Smart Home and AV Questions, Answered

These are the questions I get asked most often, answered the way I would answer them on a phone call.

Who installs home theaters in Houston?

I do. I am Robert, and I run SOL Automation out of Houston. I design, install, and program home theaters across the Houston metro — Memorial, River Oaks, West University Place, Bellaire, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, Katy, Cypress, Pearland, Richmond, Kingwood, Fulshear, Clear Lake, League City, and Friendswood. I am the person who shows up, and I am the person who programs it. You can reach me at (832) 799-1940.

What does a whole-home audio system cost?

It depends on how many rooms you want and what is already in the walls, so I quote it after I have seen the house rather than off a price list. What drives the number is the room count, whether the house is pre-wired or finished, the speakers you pick, and whether you want the audio tied into a larger control system. A single-room retrofit and an eight-zone new build are not the same project, and I would rather give you a real number than a range that turns out to be wrong.

Savant or Control4 — which one should I install?

Honestly, both are good, and the right answer usually comes down to how you want to live with it. I sell, install, and service Control4 systems, and I work with a Control4 programming team. I install and program Savant systems as well. If you tell me how many rooms you are controlling, whether you already own gear worth keeping, and how much you want to fiddle with it yourself, I can tell you which one I would put in my own house.

Do you do motorized shades?

Yes. Motorized and automated shades are a big part of what I do, and in Houston they earn their keep — west-facing glass in July is a real problem. I install and service Lutron shades, and I am a Lutron Pro. I handle the measuring, the install, and the programming, including tying the shades into lighting and control so they move on their own schedule instead of you thinking about them.

My WiFi drops in half the house. Can you fix that?

Usually, yes, and usually the problem is not the internet service. Most Houston homes I walk into have one router doing work that needs three or four access points, or a mesh setup fighting brick and foil-backed insulation. I install business-grade Ubiquiti networking gear, and I design the layout around the house rather than dropping a box in a closet and hoping. If you have already replaced the router twice, that is a good sign the layout is the problem.

Do you work on existing systems, or only new installs?

Both. A lot of my work is taking over systems somebody else installed and left half-finished, or updating a system that has aged out. If you inherited a house with equipment in a rack and nobody to call, that is a normal call for me.

What areas do you cover?

The Houston metro. Bellaire, Clear Lake, Cypress, Friendswood, Fulshear, Katy, Kingwood, League City, Memorial, Pearland, Richmond, River Oaks, Sugar Land, The Woodlands, and West University Place. If you are just outside that list, call and ask — sometimes the answer is yes.

Do you offer ongoing support after the install?

Yes, through Smart Home Support 247, our dedicated 24/7 support company. Memberships start at $99/month. Details are at smarthomesupport247.net.

What are your business hours?

I am available Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and closed on Saturday and Sunday. The fastest way to reach me during those hours is to call (832) 799-1940.

How long does an install take?

A single-room job is often a day. A whole-home system in a house under construction runs alongside the build for weeks, because the wiring goes in before the drywall. The honest answer is that it depends on where the house is in its life, and I will tell you the timeline before you commit, not after.

What happens if something stops working?

You call me. I answer my own phone. I always want to make sure everything is done right and that you actually understand how to use your system before I walk out the door, and if something goes sideways later, you know where to find me. (832) 799-1940.