Justin Brees of AM House

[Ron Resnick]

When the scope of our house repair project started expanding a couple of years ago we figured that it was de rigueur for a putatively high-end, contemporary house to have a comprehensive home automation system. (I've never understood why these systems are referred to as "home automation" systems. They seem to me to be elaborate home remote control systems, so that is what I will call it hereafter).

I researched Crestron, Control4, Elan and Savant. Each of these systems had its advantages and disadvantages. I may be wrong, but it seemed like each of these systems started with an original functional specialty, and then each system expanded to embrace additional capabilities over time. Now, each of them does pretty much everything related to security, audio, video and remote control.

I chose Elan because we wanted a very competent video intercom system, and because I wanted hard-wired, wall mounted control panels (I like dedicated hardware) and Tinka wanted a seamlessly integrated iPhone app (Tinka dislikes dedicated hardware).

The most prominent Elan installer I found in Southern California is Justin Brees of AM House, (661) 510-1764, jbrees@amhouse.net.

AM House is a home automation and security and audio/visual integration firm which has installed an elaborate Elan remote control system. The Elan system allows us to control everything (exterior video cameras, overhead garage door, lights, heating/cooling, pool, video intercom, music distribution system, etc.) seamlessly from both hardwired wall panels sprinkled around the house and from iPhones.

Justin has been an unbelievable joy to work with on this project, and on this thread I will describe his Elan installation and our experience with him, so happy are Tinka and I with his systems, his experience, his utterly unflappable demeanor and his professionalism.

And the Elan system is just amazing!

 

[Ron Resnick]

After I had announced "pencils down" about a dozen times, somehow I suddenly noticed that the overhead garage door was weathered-looking and scratched. And the glass inserts between the aluminum-anodized grid frame are that weird green, which does not match the white and grey exterior colors of the house.

So I hired an overhead garage door firm to install a whole new garage door, new track system and new motor drive mechanism. I was asked to choose between a Liftmaster system and a German system called Marantec. The drive mechanism of the Marantec was shockingly quiet, but it did not integrate easily with the Elan system.

With the Liftmaster a simple up/down toggle for the overhead garage door would naturally appear on the Elan system, and would show affirmatively with an icon whether the garage door was up or down.

With the Marantec this door status information would not show naturally on the Elan.

I wanted the Marantec system, but I did not want to forfeit the door status information on the Elan.

So Justin programmed the "home" page of the Elan system to display permanently the view of the video camera inside the garage. What better way to understand instantly the door status of the overhead garage than to see the overhead door from inside the garage?




This is an example of how happy and eager Justin is to achieve the client's objectives without compromising any of those objectives.

 

[Ron Resnick]

The equipment closet, and the equipment all in a free-standing rack on wheels on an umbilical cord for easy servicing of equipment.