Kensington is small-town residential — Old Town, Rock Creek Hills, Mid-County. Friendly install environment with mostly mid-century homes that benefit from full smart home retrofits.
Kensington is one of the smaller cities we cover but high-volume per capita. Old Town Kensington's Victorian and Tudor homes are some of the best-preserved in MoCo. Most Kensington installs use Lutron Caséta (works in pre-neutral-wire vintage homes) and a mix of Sonos for the family-room setups and Bluesound for the audiophile-leaning Victorian builds.
Old Town Kensington's Victorian homes have plaster walls with lath behind them — running new wires through plaster without cracking the original surface requires patience and the right tools. We do it. Same-day repair if anything chips.
The mix shifts by city — what's most-requested here reflects Kensington's housing stock and demographics.
SWAT A/V is based at 14124 Stonecutter Dr in North Potomac. Most Kensington, MD consultations happen the same day or next morning. Texts to Rick are typically answered in minutes.
Rick is still in the field on most jobs. The same crew that finishes the work is the crew that started it. Twenty-two years, 10,000+ DMV installs, the same approach.
Rick Baron · Owner, SWAT A/V · North Potomac, MD
Yes — they're our favorite projects in Kensington. We've done full Lutron Caséta retrofits, theater conversions in attics, and smart home builds in multiple Victorians while preserving the original character.
Yes. Plaster walls require a different approach than drywall — fish-tape pulls, closet routing, and patient surface work. Same-day plaster patching included. We do this routinely in Old Town Kensington.
Yes — both have mid-century homes that retrofit beautifully. Open floor plans and unfinished basements make wiring straightforward.
Yes. Most pre-1970 Kensington homes lack neutral wires at switches. Lutron Caséta works without them — it's our default Kensington lighting system.
Yes — Bluesound is the right call for audiophile-leaning Old Town Kensington Victorian builds. We use it for homes where the owner wants high-resolution streaming and DAC quality. Sonos for the more casual setups.