Outfitting An Older Home With A Home Alarm System
Published: 10/29/2009 by Home Alarm Directory
Now that you are considering purchasing a home alarm system for your home, you find yourself stuck on the decision to install a hardwired home alarm system, or a wireless home alarm system. While both installations are great, there is also another way to have a home alarm system installed. That of course is to have a combination of both hardwired and wireless.
When it comes down to choosing, the age of your home along with other characteristics can be the deciding factor on what type of home alarm system you should have installed.
While a hardwired home alarm system is a great choice for those who plan on staying in their homes for a long period of time, sometimes it is not always the best option. This is especially the case in older homes or homes that have limited attic access, vaulted ceilings, or multiple-story homes. Running wires is not always pretty, but some alarm installers do a great job at hiding the wiring. However, no matter how good an installer might be, sometimes a hardwired home alarm system is just not going to be possible in some homes.
For those who can't have a hardwired system installed, they still have an option of having a wireless home alarm system installed. With a wireless system, the age of your home does not matter, nor does it matter if you have high ceilings or no attic space. There will be need to run wires, drill holes through walls, or even attempt to get in your attic. Wireless home alarm systems are considered to be not only easier to install but can also be quicker to install as well.
Not all homeowners though want to have a completely wireless home alarm system installed and opt for a combination of hardwired and wireless equipment to be installed. If your home can take this type of installation, this would be a great option for you. For instance, if you have an older two-story home, you can have the first floor hardwired (if possible), and have all wireless on the second floor where wires could not be installed.
Combination home alarm systems also work great on single story older homes where there are some areas that wire can't be connected and some places where wire is easily installed.
You may ask yourself why someone would not want a complete wireless home alarm system. Wireless home alarm systems are effective, but do come with a few drawbacks. For one, a wireless home alarm system uses devices that run on batteries. Over time, these batteries will need to be replaced. A wireless home alarm system uses RF signals to communicate to the main control panel. Sometimes there can be interference which can affect some wireless devices. While the interference is very minor, some people prefer to get a standard hardwired alarm system installed in their home if they have a choice.
However, a hardwired home alarm system can have its flaws too. For instance, if a wire gets cut in your home, it can sometimes be hard to trace down and repair. However, that problem is not too common in newer hardwired installations. A properly installed hardwired home alarm system can definitely last a long time and is a preferred choice for many homeowners, even today.
Having a home security specialist come out and go over the options for getting a home alarm system installed in your older home would be the best option for you. No matter what installation your home can take, having any home alarm system installed in your home is better that not having one at all.
