This is the EWN Podcast Network. After the framing and before the drywall is installed, the prewiring of our alarm systems needs to be considered. The conversation about the extent of our security system should begin in the design phase as there are so many important options available to us. Stay tuned to this episode of From Disaster to Dream Home as we talk to our guest, Laurie Downey Junior from ACS Security, who will help us sleep soundly at night.

Welcome to From Disaster to Dream Home, the podcast that takes you inside the home building and rebuilding process. When interior designer, Jana Rosenblatt, had an 80 foot tree fall in her house, she saw the opportunity to create the customized home of her dreams. From Disaster to Dream Home provides you with the information and resources Jana wished she had during her rebuilding process. Now she's sharing with you the expertise of leading architects and home builders and the newest products and materials on the market. Here's your host, Jana Rosenblatt.

Welcome back, home builders and remodelers, to another episode of From Disaster to Dream Home, the podcast that will take you through the process of building or rebuilding a new home from the ground up in 52 episodes. If you are rebuilding after the loss of your home or building a new home from the ground up, each episode of from disaster to dream home will help you know what you and your design team will need to do to make the construction process fluid so your dream home can rise from the ashes. Our guest today, Laurie Downey Junior, is a security consultant for ACS Security located in Bel Air, California. The company focuses on residential and commercial security systems. Laurie has been in the security industry for more than ten years, and every time I speak to her, I am more amazed about the breadth of her knowledge in this ever evolving, highly technical field.

Welcome, Laurie. Thanks so much for being with us today.

Well, thanks for having me.

Yeah. It's wonderful. Let's start out if you want to tell me a little bit about, you know, what is your role as a security consultant? What does your title bring you?

So I go out. It could be a new site that's being framed for a new home that's gonna be built, or it could be a person that's moving to a new home. They may or may not have a security system. And basically, I will walk through with the client or if it's a new build with the contractor and the client. And we'll basically walk through the house and we design systems based on lifestyles.

No two homes are the same when it comes to security and no two homes operate the same. So I get a feel of what what happens in the house and where they're you know, what kind of what level of security they would like to have. Mhmm.

So before we get too far, you know, security is a kind of male dominated career. What drew you into this industry?

Well, first of all, our company, we're we're pretty fifty fifty, and I see a lot of them right Yeah. I know. Out in the workforce, which is great. What drew me to the company was I really wanted to help people. Mhmm.

I wanted to secure homes. I wanted them to feel protected, have great peace of mind, and it was just something I really wanted to do. Yeah.

Well, you clearly have a passion for it, which is awesome. It's a good energy. So your company has a very comprehensive range of services it offers. Can you start us off with just a kind of overall description of of what your company does?

We secure homes. We do everything from, securing doors, windows, glass breaks, motion detectors. We take care of fire, heat detectors, smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors, water flow. So we're really just you know, we're securing the home from a security standpoint as well as a life safety. We put in cameras.

We we put in point to point beams, which are exterior beams on the outside of the house, which have a layer of protection for before they get to the house. Uh-huh.

We do a myriad of

a lot of things. And we also monitor cameras if they want that service.

Yeah. Now, are you the fit the first face on the job? What's the process like when you begin with a new client?

So normally, set an appointment and we go out based on their schedule. And, we meet at the front door, and I learn a lot about the client. So we'll walk through the house. They'll tell me what they're, if if there's something they're concerned about. Sometimes people based on life experience have concerns.

Sometimes they hear about things in the neighborhood or on the news. And so we really break down who's in the house. Do they have any dogs or cats? Is there housekeepers, who's coming and going, do they travel a lot. You learn a lot about the client and then you I engineer a system based on what their needs are.

I make a lot of recommendations. And then they can look at the recommendations I I suggest, and then we discuss it afterwards.

Mhmm. Yeah. I'm sure you have to bring a lot of ideas to the table because you just know of so many more options than someone, you know, would know on their own. Right. I'm sure that you go into a lot of existing homes to retrofit with security systems.

What percentage of your projects are new builds versus retrofit?

Well, due to the fires that we've had in California the past couple of years, a lot of homeowners are rebuilding now. Yeah. Mhmm. So I've done a lot of construction sites. And sometimes people purchase homes and they wanna remodel.

So I would say for me, because I love being on construction, I I get a lot of referrals for construction sites. So it's it's it's hard to say. I'm going to construction site tomorrow, you know, but I have two clients that already have systems, so new movers.

Uh-huh.

So it it's I think due to the fires, I've been on more construction sites than in the previous years.

Mhmm. And what are the major differences in approach between an existing home and a new build? How do you approach those projects?

So a new build, I I like to go out when it's framed, and I'll meet with the contractor and the homeowner. And we'll walk the house. I'll see where the doors and windows are gonna be, then I'll ask for a window plan. Because I'm curious, like, I need to know, like, if the doors are wood or vinyl or steel, what they're what they're made of, and what the materials are. And then where those wires are gonna terminate.

So we're gonna prewire, but I'm putting together these these plans based on our walk through. Where the kitchen is, where the mechanical room is, attics, laundry, the garage. Those are areas that I'm looking to put heat sensors in. And so I put together I engineer the system, and then I know where the wires are gonna terminate because we discussed that in our walk through. And then after I see the plans that are emailed to me, then I put together a proposal.

But we discussed we have a lot of discussion about, again, you know, glass break detectors. I like to go on do prewires because you can put in what's called flush mount glass detectors. Those are flushed with the ceiling or the wall, and they're really nice. A glass break detector is an audio piece of equipment that's listening for glass to be, you know, broken. And so when

kind of wondered exactly what that is. I mean, I hear it all the time.

Yes. And they they measure they go about twenty, twenty five feet depending on if they have carpet or if they have shutters or they have, you know, anything that's gonna absorb sound. It's not gonna go as as as much in the distance, but you would then add another one in in another area. Mhmm. So I like the flush mount glass breaks when I'm doing prewires because, you know, you're not seeing, like, the equipment somewhere.

And so when you go into a house that isn't open, the walls aren't open, are you working mainly with a wireless system then? And and, you know, can that be as dependable and as far reaching, or is it really best to get in that wall?

So back in the day, we would have when we were doing wireless systems, we would have to add repeaters, extenders. We were extending the the the, sensor from the panel. Today, we have what's called power g sensors, which go a great range from the panel. So you don't have to add all that extra equipment. And the sensor's a lot smaller than they used to be in in terms of, you know, when you look at them.

So, I mean, we have fifty fifty. You know, there's a lot of our systems are hardwired already, and we can add wireless to those hardwired systems.

So you can build on existing systems in the house?

Right. With wireless We authenticate them. Right. If you can't run a wire back to the panel, which is the brain of the system.

Right. Yes. Exactly. Yeah. Mhmm.

So the goal of our podcast is to provide the information people will need when rebuilding or building a new home. How early in the design and building process should the security system be considered and your team be consulted?

So in the beginning, again, if I'm doing a a new construction, I like to get out there as soon as possible just to see, like, get an idea of the framing of the windows, the doors. But when we do a prewire, we want the doors and windows to already be installed. So be so we can come in and drill the wires through the sense you know, the sensors through the the the wire through the frame. Sorry. Mhmm.

And then we we wanna be there before they put the insulation in. Okay. So So that's a good time.

Hopefully, the contractor has kept a budget line item, you know, in for security system, and they've had some kind of conversation before the house gets started to be built. Because it's a pretty big commitment depending on the extent of your system, I imagine. Mhmm. So then so then you wanna come as soon as there's a ghost of a frame that you can really look at, but then you're

gonna come

back and do the prewire after

the windows and doors are gone in, but before the drywall. Exactly. Before installation then.

Got it. Yeah. Before the installation. Oh, yeah. I got I get that.

Yeah. And and our conversations with the contractor that we're working with on on the podcast, we've just started you know, we just did our episode on installation and, you know, with all the houses I've seen, that's when the house closes up, when all of a sudden, you know, it's an entirely different thing than the Swiss cheese structure that you've been working for all those months.

Right.

So there are many levels of security systems ranging from deterrents, you know, placed outside, in the yard to twenty four seven surveillance. How do you educate the client when you first meet them to determine the extent of their needs?

Because right from the beginning when we're walking through the house, I'm learning so much about them. I'm learning about their lifestyle. Believe it or not, they tell us so much. Yeah. Once we have that, we get a relationship really quick.

It's, because they wanna feel protected, and they wanna know that their security system that we're gonna install is gonna take care of all their needs, their fears, their concerns. And so from the beginning, when you have a prewire or even when you come into a house that's already done, you I always tell them about what we can do inside and the layers of protection we can take on the outside. Mhmm. Cameras are great for information. We have our video monitoring, which they could decide if they want eight, twelve, sixteen, or twenty four hours.

They could pick the camera that they want in areas that they're concerned. So, we offer that. We have point to point beams which we can put outside the house, and it would be, like, a point from from one end of the house to the other. And we walk around the exterior of the house. So some people want the house surrounded with point to point beams.

Some people will tell us it's this area I'm concerned about, the backyard or the side yard. And we'll look at the house inside, outside. We'll walk with the client, and and then we'll put that proposal together for them.

K. And so with all those options available, how do you do homeowners determine the budget that they, you know, either can afford or choose to afford? How do you broach that subject?

Because sometimes people will tell you straight out front, this is my budget. This is, you know, this is can you put something together for me for this price? Some people, you can talk about all different things that you offer, and then you try to get a range of, like, where their budget's at. And some people just want all the bells and whistles Mhmm. That they just want you to take care of everything.

Yeah. Mhmm.

It really depends on the client.

Yeah. Mhmm. Some of them, I'm probably have a kind of an amount in mind. And is it best for you to know that up front if you can get that information?

Yeah. That always helps, of course.

It does with what I do too. Yeah. Yes. So the overall cost is an early part of of how you guide someone to choose what they'll implement. Mhmm.

So what are the range of products that are available to clients to integrate into a modern home security system. You've mentioned some of them, but let's start with with indoor.

So from the the minute I walk in, I wanna see that the doors are have sensors on them. I look at the type of windows that are in the house, where the windows are. I always recommend sensors on windows. I look at the areas. I I usually knock on doors and windows if they're glass to get an idea of the type of glass.

I recommend glass breaks in key areas. I'm I recommend motion detectors. Motion detectors are on when you're not home. And then at that point, it's, you know, what kind of dog do you have? The cats, you know, do they are they active?

Are they secured in certain areas? So you really, again, always learning about the lifestyle of the client because every system should be custom to that client. And then, we'll discuss, you know, smoke detectors. Smoke detectors, carbon, and and heat detectors are monitored twenty four seven as well as the sprinkler if if, you have the water flow sensors there. They're monitored twenty four seven whether the alarm is on or not.

So I always recommend smoke detectors, heat detectors in key areas. And, yeah, we just take

them out. You mean they're tied into your security system, your people?

Yes. There are permanent smoke detectors that the city has to go by code. Yeah. And then there are smoke detectors which are secondary to what's primary. Our smoke detectors are monitored twenty four seven So as well as parking.

Yeah.

If it if there's an indication, on your switchboard, you'll let the homeowners know.

Oh, yes. We're calling right away, and we're calling the fire department.

Right. Okay. Great. Yeah. At the same time.

Mhmm. And so then what about safe rooms? Is that something that that clients are asking for, and what do they entail?

Again, it depends on the client. I I've done a lot of safe rooms. Usually, the architect or the contractor will put that together. That's something I see later, but I'm always making recommendations. And then what's inside the safe room?

How can we secure it? How can the client be protected? And so we I've done a lot of safe rooms over the years. Yeah.

They are, always an interesting subject when they come up on a project. I I never quite understand what the goal is, and and it's sort of different in every layout and every piece you know, architectural structure.

Oh, absolutely.

And where you're located and what you wanna gain. So then on the exterior, what are the things that your company will implement on the exterior perimeter?

So on the exterior, we do beams. We do outside motion detection. Again, we we put beams around the house or on the sides. We can put motion sensors. So if there's any kind of alert, the alarm is going off, we put outside sirens outside so they know right away there's something out there.

We we set them in a way that it won't be we it won't detect the animals. Uh-huh. And, you know, and and it's always about the, you know, the the trees and everything that's around it. So we're very, very meticulous where we put them in the rain, that no one can get through them or around them, to the house. We also put in cameras.

So we hardwired cameras. We, you know, look at the angles. What do they wanna see? How far will they go? I like color cameras that are color by night, color by day.

You know? They have motion sensors in them. They'll turn on. So it's not that grainy look that you used to look at years ago. Uh-huh.

You get a clear view. And, again, we monitor those cameras so they can decide what cameras they want monitored or not. There are also Wi Fi cameras. Wi Fi cameras are going to the cloud. They record.

But the the difference between the two, I'm always explaining to my clients, is hardwired cameras go off the Internet. You'll have an app on your phone. You can see everything live as it's recording on the NVR, network video recorder, that's at home. If the Internet goes out, you may not be able to see it live on your camera, but they'll still be on your phone, but they'll still be recording at home. Whereas Wi Fi cameras that record to the cloud, if the Wi Fi or the Internet goes out, those cameras will stop recording.

Oh, that's interesting. Mhmm. So, ultimately, a better investment is is not the Wi Fi. It's the wired.

It depends on the budget. It depends on the concerns. It depends on the client. Some people just like alert cameras, which are Wi Fi cameras because they have motion detectors in them. They just wanna know that someone's at the front door or someone passed inside of the house.

So it really is always client based on what but we try to inform them from the beginning so they can make a a decision what's based for their family.

Mhmm. Okay. And so then if they are hardwired, they're still they're being monitored by your system. So

even Yeah.

Yeah. So if the, now if the local, energy goes out, they then you don't you don't see what's going on either.

If the local energy goes out, like,

how there's a power outage, or are they with it. But you can put

a backup, battery base for that. You know?

Uh-huh. So people who are really concerned. And that way, you know, no matter what's going on locally at the house, you guys would be able to see it. Mhmm. Okay.

So the term smart home generally refers to a home equipped with lighting, heating, and electronic devices that can be controlled remotely by phone or computer. What is the smart home technology that ACS Security handles?

We can control door locks, you know, if so we can put door locks in so you can unlock your door, you know, if you wanna bring your lights up, if you want to bring your temperature up or down. So let's say in a scenario that it's it's 95 degrees out, but I wanna turn on my my AC. Uh-huh. I wanna open up my garage door. It's late.

I could turn on my lights. I could turn on my AC. I could open my garage. And with the door lock, I could open the door and be right in my home. Mhmm.

And also, of course, turn off my alarm system. Mhmm. So yeah. Those are the things that yeah.

And so and when does that conversation, you know, begin with how how you wanna control things? You know, how how you would set them up?

So it again, it's it's a very detailed conversation with the client. I mean, I can't tell you. I probe and for every question or every answer they give me, you know, we lead on to another one because I really wanna get a sense of their lifestyle because it is all about lifestyle. And then I I see it. Are you good at texting?

You know? I I ask a lot of questions. I wanna know how handy they are with the phone. And then sometimes I'm really surprised. You know?

I I have a couple clients in their eighties and they're texting and they've got their cameras and their iPhones and they're doing all kinds of stuff. So you can't just think that it's one demographic or it's one area because it's when you open up that conversation, you learn so much about clients, and then you can offer them things, you know, which which might be of value to them.

Cool. So at what level of security is a homeowner going to choose the hardwired system versus the wireless system?

So in the beginning, if it's a prewired, it's always gonna be hardwired. Sometimes in remodel, some clients just do not want wireless sensors. So we will open up the walls. We'll you know, as much so we can run a wire from the panel back to the the sensor where it's going in a door or window or whatever we're adding in that room. And then, of course, they'll have to close it, paint it, whatever.

But it all depends. Again, it's always about the client, what their needs and wants are. But, you know, we also say it might be easy to put a wireless sensor in, but there are some people that just want everything hardwired. They don't wanna see a little sensor or they don't want the wireless sensor in their home.

Mhmm. Do they feel a little more confident with the hardwired just emotionally?

I think it depends. Again, everything I I know I'm sounding redundant, but everything No.

I get it.

With the client.

You deal you deal with people.

Mhmm. I think back in the day with the old sensors, and their range and loss of range, I think that was a different time because technology, again, has come up so much that a power g sensor can go much further. And it's it's a 28 bit encrypted. I mean so, you know, sometimes people will ask me, well, if they put a can they jam the Wi Fi and jam like, jam those sensors? But it's it's not about the sensors.

And I don't know if you've heard about that in the news. We've had a lot of questions about that. Uh-huh. But those are things that are like, systems that are smart sometimes are not so smart. Right?

So some of these smaller companies will put in these Wi Fi systems, and then, of course, it's in and out anyway because, you know, your Wi Fi, it depends on where you live. And in those case scenarios, they could. But with major alarm companies that are putting in, you know, these systems and it's radio frequency, it's a lot different.

Uh-huh. So like with many things, you get what you pay for.

Yes. But

Yeah.

Yeah.

Yeah. I mean, if it's important to you, you probably should, you know, really make sure that security is is done by, you know, a company that really, you know, has the history behind them.

Exactly.

Yeah. For sure. So even though you may monitor and control our systems through our phones, there will be control panels mounted throughout the house for home use as well. So I can be sure my clients have space to hang great art. Where will you be looking to put control panels and boxes?

Always a conversation I'm I try to be there for.

I work with a lot of interior decorators over the years, and I I respect what you guys do. I I love the the final outcome, and it's just always beautiful. I'll look at an area, and I work with different designers and, you know, they'll tell me what they want. I'm putting a chandelier here. I don't want you to put a motion there.

It's going to, you know, change what we're doing here. I'll look at that and I'll make there were different products that I can put, so you won't need that where you're, you know, designing stuff. I can accommodate that. As far as the the keypads or touch screens, I'll always look for what door or, you know, the the client's coming in closest to where maybe that piece of art you wanna hang. Uh-huh.

But we can always work it out where you're happy, they're happy, I'm happy because it will work.

Yeah. It it what's important is that the conversation happens.

Oh, all the time. Yeah.

Yeah. The worst is when I get somewhere and I'm like, no one told me that was being installed today, and this is not the greatest place for it. Right. So I try to you know, that's the job of the designer to kinda stay on top of who's coming in and out of the house so that we can control that. But speaking of who's coming in and out of the house, when the system is as elaborate up for the prewiring and what does that entail?

When is the right time in the building process between all the electricians and the plumbers and the sprinkler systems for you guys to come in and do your job?

So, basically, when right before the client's ready to move in. Oh, okay. The floors have been laid. All the painting's been done. We'll come out, and we'll we'll do what's called top we'll top off everything.

We'll hang the touch screens or whatever. We'll we'll put everything together, and we definitely want the Internet in. And interior, exterior, it's once everything's complete and the client's basically ready to move into the house is when we come back.

Okay. So so you've come in the house earlier on. You fought your way in between all the other trades. Then you go away and you wanna kinda be near the end. You know, I imagine that that's better in terms of, you know, you don't want a lot of sawdust.

You don't want a lot of, you know, things making it difficult for your equipment to thrive.

Right. Well, I stay in touch with everybody. So I'll stop by, like, a pre a house under construction. I'll go by quite often. I'll pass by to see you know, make sure the wires are still where we thought they were.

Because the process when you are when you engineer the system and you get out there with the techs with the prewire Yeah. You wanna get back as much as possible to make sure your wires are still there. Uh-huh. And then at the end, you know, you'll you'll know exactly what wires are hanging and what you're putting in that.

Does your stuff get moved around often?

Oh, yeah. Sometimes it gets moved around or, you know, I like to that's why I go back so much because I wanna make sure the wires are still there and nothing's been cut or moved. And in those scenarios, if that happens and the it is a situation where we don't know where the wire was cut Yeah. Then I can always add a wireless sensor Uh-huh. Or a wire sensor depending on if it's a door window or, you know, I can I can hide it so you don't have to see it as much as possible?

It's been amazing to have that many options in your toolbox now. It didn't always used to be that way.

Well, you know, it's funny. It's a lot of people work with designers, you know, and interior decorators. And I always ask the contractor. I always wanna make sure, you know, if that person is on the job, you know, please please, you know, let's in introduce me to this person so we can work together. Because I know how important that is to someone, you know, who's putting all their creativity and bringing all the pieces in as a as a creative, interior director like yourself.

Mhmm. So I I like to work all together. You know? Taught you. Oh, thank you.

No. It's important.

So, you know, I was just wondering, sort of out of the blue. The the construction site itself is really an issue with security. And depending on, you know, the neighborhood and whether it's gated and the scale of things, are do you have any kinds of systems that you ever, you know, kinda bring in, to protect the in process building period?

We do. We're, we have what's called a PSU. It's powered up by the contractor, and we can protect his tools. We can protect the copper. We can protect the property for the hours that they're not there.

And so we just come in and we decide, okay. You're gonna close-up shop at five or whatever, and then our cameras will watch. They've got solar or they have power, but they've got a radio signal. And they we put the cameras so you can see the full area of the property.

And so then So it's looking at on a a site that has, you know, more valuable things that could really be a problem, you they could choose to have it monitored.

Yes. Absolutely. Yeah. For as long as they're in construction, you know, and and it's happening more than you would you can imagine. I mean, tools, things are disappearing left and right now.

I've I've personally experienced some, you know, kinda horrible things. So now, I mean, when I'm doing a a renovation, and the family can't live there, I try to find someone who can live there. Like, even the person who doesn't mind the kind of camping feeling. Because, you know, I mean, this is Los Angeles, and it's, a lot can happen. I've I've witnessed and had to repurchase many an item in my time.

Oh, sorry. Then,

I mean, I end up keeping a lot of the, light fixtures and the plumbing fixtures and things like that, the plumbing trims, because you really can't be sure what's gonna happen on-site.

Right. Well, what's really neat about these, and I have to tell you, the company I I'm with, ACS, they're very innovative and very ahead of most other security companies. It was really exciting when they introduced this because it you don't need the Internet connection. It has its own cellular device. It's all

Oh, yeah.

Yeah. Yeah. So you don't need that, you know, where back in the day, you had to have an Internet, you know, you'd have to have the Wi Fi and then but we also program them, and they we come in and you can see how far like, you can see the range of how far the cameras are actually recording. And if any motion, they can detect anything because we monitor them, they would be sending the authorities right away. You can talk to them.

You know, we have a talk down Yeah. Microphone. So we really have control over, construction sites much better than we did back in

the day. Well, that's really good to know. I will try to bring that up in my projects. And and people should go to your website, which I'll give them the address later, because there are pictures of these things, and they are pretty cool. That little solar, thing is like it's it's clever.

It's really cool. So, Lori, when selecting the building materials such as windows and doors, are there better options when considering breaking and entering that people should consider? Like, you know, sliders, casement, double hung. Let's start with the windows. Mhmm.

So double hung windows, some people decide that they want that look, that old school look.

Yeah.

Double hung windows open from the top and from the bottom. And when I see that, we wanna put a sensor in the interior of top and also in the bottom. Mhmm. So both are protected. Casement windows, it all depends on the material again.

You know? What kind of glass? Sometimes double pane glass. It's all, again, whatever someone chooses. I mean, I've got wood frame.

I've got vinyl. I've got steel. But encasement windows, depending on what they're made of, you're cranking them out. Right. It's a little bit tougher to get into than a window that goes side to side Right.

In terms of opening up the window.

Yeah. No. That's the point. Yeah.

You know? But, again, it all depends on the client what kind of window they want. They've got I've seen hatch windows. Hatch windows sometimes can open all the way. Right.

Right. Sometimes they they can't. They only open, you know, a couple of inches. They just vent the house. Mhmm.

But I think that it's most important is really looking at not only the windows on the frames and what they're made of, but really the glass, the amount of glass, you know, what what that room contains. French doors with with the, small glass frames.

Volumes. Mhmm.

Mhmm. They're not as hard to break through as maybe a a glass, a sliding door door glass. Vulnerable. Yeah. Just smash in and go through.

So, you know, those are concerns. But, pretty much, it's like just looking at everything and engineering the right equipment for that room.

And are there state of the art locking systems that are harder to get through than others?

We do all kinds of locking systems, access control where they have card readers. They're more on the commercial end of it, but there's there's different access control you can use. Some people use them on the house. It all depends. Door locks, you know, having a door lock, and some people use the app to open the door.

So it it really, again, comes down to what the client is comfortable with and, what they want, what kind of look they want on their house. Mhmm.

And is there any major security difference between the the keypads that you put in numbers versus a key

keyed locks? You know, I I get that question a lot, and I think it's pretty fifty fifty. I think it's what someone's comfortable with. Some people don't like to carry keys because they lose them. Some people feel better, you know, punching in a code.

It it's really fifty fifty. It's it's what best suits the client, what best works for, you know, the person that's living there.

But neither of those make alarms go off in your head. Yep. You'll work with either system. Right. Are there specific security considerations for garages?

Do our overhead garage doors come with any specific concerns?

You can control the overhead garage door with a sensor. Absolutely. I do that all the time. Mhmm. You could sensor the door.

Also, some of the newer doors have what's it's a Wi Fi that that comes with the door. These so you could if your door went up, then you get an alert, and you could close the garage door if you didn't have a sensor on it and you just wanted to, you know, close your garage door. We also can put in a a Z Wave device. It's universal. It works with most garage overhead doors where if the door the garage door opens, you get an alert, and then you could close it from the app on your phone.

A lot of men love that.

Uh-huh. I bet. What about the garage? Either closing someone in or out. It's hard to say if you're out there.

Yeah. I'm sure that you work in gated as well as open communities in your work. What are the ways in which products are considered and selected with your clients when they're part of a protected community?

Sometimes those protected communities have an HOA. So we would have a meeting with the HOA first and and then have a meeting with the the residents that live there. Some gated communities don't have an HOA. So, you know, I look at sometimes I look at these, the gates, how long they take to open, how many cars can go through. You know, I take all that in consideration.

You know? And and I make recommendations based on what I see.

Uh-huh. So some gated communities may be more secure than others for many. Right. Right. And do you feel like you have a in your experience working in this area, you kind of have a sense of different communities?

Oh, absolutely. You know, but back in the day, people used to think that if they were in a in a gated community that they were secured, that, you know, the full sense of security because, crime has changed a lot. And we have a lot of gang members or, you know, hopping over gates

Right.

And and and having access to different homes. So it's not the way it's not the way people really think it is. I mean, if you're in a gated community or you have a gate in front of your house, yes, you're gonna stop somebody, you know, than than someone who doesn't have a gate at all. They can walk right up to the house, right, or the side yards. I always I walk the interior and the exterior of every home I go to.

I look for dark areas. I look for, you know, trees or heavy foliage. What kind of lighting is there at night? Gates on both sides of the house, do they lock them? You know, which way is the gardener coming in or which way is the pool man coming in?

Why don't you control them with one gate and lock the other? I look to see where the electrical panel is. Some most of the time, it's in the front of the house on the side. I always tell them, please lock this because you don't want someone taking your power down. There's a lot of different ways that you can protect yourself.

Mhmm. Because people don't think about it on an everyday, you know, basis. Don't see things the way we do.

Yeah. You know, I always wonder when I'm in a, you know, a kind of a state home, and everything is fenced in and it's all, you can't see through anything. I always I actually feel less safe in that situation.

You do?

I do because I feel like someone can get in and then no one's gonna see what they're doing.

See, everybody has a different feeling. You know? That's right. It's really interesting. And it's everybody's unique and every I can go to five houses a day and I'm gonna have five different scenarios

Yeah.

Of their level of security or their life experiences. I learned so much about my clients, and and it's really incredible. I could put the same system in the same panel in in those five houses, but every every house is gonna be completely different.

Different because

all based on lifestyle. Right.

Yeah. Yeah. So from disaster to dream home is speaking to an audience, many of whom have experienced a fire or flood or in my case, a tree falling on my home. Mhmm. How does fire safety tie into overall home security?

Are there innovations for the detection of smoke before fire? What what what is there that we can do to help these people?

So a lot of insurance companies, as you know, in California are it's it's tougher to get home insurance.

Yeah.

I always used a model by a very high end, insurance company from back in the day. And, since then, they pulled out a lot of, a lot of clients here. But it was always like a thousand feet. Every thousand feet, you would put a smoke detector, a monitored smoke detector. Mhmm.

You put heat sensors, heat detectors that are also monitored in attics. You put them in mechanical rooms, laundry, kitchen, any play the garage, any place that you could potentially it could get hot. Heat detection, if it if it rises to a certain degree, it the heat sensor is going to pop and it's going to set an alert to the monitoring company, ACS. Smoke detectors, smoke travels high. So when it comes through, it travels high.

The smoke detector, if it's put in the right in the correct area, is gonna pick up the smoke and you want it it's it's so it's different than a home smoke detector. A, they're being monitored, but also they're very sensitive. Mhmm. So it's where you place it. Carbon monoxide is a gas that travels low.

It's an odorless gas you can't see or smell. And so we like to put them near bedrooms because in the event there's a carbon monoxide, you will fall asleep if it's too you know?

Yeah.

So our carbon monoxide detectors will, again, alert the monitoring center, ACS, and we will be calling you as well as the fire department. All of our life safety products, we're calling you. We're calling the fire department. Mhmm. We we also can monitor water flow, you know, the flow of we don't want to flood your house Uh-huh.

And also sprinklers in certain homes that have them.

Now in new bills, sprinklers have become necessary and, by code. So Right. Now do you guys work with the sprinkler systems, or is that a different a different company?

So they they put in the system, and we take a wire from that system back to the panel to send alerts to our company in the event there's something's going on. So it's we put our own zone in there. We'll put a zone in the panel that's being monitored twenty four seven.

So someone else will install this the sprinkler system, but you will tie into the communication. Right. And then I wanna reiterate what you said and clarify it before that the smoke detectors that you put into the home are are much more sensitive and able to then tie into exterior, you know, to you guys Right. Off-site to be able to, you know, let us know if there's fire danger, whether you're home or not.

Right. And they're also monitored twenty four seven. Our life safety products are monitored twenty four seven whether the alarm is on or not.

Okay. Yeah. Yeah. You've said that a couple of times, but the more you say it, the more I hear it, which is great. Yeah.

It's really important. So I know that there are that insurance companies are not insuring, a lot of companies are not insuring California homes in certain areas. Is it something where, they have to have a certain standard of security or, you know, detection before they can apply for coverage?

They apply for it, but what they need is a certificate after we put in a BA, which is a Virgo alarm, which consists of the doors, windows, glass breaks, motions, just to make sure that that house is secured and safe. And, also, they're looking for fire protection, which could be which is smoke detectors, heats. You know, they wanna make sure that someone's monitoring the house for the BA, the burglar alarm, as well as fire protection. So once once we get out and we sell everything, then we send a certificate Uh-huh. To that insurance company Uh-huh.

So they know the work's been done.

You kind of agree to agree with them initially, and then they need that proof to be to, secure the their deal.

Yes. They most often, are telling their clients, well, you have to get this done in this, you know, this amount of time.

Right.

And then they'll reach out to us, we'll get out there, and we will put all that together. And then once it's installed, we will send the certificate right away.

Yeah. And I imagine that that has to be happen before it you're signed off for, moving in the house, before the final approval is to move into your house.

Right.

So can you give us an idea of have the building codes and needs changed a lot in your ten years? I mean, are you seeing the increase of fire significantly making those changes?

Well, we don't we don't we come in after all those permits and everything are taken care of.

Uh-huh.

Right? So so, I mean, there were things that I've been you know, that I've learned over the years, but the buildings have changed a lot. So back in the day, you know, you were thinking about the asbestos and things like that. But that's not really our area. We come in after, you know, so we don't deal with the the building codes.

Mhmm. So what about some insights into the emerging trends in home security? You know, what's kind of new? What are people gonna be surprised to hear about when you get there?

Well, a lot of people, believe it or not, we can say this all day. We talk about it all the time, but they don't glass breaks are new to people. Because back in the day and I'll tell you, back in the day, they used to only secure the bottom Floor because people have this idea they're not gonna go to the Second Floor. You know, they're gonna hit at the bottom of the floor. And so over the course of time, of course, the Second Floor is whatever.

Everything's being secured and it's been secured, you know, because you can't think like

that

anymore. So glass break detection is new to a lot of people because back in the day, they thought doors, windows, and emotion, you know, or smoke detector. So glass breaks, they they are always interested in, and they're interested in what they can do. And then, you know, they'll they'll tell me, I had the alarm on and I dropped a wine glass, and my alarm went off. You know?

But they share these fun stories, but they're really glad that it's there. You know? So glass breaks are new. Exterior motions are new for them, you know, in or point to point beams. Cameras are new for a lot of people, but they also love the fact certain clienteles that we can monitor them.

You know? So and then the interesting thing about what we provide in in the monitoring is we also have an app that, let's say, you have a party and let's say this is during the hours that we're watching live. Right? We're watching your cameras for you. You can shut that app off and have your privacy and then just turn it back on or certain cameras that you want off.

That you don't want monitored while you're maybe in the pool or you have house guests in the backyard. You have control over your system even though it's being monitored for you.

And and when you have a system like that that's comprehensive enough, you're probably managing that on your phone or your laptop?

Always a phone. You know? A lot of people carry their phone. I mean, look what we've become. Right?

Roll down our phone. Right. Exactly. Exactly. You ever try to call somebody that you a friend of yours, and you you can't even think of their number anymore?

Right. I know. I know. I mean, you know, we used to memorize those things, but it's it is sad. I mean, if you lose your phone, you can't talk to anyone.

Yeah. Those are terrifying moments. It's a horror. Yeah. You know what?

We need the better alarm systems for our phones. Like, if it's 15, you know, feet away from us, it's gonna I think they have those. Anyway, how can a homeowner making decisions based on current products and technology prepare for the innovations coming along in the future? Do you build future potential into your installation?

So, again, with the newest systems, with the PowerG technology, you can build onto that. Each each panel is dedicated to so many zones. So let's say the house has a 20 windows and doors. Obviously, I wouldn't wanna succeed that. You know?

I wouldn't put in a a panel that could only hold, let's say, 32 Uh-huh. Zone. Right? So you let it grow. You you wanna, put a panel in that you can grow.

Maybe they don't wanna do everything at once. Maybe they wanna add stuff later. In that in those terms, I mean, you can make all the recommendations, but this is what they want at that time. So you never wanna cap off that they have to start over. So you you put in the correct system that it can grow to that next level of security should they decide.

Mhmm. And then in terms of prewire, when we prewire a system and let's say they wanna put in cameras, but they're not sure or they don't have the budget for it, that's gonna come later, then we prewire for the alarm system, but we also prewire CAT six or whatever for the, you know, cameras or whatever they might want later on. You you just tie it off and you put it in a place that it's going to terminate. And then later on, they can add that equipment. But you wanna make sure that you have the wires there.

You know?

And so, we've talked a lot about inside the house and how everything connects. And you've mentioned a lot of the important things for exterior. But, but what about lighting on the exterior of the house? Do you do you play a part in the design of do you make suggestions when the exterior, you know, landscape people are are doing their plot? How do you help them know, you know, what would be most advantageous?

I get really involved with my clients. I like to know what the house is like at night, what kind of lighting is on the sides of the house, what's in the back. With as far as the design with the, you know, whatever plants they're putting in, I I make a lot of suggestions with lighting and stuff like that. I I you know? And, also, I'll work with their landscaper when I'm putting in beams.

Right. You know, if I'm putting in a point to point beam, I it's gotta make sense. I can't have a plant put in the middle of something I'm doing.

That beam is a beam of light?

It's a beam

broken if crossed.

It has a beam that is once it's turned on, if anyone walks in front of it Yeah. It's gonna, you know, activate the alarm system. The siren's gonna go off. Yeah. But if they put a tree or they put a chair in the middle of my beam, then the beam is broken.

It's not going to work. So it's intended for someone to walk through it. So it's it's important that you know what all the plans are. You know? And and I usually come in after all of that has been taken care of.

Yeah. But when I home that's already you know, I I always walk the outside. I always look at gates. I look at the back of the house. If they're on a hillside, I look I get to the very end of the property to see.

But and then how much lighting between that that part of the land to the house and what they can see in the backyard.

And, are you suggesting motion detecting lights and things like that, things that will go on when motion is sensed?

Motion motion detector lights are great. Yeah. Some people use the motion detector cameras, you know, just to get information, those Wi Fi cameras. Some people want hardwired cameras with motion sensors in it. They'll turn on the lights in the camera and the light's recording.

Even though it was recording all along, when someone goes in front of it, you know, it'll activate an alert. It all depends. Again, I I sound redundant, but it's it Yeah. Comes down to what what the client wants. And and sometimes they don't know what they want.

So you just can you can I can recommend things all day long? But once you spend time with somebody, you really learn them.

Yeah.

So you can recommend things that you think that they would use. I I would never wanna recommend something that they have no interest in. Just Or technologically can't handle. Oh, absolutely. Sometimes in a neighborhood when someone's broken into, the police officers will knock on different doors and sometimes they'll suggest that get some cameras.

I've been to clients' homes because the police department or someone told them of authority that they should have cameras. And they have the old flip phone. They don't so that would not and then they're actually relieved. Oh, thank you so much. Because they were stressed about this because they were told that they should do this.

So you really have to know who you're talking to and what their capabilities are and really what their interest is. Because if you put something if you give something to somebody, you want them to use it.

Yeah. Absolutely. Absolutely. It's an investment and Mhmm. And it won't offer you either a sense of peace or security if you're not using it properly.

Right. And I also think it's important because, you know, we're I find anybody over a certain age group, I I always ask to get let's get all the family members together. Sometimes you have someone alone Uh-huh. And they're making decisions. But I I always say, you know, do you have a family member close by?

Can we get together on a phone? You know, can you please show them my proposal? Have them call me. They can call me anytime. You know, I really want families to be involved.

On a personal note, my mom is is 86 years old. Uh-huh. If somebody sold her something or did something with her and she didn't tell me or my brother's, it would be an issue. So I I treat people the way I want my family treated, and I really try to get involved with families beyond someone that's just living in the house alone.

So what have I forgotten to ask that our listeners might be, need to be aware of first in the security arena?

You would be surprised how many people don't lock their doors.

Oh, wow. You're kidding.

No. And, you know, depending on where people live, especially in California Yeah. We we have a lot of things going on here. We have homeless issues. We have mentally ill in the street.

You know, the way they get into these doors is just walk through because they're not locked. People feel safe, you know, in their home, and they don't think about these things. Well, I was going in the backyard. I was but then they didn't think about. They went upstairs and took a shower.

So you would be surprised how many people don't lock their doors. You know?

Yeah. You know, I reacted strongly to that for a moment, but then I realized I don't lock the door of my office. It's a separate building, 20 feet past the roses in the pool, 300 square foot, and I don't I I have an alarm system, but it does it's not I have

to fix it. We'll have to stop.

Yeah. You know, after this conversation, I'm gonna smarten up because the last thing you wanna do is have it in place and not be implementing it. So Right. I will work on that. Okay.

So it feels like you need to be plugged into your job twenty four seven. What keeps you motivated in this demanding field?

Crime. My clients, I think about them. I think about everybody I saw that day. I can you know, what's really interesting is we we decide the days, the hours we're gonna work, and I am a workaholic. Mhmm.

I really stepped into this industry because I wanted to help people and I meant it. If I could have been an undercover detective, I probably would have done that, you know, when I was younger. I just didn't have enough in my chapter to go that direction. That's Right. But I really every day that I I'm on this job, I'm grateful.

I love my clients. I love helping them, get bringing them peace of mind. My clients know that there's not an hour they can't call me. I don't care if you're in Paris. I don't care I don't care where you are in the world.

If something's on your mind and something's stressing you out, I wanna know about it because I can resolve it. You know? So I I think about these I think about this all day long. I've I've actually I don't even see my friends anymore. It's become

I think there needs to be a 12 step pro program for this. There probably is in LA. I'll tell

you when you love what you do and you you see the crime and how it leaves people out there, it it really it stays with you. And, you know, sometimes you're holding a client or someone's, like, so upset they've been broken into or there was a home invasion or, you know, I I got a phone call this morning that one of my clients, there was gunshots outside. And, I mean, it could be anything. I really care about people, and I'm with a company that cares about people. Mhmm.

I've been in this industry for a long time, and I chose to come to this company because of leadership. Because of relationships with clients, they put their clients first. And I will tell you from the inside out, there's not an hour when I need somebody I need upper management or I need someone to make a decision. It doesn't matter if it's a Sunday at 06:00 and that person is golfing. They pick up.

What's up, Lori? How can I help you, Lori? Well, my client needs whatever. It is hands on. It is a caring team of individuals.

I love the team I work with. I love how they care about their clients. I love the team. I can't say enough great things about it from the inside looking out. When somebody needs something, we're taking care of them.

And that's what you want your security company to do. Absolutely. Peace of mind.

Absolutely. That was a lovely answer. And I understand it because, you know, I can apply my interior design skills to many different industries and and kinds of client bases. But having been out of my house for fourteen months while we were building after the tree fell on it, I learned a lot. And I really you know, I love to work with people who need to do something that they never planned to do before.

Most people who are building a new house after disaster had never planned to build a new house, and those are the people that I really feel connected to.

Beautiful. Yeah. Thank you.

When it comes to the safety of our homes, families, and businesses, we all want to know we've made the best choices and investments we can. When we are out of our homes, rebuilding it is an opportunity to look at all the options available and work with a comprehensive security company like ACS. You can find out more about what ACS Security can offer to their at their website, www.acssecurity.com, or at the link on our website, www.fromdisastertodreamhome.com, where you can also find out find all of our past episodes and lots of photographs of each important step in the building of a new home from the ground up. Thank you so much for being

with us, Laurie. I really, really appreciated it. Thank you so much for having me. Yeah. I think

it's great information, and I'm really glad to get it out in the world. So Janet Design Interiors is a full service residential and commercial interior design company. If your home or offices are out of date and not supporting your lifestyle, let us help you make some changes. Or if you are in the process of building a new house, reach out to me directly at jenna@jennadesigninteriors.com.

Thank you for joining us on this episode of From Disaster to Dream World, the podcast that takes you inside the home building and rebuilding process. Each week, we bring you time tested practices and the latest trends through conversations with top professionals in the building industry. You can find other episodes of From Disaster to Dream Home at ewnpodcastnetwork.com as well as Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Audible, and most other major podcast streaming services. Need design help? You can contact us or find out more about our guests at fromdisastertodreamhome.com.

Until next time, let us guide and inspire you as you create the home of your dreams.