We rely on our home networks now more than ever, whether we are using them to work from home, attend online classes, or stream our favorite movies and TV shows. With this heavier usage, you may have noticed that your older network does not function as well as you thought it did. Maybe you are putting more devices on it, causing it to slow down or not work altogether. Read on to learn three signs that it's time to upgrade your home network service in Portland, OR.

Everyone wants a home with curb appeal buthaving an attractive home on the inside is just as important. A home should provide all the creature comforts we want in addition to all the things we need. When you come home after a long day at work, you want to be greeted by the colors and styles that are most attractive to you. Whether your style is shabby chic or mid-century modern, you want your furnishings and home accents to reflect it. Window treatments can have a dramatic impact on the look of a space. And with the latest styles of motorized shades, you can enjoy the look that suits your Lake Oswego home paired with the convenience thatautomated blinds offer. 

We all enjoy relaxing and watch our favorite shows to unwind. And when we do, we don't want to worry about turning on several devices or adjusting levels for better sound or picture. The best viewing experience is one in which you can sit down and, with one click, be immersed into another world of sites and sounds. And what better place than in your Portland home. With a professional home theater setup, you can have the luxurious theater experience you deserve. 

Home security is a necessity for the modern home in Forest Heights, OR. You might not be enthusiastic about shopping for deadbolts and surveillance cameras, but protecting your home and the people inside it means having a sound security system. And with the help of home automation, a home security system is not only a breeze to have installed, but it also has some pretty neat features that you might not know about.

If your goal this year is to make some home improvements, you might have some DIY projects in mind, such as fixing up the backyard or painting the kitchen. Those of us with a little more handyman experience might be bold enough to change out plumbing fixtures or even add built-in appliances. Most of us are a YouTube tutorial away from being able to do these types of jobs. And with a plethora of smart devices on the market, you might be tempted to add these to the list. But it would help if you considered hiring an experienced professional when doing a smart home installation in your Portland, OR, home.

With all the challenges we've faced this year, one of the hardest has been the lack of social activities many of us are typically a part of. Movie theaters and concert halls have been cancelled, and music festivals and holiday events have been postponed for another year.

But what if you could bring the entertainment to your own Lake Oswego, OR backyard with an outdoor speaker system? Learn more about these AV solutions below.

Lighting is the most transformative element in your home.  More than a tool to illuminate your way in the dark, it has the power to change the tenor of a room.

Think of your reaction to walking into a new room. What strikes you first?  Is it the decor, or the shape, or the way it makes you feel? A room that is not well lit or is dominated by cool light color can be foreboding, uncomfortable. A well-designed lighting system brings out a space, making it feel warm, evocative, and inviting.

While standard fixtures can be useful, low voltage lighting provides a more expansive palette to accent your home - inside and out. From the whitest white to a full spectrum of natural colors, all from one fixture, low voltage lighting and LEDs accentuate aesthetic and function. 

Now that families are staying home more these days, there’s never been a better time to create the home theater setup you’ve always dreamed of. You can enjoy a movie theater-like experience right from the comfort of your own home that looks and feels like the real thing.

Two of these components that no home theater setup is complete without are a high-quality projector screen and automated theater lighting.

Our clients in Lake Oswego, OR know the importance of enlisting the help of a team of experts when it comes to their home theater setup. That is because professionals can make sure you get the best components to suit the space you will be using for your home theater. At Eighteen Group, you can trust us to help you make these decisions with ease and assurance.

Smart home technology makes your life easier, but there is a lot of manual work that goes into the actual installation. If Bluetooth and Wi-Fi pairing aren’t your thing, then you are going to want some help from people you can trust.

Among the many benefits of working with a professional when it comes to a smart home installation, the peace of mind from knowing the job is being done correctly is at the top of the list.

Our clients in Portland, OR know the importance of working with experts when it comes to all of their smart home installation needs. At Eighteen Group, we are more than just installers—we are a company that cares and will help you with all of your smart home needs down the road once the installation is finished.

Today everyone is staying home more.  The kids are doing classes virtually, and the parents are doing conference calls in sweatpants.

Having a strong, reliable signal (among other things) is key to making sure that your child is learning in the virtual classroom and, on a lighter note, ensuring family movie night takes place without interruption.

Our customers in Portland, OR know that in order to reap the full benefits of a home network setup that they need the help of a professional.  That’s why our team of professionals will make sure that your home network is installed correctly and continues to operate at its highest potential.

Control is one of the most crucial elements of outdoor lighting design. You may have dozens of lighting fixtures around your Lake Oswego, OR, property serving different purposes for security, entertainment, ambiance, and curbside appeal. If you don’t have an easy, streamlined way to control how and when you manage outdoor lighting, your system loses value because you probably won’t use it as much.

Luckily, smart systems offer multiple ways for you to access and personalize all your connected outside lights. Keep reading to learn more about smart lighting control!

As 2020 stretches on, many families are starting to realize it may be a while before it feels normal to venture out again. In the meantime, have you considered installing or upgrading new home entertainment systems to keep you and your family engaged and occupied at home?

At Eighteen Group, we have some great ideas for new AV installations to inject fresh enjoyment into long weekends spent at home in Lake Oswego, OR. If you’re interested in starting a new project, take a look at some of our suggestions below!

Lighting is often something our customers in Portland, OR forget about while designing their smart home, but few features matter more to your health and your comfort.

The reason lighting control is so important is simple—natural light has a powerful effect on our circadian rhythms, and if our home is filled with the wrong type of light, our mood can be affected, our sleep can be ruined, and our bodies can suffer.

Here’s why it’s so important to install a lighting control system.

The dog days of summer are over and now the kids are heading back to school in Lake Oswego, OR. But for many parents, the start of school means the start of overseeing virtual learning at home, instead of sending kids back to in-person classes. And as if that weren’t stressful enough, e-learning adds new strain to a home network that is already overloaded from you and your spouse working at home all summer.

With everyone in the family requiring reliable connectivity, now is the time to upgrade your home network installation and make sure it’s up to the task of keeping your household running smoothly all day. Keep reading to learn two reasons why a fast, robust system is essential, heading into the fall months.   

Since we’re spending more time in our homes than usual, the question of how to keep everyone entertained comes to mind.

People are working and going to school digitally, and parents are having to spend more time at home with the kids thanks to the pandemic.

Having the perfect home theater setup is now more essential than ever.

Home theater setups designed by our experts in Portland, OR give you and your loved ones the opportunity to enjoy all this extra time together and bond. It’s like going to the movies except that you can enjoy the experience from your own home while keeping everyone safe.

Here are a few essential components of the perfect home theater that you might not have thought about.