Pressure Mat On Stairs

[GatorEye]

I was hoping to be able to have access to under the stairs in my new house. Unfortunately the design did not allow that to be possible. I was considering a pressure mat on the first step for use down the road (turning the light on perhaps), but I'm wondering how I would do that if I wouldn't have access to any wiring connected to it once the walls are closed up.

Would I just buy one and put it on the step and have them put the padding and carpet right over top of it?

Do they work well? I figured it would work better than a motion sensor that would trip every time someone walks past the stairs rather than up/down the stairs.

[sdanks]

I am a big fan of light beams. I would put in a infrared light beam across the bottom of the stairs and a motion sensor at the top. Then someone would have to step on the bottom stair to trip the beam, but just approaching the top of the stairs would be enough to light them up. I'm thinking safety. I put those recessed louvered lights that shine down on the stairs on my stairway so it would not blind us at night. You know, the ones that look like theater lights? We didnt get to close on the house, so someone else is enjoying them right now, but that was the idea anyway.

[MichaelD]

Originally Posted by GatorEye

Would I just buy one and put it on the step and have them put the padding and carpet right over top of it?

Do they work well? I figured it would work better than a motion sensor that would trip every time someone walks past the stairs rather than up/down the stairs.

Thats exactly how to fit one, but I'd put in two in series, in case anyone runs up the stairs two at a time. Or maybe more if you will want to know which direction people were heading.

I've put two in series on my stairs and they work extremely well, I just wasn't able to find a way to fit a motion sensor that worked so that the upstairs lights came on before you reached the top step, and didn't trigger every time someone walked past. Pretty much the same problem you're wanting to address.

[GatorEye]

Originally Posted by MichaelD

Thats exactly how to fit one, but I'd put in two in series, in case anyone runs up the stairs two at a time. Or maybe more if you will want to know which direction people were heading.

I've put two in series on my stairs and they work extremely well, I just wasn't able to find a way to fit a motion sensor that worked so that the upstairs lights came on before you reached the top step, and didn't trigger every time someone walked past. Pretty much the same problem you're wanting to address.

How are you able to access it once it is covered over? How did you get the wiring out of it into something that HS can interface with?

[Rupp]

You should search on this board for Pulsor as these are professional quality and work really well.

[buvens]

For something "quick and Dirty" the pressure mats Harbor Freight sells for around $10 work great when connected to DS-10's and placed under a throw rug or mat.

I use them all around the house and at the botom of the steps to turn lights on.
They are not as fancy as the others but for the last couple of years, ever since I knew they had them, It is a nice cost effective solution.

[MichaelD]

Originally Posted by GatorEye

How are you able to access it once it is covered over? How did you get the wiring out of it into something that HS can interface with?

I ran the wire under the stairs and into an ocelot secu16, but you could use the gameport plug-in, or DS10s, the pressure mat works like a simple push-button switch, so you have plenty of options.

The pressure mats I used were pretty cheap, but they have lasted 2-3 years so far without any problems.