TV mounting, smart home and Wi-Fi in Brick, NJ

Brick stretches from the Barnegat Bay and the Metedeconk River back to inland neighborhoods of ranches, capes and colonials, with a small piece of the barrier island as well. Lagoon homes with bulkheads and boat lifts tend to want the backyard and dock covered as well as the house, while inland family homes are more about finished basements, family rooms and reliable Wi-Fi for everyone. We plan around which of these you have.

Many waterfront homes in town have been raised or rebuilt after past storms, which changes how equipment should be installed. The open area under an elevated house is not a good home for electronics, so we keep network gear, amplifiers and recorders on the living floors in a ventilated closet. Outdoor cameras, speakers and access points on the water side should be rated for salt air and wind, with wiring brought in through sealed entry points rather than open holes in siding.

Lagoon living also means long sight lines across water, which is good for cameras. A few well-positioned outdoor cameras can watch the dock, the boat lift and the driveway, and you can check them from your phone when you are away. If the house sits empty in the off-season, leak sensors and a smart thermostat add another layer of warning. For the deck and dock, weather-resistant speakers mounted under the eaves or on posts let you play music while you fish or work on the boat, and an outdoor access point keeps your phone connected all the way to the water's edge.

For inland Brick homes, finished basements are often the best place for a media room: a mounted TV or projector, in-ceiling speakers and lighting scenes for movie night. Ranch homes with an attic are usually straightforward to wire for TVs and Wi-Fi access points, and backyards with pools are a natural fit for outdoor speakers and a weather-rated patio TV. If you are not sure where to start, a single walkthrough can sort out what makes sense first.