, and every last inch of drywall, electrical, etc. has been removed from the property (down to the studs). I now have a clean slate to wire the home for automation, but I need to figure out all the details within the next few weeks in order to take full advantage of this opportunity.

My goals are to automate lighting, thermostat, alarm, and window treatments. I want to be able to (eventually) control everything with an iPad. My initial budget is about 15-20k, but I definitely want to purchase products with the best price/performance ratio currently available. If this means adding to the budget, then I am okay with spending more.

Below are the ground floor and second floor architecture plans, along with some photos. Hopefully they will help illustrate my descriptions.


LIGHTING
On the first floor, I want to control the kitchen, dining room, family room, master bedroom, and living room, along with the outside courtyard and garage lights. On the second floor, just the club room.

THERMOSTAT
I am installing new Trane XL20i units, but I guess all that matters is the thermostat I use to control it. Suggestions as to which thermostat brand/model would be greatly appreciated.

ALARM
I am light on the details of the alarm system, but it would be great to be able to remotely arm/disarm it from my iPhone, as well as arm it from the bedroom with the iPad. Suggestions here would be greatly appreciated.

WINDOW TREATMENTS
This is probably the most difficult/expensive (and probably optional) of all. My wife and I love the idea of being able to wake up in the morning and open all the blinds automatically throughout the house, and close everything in the evening when going to sleep. We do it every day manually in our current townhouse, and it's going to be infinitely more annoying with all the windows in the new place. We have agreed that it is only important on the first floor, but there are a couple of challenges. Firstly, a majority of first floor light comes from the sliding glass doors. Is it viable to automate these? Secondly, there are quite a few small windows (especially looking out to the courtyard) which may run up the cost quickly.

The electrician also said it would be a good idea to decide on the window treatment brand as quickly as possible, since the amperage would need to be calculated into the new plans. I'd love to hear suggestions.

SPEAKER SYSTEM
The house was originally wired for surround sound in both the living room and loft, as well as wiring to the outside patio. However, each wiring set seemed to be isolated. The idea of playing music both inside and outside of the house is great, but my guess is we need to setup the wiring to a home run. That way we can control everything in concert. This led us to choosing under the stairs as a homerun location for the equipment. There's quite a bit of room under there, and the airflow seems sufficient.

That's pretty much all I can think of right now. Hopefully this is enough information to start getting some good recommendations, but I have many more pictures and the full architectural plans if that would help!

Edit: I tried to post the pictures inline, but since I am new to the forum, the system won't allow it. for now, just go to imgur dot com/a/t2kZl to view the plans and photos.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

http://www.cocoontech.com/wiki/Wiring_Your_New_House_101

http://www.cocoontech.com/portal/lists/home-automation-software

http://www.cocoontech.com/portal/lists/ios-iphone-ipad-home-automation-apps

http://www.cocoontech.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=1778

 

[Relleum]

[links removed since I can't post links yet]

Thanks for the links. I've already read the first three, but I'll have to check out the last.

I wanted to treat this thread more like, "What would you do in my shoes?" It's hard to choose components when you've never been through the process of home automation, so it would be great to hear insight from people who have already been through an installation or two. I like the idea of the pinned topic Lighting Automation Technologies: If you got to do it all over again, and I hope that some will use my house as a base for what they would do, given a blank slate.

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

What is your near term budget (wiring, etc...).

What is your far term timeline and budget for your future goals? What do you want to do yourself in terms of hardware and software installation/customization?

These are the most important factors whenever giving advice.

 

[Relleum]

What is your near term budget (wiring, etc...).

What is your far term timeline and budget for your future goals? What do you want to do yourself in terms of hardware and software installation/customization?

These are the most important factors whenever giving advice.

Let's assume the budget is anywhere from 15k - 30k to get everything done. But I'm very flexible here, and I want to concentrate on getting the features that I want for the best price, without sacrificing too much in stability and quality.

I will not be doing any of the electrical wiring myself, and since the home's electric has to be redone, I am going to try and have professional help with most of the installation. However, I want to understand and make the decisions on equipment and approach.

 

[etc6849]

If you're having everything done professionally and your budget is $15k-$30k for your entire home, I would look into Control4 as it's the best bang for the buck and will come in cheaper than any other dealer solution. Control4 is a nice solution and pretty powerful. However, only dealers have access to the full version of set up software...

If you want to do all of the programming yourself, be able to make upgrades later, and add custom features: there are a lot of DIY solutions (including a free one called Premise) that work very well. However, the problem is there's a lot of work involved in learning up front and you must be able to think very logically and have some programming experience. Honestly though, if you don't care about having every little feature customized, I would pick something like Control4.

 

[ricky.l.edmonds]

Honestly, in my opinion, you are a pure crazy... Anyone who knowingly buys a property contaminated with toxic; deadly 'Chinese Drywall' has far too much money to throw away... The EPA and CPSC are both trying to figure out the 'CORRECT' remediation protocal to repair a 'Chinese Drywall' house. I fear you are about to spend a significant amount of money fixing this house; only to have to do it agian once our federal agencies decide to actually act. They have already backtracked once; and probaly will again; at least one more time; if not multiple corrections. Hell; it's only been 5 years; you have to give them enough time to work. <<G>> You say you have stripped the house down to the studs; did anyone tell you that the hydrogen sulfide that is released from the drywall gets absorbed into the studs and then is released back into the property after the new drywall is in place? Doesn't sound like it. Make sure you take careful notes on the installation of your new electronics; my 15K dollar home entertainment system was destroyed by Chinese Drywall, and yours will be as well. And oh by the way; since you knew about the Chinese Drywall before you purchased the property; good luck finding home owner's insurance; and if you do; do luck ever fileing a claim. Almost any event that is destined to transpire; will be linked back to the corrosive drywall; and therefore exempt from coverage. I do hope you are independently wealthy; you now own a true 'money pit.' I hope you did purchase it at a significant discount; I predict you'll spend 20 times your savings amount over the next 10 years to fix multiple issues. And oh by the way; I hope this property is not in VA. Effective JUL 1, 2011, it's a mandatory disclosure when you go to sell it that it was orginally constructed with 'Chinese Drywall.' Best of luck to you; you'll need it.

 

[apostolakisl]

I know nothing about Chinese drywall!

However, I think I know enough about people to suggest you don't do anything that a prospective buyer of your property in the future will be scared away.

This probably includes Chinese drywall.

I highly suggest you don't add to the problem by installing a proprietary automation system that can't be returned to a traditionally functioning home with minimal effort.

In my mind, that means using things like UPB/Insteon/Zwave.

 

[etc6849]

I'm happy to report that I checked my home after reading this post the other day and have no Chinese drywall I wouldn't be discouraged from buying a home with Chinese drywall, but it would have to be priced near land value to out weigh the risk.

Z-wave isn't a bad choice; I use it for in-wall keypads, lighting and locks. Z-Wave is definitely more widely used than UPB and Insteon.

Too bad Z-Wave isn't a solution by itself... You still need a nice security system like the Elk M1G or HAI Omnipro II (either can be used to trigger events in many home automation systems like Premise and Control4). Another option to explore is the Micasaverde Vera 2 controller + Z-Wave.

FYI: Control4 isn't all that proprietary; it works with all kinds of devices from many manufacturers. Anything with an RS232 port can likely be made to work with Control4. The problem is, only dealers have the software to build drivers and add new devices. Everything else can be changed by the end user via a water downed version of the dealer software. This type of setup is probably best for most people though.

If I was going to start installing HA systems for a living, Control4 + (HAI or Elk) would be the only options I'd sell. Something like Premise is great for custom installations, but it is more labor intensive than Control4 and would cost the customer a lot more in labor. Of course my system was a lot cheaper than Control4 and is even more open, but I did the work myself.

 

[Relleum]

Honestly, in my opinion, you are a pure crazy... Anyone who knowingly buys a property contaminated with toxic; deadly 'Chinese Drywall' has far too much money to throw away... The EPA and CPSC are both trying to figure out the 'CORRECT' remediation protocal to repair a 'Chinese Drywall' house. I fear you are about to spend a significant amount of money fixing this house; only to have to do it agian once our federal agencies decide to actually act. They have already backtracked once; and probaly will again; at least one more time; if not multiple corrections. Hell; it's only been 5 years; you have to give them enough time to work. <<G>> You say you have stripped the house down to the studs; did anyone tell you that the hydrogen sulfide that is released from the drywall gets absorbed into the studs and then is released back into the property after the new drywall is in place? Doesn't sound like it. Make sure you take careful notes on the installation of your new electronics; my 15K dollar home entertainment system was destroyed by Chinese Drywall, and yours will be as well. And oh by the way; since you knew about the Chinese Drywall before you purchased the property; good luck finding home owner's insurance; and if you do; do luck ever fileing a claim. Almost any event that is destined to transpire; will be linked back to the corrosive drywall; and therefore exempt from coverage. I do hope you are independently wealthy; you now own a true 'money pit.' I hope you did purchase it at a significant discount; I predict you'll spend 20 times your savings amount over the next 10 years to fix multiple issues. And oh by the way; I hope this property is not in VA. Effective JUL 1, 2011, it's a mandatory disclosure when you go to sell it that it was orginally constructed with 'Chinese Drywall.' Best of luck to you; you'll need it.

I have done my research, and I can assure you that we are handling the remediation process correctly. First, the house is stripped down of all drywall, electrical, plumbing, and HVAC. Then, for a period of 30 days, the home is meticulously scrubbed down 4 times (each week), which includes HEPA vacuuming, fine dust removal, and wiping down all surfaces and studs with an antibacterial agent. Throughout the 30 days, there are three 2000 CFM HEPA negative air filters that are running 24/7 to displace any remaining off gases.

As for the homeowner's insurance, I had no problems acquiring a policy from All State, as our financing required it before closing. You heard correctly; I financed the home under a remediation loan. Even Wells Fargo understands that Chinese Drywall isn't a death sentence, but just a big problem that can be effectively addressed with a correct and thorough remediation plan. Also, the contractor is providing a 10 year warranty on the entire home. If All State wants to play the "I'm not paying" card, then the warranty will have my back.

My guess is that your equipment was destroyed while Chinese drywall was present, rather than after a correct and thorough remediation. And understandably so, since it corrodes copper like nobody's business. But I did the research, and I assumed a calculated risk. This is a 1.6 million dollar home that I paid just over 350K, with remediation costs of about 150K. I was able to do that because of the fear and uncertainty of Chinese drywall, which is already starting to subside within the past year. In fact, I already have about 100K in equity based on recent neighborhood sales. Still; as with anything of this nature, there is a good amount of risk that I assumed. Whether it has a detrimental impact that supersedes the discounts and potential investment opportunity; only time will tell.

Until then, help me build a kick-ass automated home!

 

[Relleum]

If you're having everything done professionally and your budget is $15k-$30k for your entire home, I would look into Control4 as it's the best bang for the buck and will come in cheaper than any other dealer solution. Control4 is a nice solution and pretty powerful. However, only dealers have access to the full version of set up software...

If you want to do all of the programming yourself, be able to make upgrades later, and add custom features: there are a lot of DIY solutions (including a free one called Premise) that work very well. However, the problem is there's a lot of work involved in learning up front and you must be able to think very logically and have some programming experience. Honestly though, if you don't care about having every little feature customized, I would pick something like Control4.

I am a software developer, so I don't really have an issue with needing to program my solution. I'm looking into Control4, and I really like some of their stuff. But it seems they have a major focus on wireless. Does this mean that having my walls open right now is not really that big of an advantage for home automation?

After all my research, I still feel lost. For example, if I picked a controller right now, it would be nearly arbitrary

 

[BraveSirRobbin]

Since you have the 'big bucks' I would probably go with HAI. One thing nice about HAI is you can do it yourself, or hire someone to do it for you as it's popular with home automation installers.

If you were going more on a budget and concentrating on security I would recommend the Elk.

HAI offers a lot of integration including touchscreens (that are killer), security, home automation, music server, intercom, security video, etc...

Read some of my CES and ISC West reviews on HAI to see some of their displayed products.

I would bag Control 4 if you ever are even thinking about touching the system yourself.

 

[apostolakisl]

This is a 1.6 million dollar home that I paid just over 350K, with remediation costs of about 150K.

How in the world do you tear out the drywall, electrical, hvac, plumbing, and all the other stuff that goes with it, plus do all that cleaning rigamaroll on a $1.6 mill house and put it all back in for $150K?

 

[Relleum]

How in the world do you tear out the drywall, electrical, hvac, plumbing, and all the other stuff that goes with it, plus do all that cleaning rigamaroll on a $1.6 mill house and put it all back in for $150K?

The expensive parts of the house are the saturnia marble flooring, upgraded kitchen cabinets and granite, impact resistant windows (no shutters necessary), and decked out bathrooms. For instance, our contractor was telling us that the faucets in the master bedroom cost about almost 800 dollars each when buying new. Plus, it's in a pretty nice neighborhood on a lake with heated pool and Jacuzzi. All of the aforementioned upgrades are salvageable that don't have to be replaced, and that's where I saw the real value here.

 

[tmbrown97]

The market will cater to the largest potential customer-share... and that isn't people who have their walls wide open... unfortunately the majority of people wanting these systems are forced to work with retrofit options. The good thing is, there are lots of really good retrofit options available.

What that means - the things you want to wire are security, blinds, whole house audio, etc; for lighting I think the retrofit options are as good as if not better in some ways than hardwired systems (hardwired systems are great with the 100% reliability, but tend to have less available integration with 3rd party systems).

There are some great wiring guides here that'll tell you how to wire for just about anything. But it's good to decide on HAI vs. Elk - as we can probably share a bunch of less-known tips for a given system once you make a choice.