Debate: Should we hardwire every single zone or go wireless on big houses?
I was reading through the latest NIST guidelines for residential security systems last night, and I found a stat that really threw me: over 60% of false alarms come from wireless sensors with low batteries or interference. I've been doing installs in Charlotte for about 8 years now, and I always leaned wireless for the speed, especially on those 5000 square foot custom homes. But seeing that number makes me think twice. On the flip side, hardwiring every door and window in a house like that can add two or three days to the job and really tick off the homeowner when you're running cable through their finished attic. I had a job last spring where the homeowner insisted on all hardwired zones, and I spent ten hours alone fishing wire behind crown molding. So here's the debate I want to hash out: is the reliability of hardwired worth the extra time and headaches, or is wireless good enough if you use high-end gear and check batteries yearly? How do you guys decide which way to go on a big house?