Blog Archives

Home automation tips for new construction projects

A few months back, reader Billy wrote: We’re building a new house, and what better way to get in when you have all the walls open to begin with. I was wondering if you had any recommendations? Maybe you could

Posted by Matt Chiste
November 15

Use a rotary tool to fix a sticking deadbolt

I’ve got an electronic door lock that I control via my Insteon system to lock when I leave the house, and even monitor whether the deadbolt is set or not. But over the winter, I found that the lock was

Posted by Matt Chiste
April 7

Relocate your media center for a cleaner look

It dawned on me about a year ago that now that I had the ability to run ethernet between floors, send HDMI signals long distances, install ceiling speakers, and cleanly connect everything together, the media center taking up space in

Posted by Matt Chiste
September 6

Automate your toilet

The Insteon TriggerLinc is a great device for sending basic open/close information to your Insteon system. It’s not as discrete as the hidden door sensor, but it gets the job done. And, it doesn’t have to be used for just

Posted by Matt Chiste
April 1

Cutting drywall safely

Cutting Drywall isn’t all that difficult, and we’ve talked about it in the past few posts. Because you never know what’s behind a wall (even with a good stud-finder that can detect metal and A/C current), you should always cut

Posted by Matt Chiste
January 19

Wall-Mounted Home Control Center

I kicked off my latest series of posts with a rather benign one about the genius of paper tabs on outlet covers, but am excited to start sharing the details of my latest round of home improvements. (Some who have

Posted by Matt Chiste
December 5

Mount a Deck Umbrella to Save Space

We have a small deck that needed a bit of sun coverage over the summer, and went shopping for an umbrella. We decided on this 10′ Patio Hanging Offset Umbrella with Solar LED Lights; it looked like it would get

Posted by Matt Chiste
October 24
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