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Although there have been significant declines in crime in the Atlanta over the past decade, burglaries still happen, and have actually increased in some areas. To protect your loved ones and your belongings, it is critical to take measures to deter intrusion into your home. Technological advancements mean that today you can install a home security system and rest easy. But how do you select a good home security system from a bogus system? Here are a few home security tips.

Identify what needs to be protected
To get the best security for your home, you have to understand what you want to protect. Is it your house? Is it your family? Is it your valuables? Or is it all three? Conducting security assessments can help identify vulnerabilities and provide insights into what type of security system you may need. An alarm system might be enough for you or you might need additional features such as security cameras and smoke detectors among others. Home security systems come in a variety of packages and you need to make sure you do not spend on what you don’t need or ignore what is actually essential to the security of your home. Whether you do it yourself or let one of our professionals at Cool Geekz do it for your, this step is the first in properly securing your home.

Choose the right company
Company selection is an essential consideration when choosing the right security system. Be careful who you select to keep your home safe.

Evaluate several options and consult professionals to help you do this. Be informed about the pricing and although Cool Geekz doesn’t lock their customers into a contract, some companies do, so familiarize yourself with your contract before signing it. Selecting a reputable company ensures you get the best security system and accompanying services at a fair cost

Just like in any other industry, there are always those who are out to take advantage of homeowners. These are the unethical companies and scammers that will, in the end, leave you with pricy but low-quality alarm systems, or no home security system at all. Be highly cautious when dealing with door-to-door marketers. If someone shows up at your doorstep with an unbelievable offer, look away. If another employs high-pressure tactics and refuses to take ‘no’ for an answer, run. If you encounter others with scare tactics (such as false crime statistics), poor rating, or lacking proper company identification, sprint even faster and never look back. Avoid suspicious representatives like the plague and you will never fall victim to scammers

Your home is a vital factor in shaping your daily self-esteem, the choices you make, and your overall outlook towards life. To lead a meaningful life, it is therefore important that you make your home as comfortable as it can be. One of the ways through which you can ensure your home is the most comfortable place is by having home security. Havinghome security provides you and your family with serenity and peace of mind thereby promoting a healthy life. Everyone within the home can rest easy knowing that they, as well as their valuable belongings, are protected from a myriad of detrimental scenarios such as burglars and other intruders, poisoning from certain elements, and home fires among others. But with so many home security firms out there, how do you choose the right one? Here are a few tips for those living in Atlanta.

Have several options
            The first important step towards choosing the best security company for your home is to know your options. Knowing your options when it comes to home security companies helps you to compare services and determine what is most suitable for you. Identify at least four companies and evaluate them. The major companies you can look at in Atlanta include national companies such as ADT as well as local firms such as Atlanta Integrated Systems, Safeguard Protection Systems, and Cool Geekz. After identifying the probable players, now look at the following;

Cost is perhaps the main consideration when choosing a home security company. The main reason why so many people don’t have security systems installed in their homes is because of the cost. Security systems can be costly to install and maintain so it is best that you ensure you get the best services for less. Examine the various security packages offered by the companies you are interested in and compare their prices. First scrutinize the packages and select what you need. Then, compare prices based on your selection. Don’t just look at the installation costs, but also evaluate the recurring maintenance and monitoring payments. You might just save yourself a few dollars!

Look at company reputation
The reputation of the company is an essential factor to consider as it provides an idea about the quality of service as well as the effectiveness of the company’s home security systems. An important place to go to check reputation are past customers. Look at online reviews to see the experiences of others. 

Local or national?
There are a few reasons why one might decide to go for a local company rather than a national one and vice versa. National companies tend to be well-known and so intruders might be scared off just by the company’s name alone.In addition, they tend to have various security layers meaning that you will still have someone looking after your home even when your locality is experiencing power outages. If this is what you prefer then you can go for a company like ADT. Local companies like Cool Geekz, on the flip side, will always be near you meaning you get excellent customer service and more personalized home security services. Besides, they are more interested in ensuring the system works properly since their reputation is directly at stake.

The only way you can feel comfortable at your home even if you have a home security system is the awareness that you installed exactly what you needed. Thus, selecting the right services will determine long-term payoff. Do you just need an alarm system or do you also need video surveillance? Would you rather rent the security system or would it be better if you buy it out right? Do you want to monitor your systems yourself or would you rather someone else do it? Do a bit of research and talk to a few home security experts to help you select what is best for you. Cool Geeks would be happy to schedule a home consultation to help you decide what is right for your unique situation.
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Conclusion
            Do not rush when choosing a home security company as it might just be the difference between peace of mind and chaos at home. Take your time, look at the available options, seek advice from a trusted security professional, do your own research, consider what you need, and select the company that you are most comfortable with. If you follow these tips, you will have peace of mind knowing you made the right decision for your family’s security needs.. Let us know what you think.

​A home theatre is a combination of audio and video equipment that is typically installed in homes, mostly in the living room but sometimes in bedrooms, to enhance the entertainment experience. These systems are commonplace today and majority of individuals have them installed in their homes. However, the different home layouts and aesthetics mean that each system has to be custom built for a particular house. Here are ten mistakes to avoid when building yours to ensure an unparalleled entertainment experience.

1. Missing the right speakers
​Speakers come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and functionalities making them effective under different situations. If you have a small room, consider investing in smaller speakers that can stand on shelves and such places. But if you have some spacious room then larger speakers are preferable.Balancing the type of speaker with the room type promotes physical comfort and enhances sound quality

2. Purchasing the wrong television
​Together with the speakers, televisions are an integral component of the home theatre system. The size of the TV should be just right for the room. A very small TV in a larger room ruins the watching experience while a big TV in a small room may create discomfort. A good way to ensures you buy what is right for you is by taking room measurements prior to making a purchase

3. Too much light
Part of the reasons to have a home theatre system is to replicate the theatre experience. Excessive light can ruin the experiences since it messes up with the quality of images. To minimize light issues, you can purchase a TV with anti-reflective matte surface, ensure the TV faces away from windows and other openings, and invest in curtains that make the room dark, or semi-lit when closed. 

​Home theatre systems are made up of various components that need to be connected together. Wires and cables are usually used to connect the various components. When building your system, you also need to keep the place neat. Wireless connections such as Bluetooth are the answer to the cable mess. However, wireless facilities may not be practical or available for you. Thus, to avoid the cable mess, make sure all cables are labelled, use short wires, and let the cables run on walls rather than on the floor. An interior decorator can also come in handy.

5. Wrong audio and picture calibration
Most speakers and TV’s come with default audio and visual settings. However, this might not be right for you. The cables that split video and audio between the TV and surround sound should also be right. Don not shy away from getting help to ensure you have a professional home theatre system set-up. Not everyone is endowed with the technical knowhow to set up a home theatre system. Get someone who knows their trade

6. Wrong elevation
An incorrectly set-up home theatre may force you to look up every time you are watching. This is dangerous since you can get shoulder, neck, and muscle pain after hours of watching. Test the different watching positions to ensure the right elevation before finally deciding on your TV position

7. Placing speakers within furniture
Some people might find it appealing to hide the speakers and so they place them inside cabinets. However, while this might get you the beauty your desire, it also interferes with the quality of sound through audio rebound and muffled output. You can have a seamless and discreet in-wall/in ceiling space designed for you if you don’t want the speakers to be seen

8. Forgetting the power guard
A home theatre system is usually a steep investment. Everything runs on power and sometimes power surges occur putting the various components at risk. A power surge can burn the theatre system and so it is critical to invest in surge protectors from reputable vendors

9. Wrong surround system placement
Surround systems usually have center speakers, right speakers, and left speakers. For proper coordination, it is important to ensure that all these speakers have been arranged correctly. Also, avoid speaker placement against walls, too low, or far away from the entertainment unit

Conclusion
Regardless of where you live, avoiding these ten mistakes when building your home theatre will ensure you have the best home theatre entertainment experience. For a quote for your custom home theater needs, contact a Cool Geekz representative for a free consultation today.Let us know what you think in the comment section. 

1. Know your neighborhood and what types of security problems that are more likely to occur
​Burglars like familiarity which is why they rob the same home twice or only stick to certain neighborhoods. With this in mind, it is good to know what crime issues your neighborhood has had in the past when considering strengthening your homes’ security. Two tools that will help you know what’s going on in your neighborhood are Neighborhood Scout and Crime Reports for example, will give you a map view of the crime committed in your area. With this information, you can gauge your need for things like security cameras, video surveillance, or smart locks based on what’s going on in and around your neighborhood. If car break-ins are common, it would be a good idea to install cameras that point toward your driveway or the street in front of your house.

2. What do you consider most valuable?
Do you own a very expensive car? Do you have children? One of the biggest things to consider is, what are you concerned about the most?
Maybe you have children who come home from school by themselves in the afternoon and you would like to keep an eye on them until you get off from work. You may have a gun safe in your house and want to know if someone accesses its location. These are all things that you must consider when having a professional install your security system.

3. What are the comings and goings of your household?
Is your home vacant often due to work or travel for extended periods of time? Do you have babysitters or housekeeping staff that need access to your house but you’d rather them not have a key? Do you walk downstairs at night? A good home security professional will ask these questions so that they have a good idea of where to put sensors so that your home security system will detect a criminal but prevent you from tripping the system.

4. Is your house an easy target?
Stand outside and take a look at your house. If you were a burglar, would you want to break in? A good security installation professional like Cool Geekz will stand outside your house and determine if your house would be viewed as an easy target. Burglars choose their targets based on rewards vs. risk. The easier you make it to reap the rewards a burglar is looking for, the more they are willing to take the risk of breaking into your home.
Some things to consider are excessive shrubbery, dim lighting, and accessibility to your neighbors or busy streets.
These tips should be a great starting point for both homeowners and renters to have a good idea of what they need when it comes to home security. Though its best to leave the installation to a professional you can trust, this guide will help you communicate your needs effectively so that your custom security needs can be addressed.