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67 Motorized Blinds Spec’d in $20M Home
Mark Sipe of Abacus Prime LLC, who has been tasked with designing and managing the installation of the electronics, is looking for a CE pro to excel on the project. If you're interested, email Mark at marks@abacusprime.com.
Here is the second installment of Sipe’s running commentary on the project. Good luck Mark!
We are in the early stages of this job with only one or two hard selections having been made. As I continue pulling together the bid spec, more documents will be released.
Here are a sample bidding specification (pdf) and a sample motorized window schedule (pdf) for the home. In total, the house will have 67 motorized shades/drapes. These documents are an example and not a request for bids. We will be using a local supplier.
Developing the spec for the motorized blinds for this home is a perfect example of why documentation is so important.
The blinds were originally supposed to be part of my control spec, but there wasn’t enough information in the plans to work with to create a control spec. So, I went to the architect and asked him to identify which windows were going to have drapes. He said that he thought every window that had a motorized blind was also going to have drapes.
But when I asked the client the same question, he disagreed. Not every window was getting blinds and drapes. So I then went through all the window locations and discovered several that hadn’t been selected for blinds. A simple document was created that the customer easily marked up to give us the information needed. Documentation will save a project.
Even though blinds are a separate budget, they are still under our control. When you start adding in all the subsystems under a separate contract, the budget looks a little different.
As we post more information on this job it will start to take shape and I hope everyone will see a great system come together.
In the attached sample spec (pdf), the letters or letters/numbers come from the window schedule showing actual windows and the floor plan with each window marked. Radius windows add a slight challenge since all blinds will be recessed in pockets. Some of the windows will allow us to “link” blinds using a single motor and a knuckle connecting the different tubes.
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Article Topics
News · Home Automation and Control · Control Systems · Installation · Motorized Shades · Installation ·About the Author
22 Comments (displayed in order by date/time)
This should be good, so you went to a consumer trade show to look at a control solution for this large project? Can’t wait to see what science project product you are going to advise the customer goes with. Does CEDIA have an award for best Frankenstein project?
Grabbing popcorn…
Crestron has a large showroom and has asked that I look at their full line. I will also be reviewing the Control4 systems at City Center.
I am promoting my software Salez Toolz and Xspot wire location system with my distributor Ethereal Home theater.
Given a good question or comment I will do my best to reply.
If you want to experience the Conrol 4 system at City Center go on your own and get a room. Mine didn’t work when I went there. The touch panel was dead and the remote interface was intermittent. Not sure if that is a good example of a Control 4 system for a large residence as these are very small and simple systems with custom programming that doesn’t exist. I wouldn’t use this model as an example.
We aren’t committing to any system yet, just reveiwing them all. I would like to look at Nirv and netstreams some more but neither may be ready by the time we need it.
There are enough good systems out there with a lot more coming. ELAN G looks cool but who knows when it will ready.
These look like bid ‘suggestions’ not bid ‘specifications’.
“We aren’t committing to any system yet, just reveiwing them all. I would like to look at Nirv and netstreams some more but neither may be ready by the time we need it.
There are enough good systems out there with a lot more coming. ELAN G looks cool but who knows when it will ready.”
Seriously? Even considering some of these choices is really a joke.
Mark in the last article it was mentioned that a Vantage system was going to be used. Can you please clarify if a Vantage system has already been specified or if the control systems still being decided on?
Vantage is the lighting system.
While I am talking to Crestron it isn’t the only system out there. Many products properly installed will amaze clients and perform well for the life of the home. Knowing the systems you’re putting in and knowing your client opens up a lot of options. I am not in a rush to select what product and am training on multiple systems to better understand some of the new platforms. I think streaming is going to be a big part of our industry’s future. I can sometimes see behind the curtains and look at whats coming 6 months or a year down the road.
ZeeVee’s new Zinc software pulls multiple content websites together into one easy to interface. More is coming.
Not being a dealer and not having an allegiance to any one product line helps me to keep an open mind. I don’t have to know everything about a product, just how it works and if it REALLY works.
We work in an industry that thrives on innovation so I have been a little surprised by some of the reactions, but only a little. I am not going to settle for anything, but make an informed choice after I fully understand what options are available.
At CES this week, come by if you have something to say, I am in the Ethereal Home Theater booth South 1-21402 right next to Control4 (didn’t know until tonight).
Are we going to find out April 1st that this is a joke? This project seems far too disorganized to have any chance of keeping the client happy.
I find it ironic that “professionals” in our industry would post in an industry forum as well as public forum with a complete lack of professionalism.
To me using terms like “Frankenstein” and “April fools” is really a “look at me, I am smarter than this guy” statement and in the end makes us all look like hatch-back-slammers not worthy of the term “professional”.
I personally would like to thank Mark for having the guts to put himself out-there in front of the industry to talk about the project. I may not agree with all that he is doing but I will either learn how to or how not do something I am sure and I find that to be of value.
Agree or disagree but please keep in mind the web site is called CE “PRO”.
New here and not looking to stir this bubbling cauldron any further but I am somewhat confused by the fact that SAVANT has yet to be mentioned as a control alternative.
Savant came up just this morning. We haven’t mentioned half of what we are looking at for the project. In fact we have mostly been responding to comments that don’t actually deal with much of anything yet. Wait until we discuss division of work across the trades such as who pulls the wire.
This week I meet with Crestron, Control4 and maybe a couple others. Not in a rush, there are other priorities before we choose our Integrator.
“I have also learned the width should always be the first measurement as that is a standard for the industry. Good to know!”
umm look at the side of box sometime…it is a stndard pretty much everywhere WxHxD (XxYxZ). At least old dogs can learn new tricks.
I am at CES this week so responses will come after the show hours. The next post will be about some of the control systems I am reviewing at the show and others I have been researching over the last few months.