Program makes sure homes are TechReady
Published in The Chronicle Herald, March 29, 2008
Spring is in the air, and with it comes the renovation bug.
Many Nova Scotians will spend the coming weeks getting their properties shipshape so they can sell or buy a dream home before summer.
Buying a home is one of the biggest decisions we make, and with that decision comes a number of smaller yet equally important ones.
Will we have enough room? Will both cars fit in the garage? Is it energy efficient?
Homebuyers should also start asking whether the home is ready to meet their technological needs.
TechReady, a joint initiative between the Nova Scotia Home Builders’ Association and Aliant, is putting the industry to the test by asking the question on many of our minds: Are you building for today or tomorrow?
"It’s the only program in Canada that we know of," said association CEO Paul Pettipas. "It asks builders to factor technology choices into the building process, and allows consumers to build to match their lifestyles."
Let’s say you were one of the many people wooed by the marketing of a sleek plasma television mounted above a fireplace.
You spend a sleepless night outside of a big-box store to cash in on the Boxing Day sales and then attempt to install the new focal point of your living room.
A few things are bound to happen.
First, you’ll realize that there are no electrical or cable outlets above your fireplace, unlike the fireplace on TV. Second, you’ll start weighing the pros and cons of tearing apart the wall to install these cables. And third, if you don’t find yourself in the midst of a costly renovation, you’re bound to be left staring at the tangled wires draping down beside your beautiful flat-screen.
"Typically, a home will have four phone and four television outlets," said Pettipas. "TechReady raises the minimum requirements and encourages builders to anticipate consumer needs."
The program has grown quickly since first discussed three years ago and has since been recognized at the national conference of association executives — a sign of the changing times.
Much like the R-2000 program dictates a home’s energy efficiency, TechReady ensures your home has been constructed and wired by professionals trained in the latest communications technology.
The program focuses on a voice, video and data system that covers many home upgrades, including the top 10 home technology trends. The list of TechReady options will expand and change as new home solutions emerge.
Certified installers are trained to lay the framework for voice, video and data technologies. While standard one-star TechReady homes are outfitted with the wiring foundations for most technology features, four- or five-star TechReady houses may include home theatres and media centers, automated lighting and security systems, media servers with MP3 player plug-ins, video-gaming rooms, and even health-care sensors to monitor the well-being of your loved ones.
Sixty professionals have been TechReady certified since training sessions began last year. Installer members have completed hands-on work, passed written exams and will be subject to random home inspections.
Given the continuous growth of the information technology industry, the opportunities for wired living at home seem endless.
That’s why TechReady builders aim to keep a homeowner’s options open. Even if your family isn’t particularly wired, the basic TechReady package can be installed for less than one per cent of the value of your home, increasing its overall value by five to 10 per cent, based on a $200,000 home.
More advanced models will offer homeowners remote access to just about everything in their homes.
Forget to turn the stove off before you went to work? Log on to your server using any computer to access everything from your appliances to individual lighting and heating zones. Want to check on your teenagers while you’re away for the weekend? Click over to your personal webcam to make sure they’re staying out of trouble. Worried about burglaries? Connect your security and lighting systems to make your entire home flash with your alarm to help alert the police.
The association officially launched the TechReady program to the public earlier this month at the Real Home Show 2008 and are already experiencing strong support from the industry.
Austin Contracting has already signed on to build the first TechReady community of 192 homes in Dartmouth.
TalkIT is a monthly column prepared by the Information Technology Alliance of Nova Scotia, an industry organization committed to the development of the sector through lobbying, networking and training.