Answer your door like never before

There are many circumstances in which you might wish to know who is at your door, like when you’re expecting the delivery of your latest online purchase, or a friend is arriving from out of town, but you can’t stay home all day to greet them. The great thing is, in the age of the smartphone, you now can do just that with the addition of a video doorbell to your front door. Video doorbells have been gaining in popularity over the last year as homeowners are catching on to their many benefits! They are affordable, connect to your existing doorbell setup, are easy to install, and work with your home’s WiFi system.

How it works

When a person approaches your front door, they push the button on the video doorbell, just as they would on any other doorbell. The chime rings on the inside of your home, as you would expect, but here’s the neat part: it also sends a notification to your smartphone in real time via a free, user-friendly app. You can both see AND speak to the person at the door, without the person at the door knowing whether you are inside the house or away on vacation.

Each member of the family can have the app installed on their smartphone, and each person will be alerted when someone is at the door. However, only one family member can actually answer the door at a time. Another great thing about these devices is the ability to integrate them into your home alarm app on your phone. Skybell, for example, will work with both the Alarm.com and Honeywell Total Connect apps.

Peace of mind & convenience

A video doorbell gives you access to your front door, wherever you are. From a security point of view, a video doorbell allows you to give the impression that you’re actually home, even when you’re not. On a lighter note, it also allows you to ask the delivery driver to leave your parcel on the back patio – imagine not having to ‘just miss’ your online deliveries! Plus, if you pair your doorbell with an automated door lock, you can not only answer your door, but let friends and relatives in when you’re not home.

What if they knock?

We recommend choosing a model with a built-in motion sensor, like Skybell. This means that even if the person on your doorstep doesn’t ring, your doorbell will still activate and let you know that they’re there.

The fine print

There are a couple of considerations you’ll want to be conscious of if you’d like to install a video doorbell. Depending on where your doorbell wire protrudes from the wall of your home some installations may be a bit easier than others. For example, many electricians choose to bring the doorbell wire out through the trim around the front door. This trim is typically no more than an inch wide and may be narrower than the doorbell unit itself. Another issue can potentially be a poor WiFi signal at the location of the front door. There are solutions for this, such as a wireless access point (which has the added benefit of improving your home’s WiFi signal). Finally, most video doorbell units are designed for a typical solenoid doorbell. Newer digital doorbells can have an issue with a video doorbell and require the installation of a digital doorbell adapter in order to work properly. In cases like those listed above, you may want to consider a professional installation of your unit.

For more information on how you might benefit from a video doorbell in your home, contact Wilsons Security at (902) 453-3388