All Articles Tagged Retrofit

Grant Clauser | 06/13 07:57 AM, 1 Comment

Most people have already made the move from standard definition TV to HDTV, but what if that move requires you to change a valued piece of furniture? That was the case with a client of Ben Marlow, who runs Booyah Technologies in Hatfield, PA. This client had an old Sony CRT TV in a large cabinet and armoire in their bedroom. While the rest of the house had already migrated to HDTVs, the homeowners had hesitated with the bedroom set because they knew they’d have to get rid of the… View this story

Steven Castle | 06/09 08:28 AM, 1 Comment

For installer Michael Wackernah of Limitless Systems Inc. (LSI) in Huntington, N.Y., this 24,000-square-foot retrofit project was an Olympic test of endurance, attention to detail and control (both emotional and technical). “He’s the CEO of a profitable technology company, so he’s always on his game,” Wackernah says, adding the client double-checked LSI’s work, and required them to vacuum behind drilled drywall. Needless to say, this retrofit involved a lot of extreme vacuuming, because LSI retrofitted nearly everything, including a 65-inch Samsung 3D TV wired through an 8-foot-wide stone fireplace. LSI… View this story

Jason Knott | 06/03 08:44 AM, 1 Comment

Sound Components in Coral Gables, Fla., has figured out a way to use its small, sparse demo room for both multi-channel and high-end two-channel demos without cluttering up the room with bulky floorstanding speakers. Six months ago, the company retrofitted its 15.8- x 21.6-foot demo room with in-wall planar magnetic speakers from Wisdom Audio. When the client faces one direction, he/she experiences a 7.1 surround sound audio and video demo using three Wisdom L-150is as LCRs, four P-20is as side and rear speakers and an STS subwoofer. Clients can also… View this story

Arlen Schweiger | 05/23 07:16 AM, 0 Comments

Not every basement renovation needs to be a house-shaking turnaround. An upgraded flat-panel display, satellite-subwoofer surround sound system and improved décor often suffice. Such was the case in this North Carolina home, in which the basement primarily served as a place for wine storage and little else. The 20-inch CRT television and beanbag chair didn’t exactly invite an evening of music, movie and wine tasting, so the owners thirsted for a more current vintage of fine electronics. Local custom pro Harmony Interiors of Asheville, N.C., came to the rescue on… View this story

Jason Knott | 04/29 10:41 AM, 7 Comments

If you think the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has forgotten about its federal lead paint abatement law passed in 2010, think again. Permanent Siding and Windows, a Milford, Conn.-based contractor specializing in spray-in vinyl siding and window and door replacement, recently agreed to pay a fine of $30,702 to settle claims by the EPA that it violated the lead paint abatement law, according to the EPA. The real kicker is that Permanent Siding and Windows did not violate the law in terms of its disposal of the lead paint in… View this story

Robert Archer | 04/19 10:06 AM, 2 Comments

To the dismay of installers everywhere the flat-panel television category commoditized faster than Usain Bolt runs a 100-meter dash. On the surface this may seem like bad news, but looking at it opportunistically, the lower prices do provide the ability to sell more products in other categories. In today’s shifting A/V market, one of the ways installers can combat the falling prices is to offer retrofittable and affordable solutions that serve a variety of needs. One product capable of supporting many A/V sales initiatives is DVDO’s iScan Duo Processor. This… View this story

Arlen Schweiger | 04/07 11:09 AM, 1 Comment

Before the pros at Custom Home Theater Systems and Automation began working on it, the electronics in this historic New England colonial saltbox weren’t much more prolific than when it was built in 1840. It had one TV - a 17-incher - among the assortment of antiques that help to enhance its mid-19th century charm. But the homeowner is not averse to 21st-century technology, and wanted it sprinkled into the house, as long as it wouldn’t detract from the décor. “I walked through my plans with them and my ideas,… View this story

CE Pro Editors | 03/30 08:47 AM, 0 Comments

With the existing home market dominating the custom landscape, some CE pros have wondered if high-margin, high-customer-satisfaction categories like central vacuum installations are still viable. It’s a category, like structured wiring or distributed audio, that is more often associated with new construction - but as the folks at M.D. Manufacturing emphasize to us, there is definitely room in retrofits for central vac, especially if your core clientele live in single-story homes. M.D. Manufacturing’s Andrew Bransby runs through the Retrofit 101 of central vac. Related: Anatomy of a Central Vacuum System:… View this story

Jason Knott | 03/15 07:45 AM, 0 Comments

There are three key security technologies are developing that are vital for the multi-family market. Smart Cards: This technology has come a long way from its inception. In essence, it's a card that not only provides access control in and out of an MDU unit, but also tracks the user's habits in the facility and handles payments. Smart cards are being used for entry into public laundry areas, health spa and swimming pool areas, parking garages, etc. The cards also act as debit cards for internal payments in the housing… View this story

CE Pro Editors | 03/10 02:08 PM, 0 Comments

At $9.4 billion, Los Angeles County, Calif. leads the country for counties spending the most money on remodeling, according to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Rounding out the top 5 list is Cook County in Illinois, Orange and San Diego counties in California, and Maricopa County in Arizona. The NAHB model uses data from the American Housing Survey - funded by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau - to estimate local remodeling based on home and home owner characteristics.… View this story