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[thedutchtouch]

hello all, WE've decided to add automation to our  house,  but have a few specific design features to work around- 
our house is almost completely concrete (floors, walls, etc) and the interior/exterior is plastered so we can't really add any more hardwired lines.

if possible please recommend specific manufacturers/systems that will suit our needs

what we'd like to have:

top priority- a system that'll allow for remote control of the temperature in 8 different zones in the house, thermostat wire is in place (but no cat5), so communication to/from thermostats probably will have to be wireless.  radiant floor heat/cooling.
also- exterior cameras that are remotely accessible,
a few lights/switches that are x10 compatible (this seems simpler to pick out)

AV control isn't a big issue
are there remotely controllable wireless blinds?
security system could be interesting too


no real preference towards hardware or software based systems, and performance is more important than price (but cost is still somewhat of a factor)
The thermostats are the top priority, but i'd like a system that has the capability for expansion into multiple other areas as well.

thanks for any help in advance, in the meantime i'll keep searching the forums.

[HA Dave]

....... our house is almost completely concrete (floors, walls, etc) and the interior/exterior is plastered so we can't really add any more hardwired lines.

It is almost always possible to add more wires. Concider things like the back of a closet (or false back) to an upper floor or attic space....

............ performance is more important than price (but cost is still somewhat of a factor)

You should look for a professional installer. Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning systems require a good deal of engineering..... if your not experienced in that area... you should contact a professional.

[thedutchtouch]

nah, we built the entire house ourselves, we'll be doing this ourselves too.  besides the heating system is already all in place, i'm just looking for a good wireless thermostat to control it.

and the upper floors? they're concrete too, no going through them unless we drill through 4 inches of concrete, but then we risk hitting one of the pipes for the in floor heat. 



we don't need a professional installer, my father and i have done every single step of the building process ourselves,  why would we need to hire someone to come in and install some wireless thermostats?


I was debating about the motorola system, which seems like it'll work well for us being RF, but there's no way we're going to pay 10 dollars a month for the rest of the time we own the house.  any similar systems that let you run your own server/ don't have fees?

[gil shultz]

You do not need cat5 to network thermostats, there are many that use a multitude of protocols, just enter "networked thermostat" in your browser and enjoy what you find.  As for me I would never use a wireless in my area, two many bad things would happen to a home in the winter in Michigan if the heat were to fail.

Good Luck
Gil Shultz