Building Products articles from May 2006

Building Products archives from May 2006

Mark your calendar.(Calendar)
May 1, 2006... JUNE 8-10 AIA 2006 NATIONAL CONVENTION Los Angeles. For information visit www.aiaconvention.com. JUNE 20-23 PCBC 2006 San Francisco. For information call 800-956-7469 or visit www.pcbc.com. OCT. 18-21 REMODELING...

Too much of a good thing?(Editor's Perspective)
May 1, 2006... I'm Rip Van Winkle. I've fallen asleep for 100 years and I've awoken to find that every American is filthy rich. Well, that's what I thought when I walked the aisles of the Kitchen/Bath Industry Show recently. At the show, I gazed at a...

Fypon.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... The William E. Poole home collection features low-maintenance pieces, including cupolas, balustrade systems, newel posts, window and door trim, louvers, gables, dormers, and cornice details. The collection's exacting architectural lines are...

Danze.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... Parma kitchen and bath collections are expanding to include new kitchen and lavatory faucets designed with a single handle on a low, side-mounted valve. Popular in Europe, the new styling gives homeowners a second option for the lines. Both...

Owens Corning.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... The Cultured Stone Monticello Trim Collection comprises base and trim moldings, watertables and sills, Window and door trim stones, chair rail moldings, and keystones for exterior and interior trim applications. In combination with other...

Toto USA.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... With two flushing options, the Aquia Dual Flush Toilet can save an estimated 20 percent more water than an ultra-low-flow toilet, the maker claims. Aquia's gravity-flush system combines with its 2 5/8-inch trapway, calibrated plunger flush...

Tamko building products.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... Scalloped and diamond-shaped shingles have been added to the Lamarite Slate composite shingle line, each available in a 12-inch-wide format. Featuring the look of natural slate, the scalloped and diamond shingles are manufactured from a...

Cambria.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... The Quarry collection of quartz countertops comes in five new earthtone shades: Ashford, Chatham, Lancaster, Somerset, and Sutton. Quartz countertops are durable and easily maintained, the maker claims, and outperform other surfaces including...

Henkel consumer adhesives.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... The OSI Green series of caulks, sealants, specialty sealants, and adhesives offers a range of products combining performance with environmentally friendly formulations, the manufacturer says. SA-167 Siliconized Acrylic Latex Caulk, for example,...

Habersham.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... Constructed of hardwood solids and veneers, wall-mount hoods are available in Classical, Georgian, and Tuscan styles. More than 40 hand-painted and stained finishes are available, including the Empire finish shown here on the Georgian hood. The...

Miele.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... Part of the G2000 series, the La Perla dishwasher utilizes the company's touchscreen control system to allow the user to choose from 20 cycles--eight of which are specialty settings. A third-level cutlery tray is split into three sections that...

BHK.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... The Moderna Vision flooring line includes two new exotic colors, jatoba and pecan, featuring four-sided microbevel technology and a hand-scraped finish. The flooring has a glossy, wood-like finish that is resistant to scratches, the maker says....

Amsco windows.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... The Renaissance series sliding glass door is constructed of a composite material that provides the appearance of wood with the low maintenance of vinyl along with energy efficiency. Adjustable tandem steel rollers make operation easy, the...

Certain Teed.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... Landmark Premium high-definition asphalt shingles are now available in an array of improved colors that are deeper, more vibrant, and higher in contrast, according to the manufacturer. The palette of earth tones includes colors such as aged...

Alside.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... Available in 16 colors, Pelican Bay polypropylene shakes, hand-split shakes, and scallops have a cedar texture that extends under the edge of the panel for a realistic look. The Pelican Bay line features a strengthening storm rail to withstand...

Compact power.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... The Boxer Brute TRX, a track version of the company's small prime mover, has a footprint of 44 inches by 70 inches and an operating capacity of 900 pounds. The machine's 9-by-42-inch rubber tracks are designed for traction and flotation with...

Fortifiber Building Systems Group.(PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT)
May 1, 2006... WeatherSmart housewrap combines a high-strength non-woven polymeric substrate and a monolithic nonperforated coating of "smart" polymers to deliver balanced moisture control in any weather conditions without the use of perforations or...

Quikrete.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... Quikrete Veneer Stone Mortar is a blend of contractor-grade portland cement, hydrated lime, masonry sand, and other ingredients formulated for a range of applications, including mortar joints, as a bonding coat for stone cladding, and as a...

Universal forest products.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget)
May 1, 2006... Latitudes ornamental railing is made up of composite handrails and posts and precision-crafted metal accents including balusters, post caps, and centerpieces. The ornamental balusters feature heavy-gauge aluminum with a powder-coated enamel...

Cooper.(Home Fashion: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Aspire RF wireless control products use range-extending 900-MHz two-way radio frequency technology, collision sensing, and random back-off, which reduces interference. Each device acts as a repeater, routing around permanent or transient radio...

RotoZip by Bosch.(Home Fashion: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... The XB-MC1, a metal-cutting Spiral Saw bit, provides an alternative to metal snips, shears, power shears, and nibblers. It can be used with duct work, auto body panels, gutters, aluminum siding, sheet metal, or metal studs up to 18-gauge...

Thermasol.(Home Fashion: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Utilizing the Fast Start system to produce hot steam in seconds, the Pro series steam generator features a 220-volt plug, quick-connect water supply tubing and fittings, and three control panel options that connect with snap-in low-voltage...

Kohler.(Home Fashion: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... The Bath Design collection now comes in sea salt and boucle. The sea salt color comes from an enameling process on cast iron, creating a durable, glossy, easy-to-clean surface that has a dynamic appearance, the company says. Boucle, created...

MI windows and doors.(Home Fashion: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... StormArmor windows are designed to resist impact from wind-borne debris and are an attractive alternative to shutters, the company says. StormArmor draws its strength from a PVB interlayer that is sandwiched between two panes of glass. Even...

Sterling.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Created from a single sheet of stainless steel, these single- and double-basin kitchen sinks coordinate with solid-surface countertops and stainless steel appliances. Cleanup is quick because there are no ledges to collect water and debris, the...

Hitachi.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... The C12RSH, a new 12-inch sliding dual-compound miter saw, features a compact slide system in which the sliding arm moves along fixed rails, enabling the saw to sit nearly flush against a wall on a bench top without compromising range of...

Johns manville.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... A nonwoven polymeric housewrap designed to decrease air infiltration and control moisture, Gorilla Wrap is non-perforated to reduce the potential for bulk water penetration and is translucent to allow installers to see framing, nails, and...

Arch wood protection.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Applied to OSB, PSL, LVL, or wood I-beams at the factory, lumberyard, or mill, the water-based FrameGuard coating provides a broad range of protection against mold and wood-destroying organisms that cause deterioration, discoloration, and odor....

Crane performance siding.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... The vibrant Coastal Shores colors--regatta blue, cabin brown, lighthouse red, and evergreen--are available in all of Crane's top brands including Solid Core, Market Square, Premium Pointe 360, Portsmouth Shake, Premium Pointe Soffits, and on...

Oceania Baths.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Extreme Hygiene is a unique, first-of-its-kind patented air bath technology, according co the maker. The air channels are cleaned and sanitized using a powerful force of steam which destroys all bacteria, the manufacturer claims. The Extreme...

Mansfield.(PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT)
May 1, 2006... The 18-volt dual drill acts as two tools in one with a revolving dual-head design and dual keyless chucks. Users can alternate between drilling and driving by flipping the dual head, so they don't have to carry a second tool, the firm says. The...

Kargo.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... The Kargo Master Pro II series universal truck rack, when installed on a pickup truck, helps contractors transport large materials and equipment like lumber, drywall, or ladders. The rack has a 1,700-pound cargo capacity and is available for...

Versa-lok.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Mosette, a new random-pattern freestanding wall system, builds walls up to 24 inches tall for use as borders along patios and walkways or for perimeter seating around firepits and courtyards. Split textures on each visible face and recesses...

Silver line.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... The Series 700 aluminum window line features aluminum alloy construction with a 1/2-inch flange for block construction or a 1-inch nailing fin for frame construction. The series' single-hung window is approved for residential applications up to...

Mapei.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Designed as an underlayment for ceramic, porcelain, and natural stone tiles, Mapelath is a synthetic-lath offering several advantages over wire lath, according to the manufacturer. Mapelath comes in rolls rather than sheets, is lighter weight...

Zephyr.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... The Atlantis island ventilation hood features a flat-glass hood suspended beneath a sleek chimney and bordered by stainless steel with soft-touch controls and recessed quadruple halogen lighting. The hood, which provides 600-cfm venting, comes...

Mico designs limited.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Ula bath faucets are made of durable brass, but have a thin profile with a European-inspired design. Featuring German-engineered valving and ceramic discs, the faucets allow stainless steel connectors to fit into the spout, eliminating the need...

Kallista.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... The Vir Stil decorative plumbing collection features modern forms and clean lines and consists of a vanity/basin combination, a deck-mount or wall-mount faucet in level- and cross-handle styles, and decorative bath accessories. The vanity...

Outwater.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Wood Plus, a new line of decorative moldings, is made to resemble plaster and high-end wood moldings at the lower cost of unfinished pine moldings. The moldings, which include a solid wooden core, are fused with smooth polymer bonding that can...

Bellacor.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... The Bling Bling large pendant light fixture's outer perforated steel shade features a sleek chrome finish with embedded Swarovski crystals. It includes a clear bottom diffuser. Sized 14 inches wide by 6 inches high, the fixture has an overall...

M&S systems.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... With four models in each series, AirVac Red and Platinum offer bagged and bagless central vacuum systems for homes ranging in size from 3,000 to 12,000 square feet. The systems' modular, nested components reduce storage space and shipping costs...

DAP.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... This lightweight joint compound goes on pink and dries white, eliminating the guesswork of when to apply additional coats or to sand for finishing, the company claims. The light-weight formula requires few coats and finishes smooth, the firm...

WoodSmart solutions.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Bluwood lumber and components are treated at the factory in a two-part process called Perfect Barrier with chemicals that provide water-repellency, vapor-permeability, and resistance to mold, mildew, and wood-ingesting insects. Lumber is...

Leviton.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... The new Recessed Entertainment Box centralizes home entertainment connections for all AC power, audio, video, home theater, data, and phone terminations, integrating all applicable wiring and connections within it. Flush-mounted on the wall, it...

Wellborn.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... A new wood species, character maple, has a distinctive rustic look that exhibits a great deal of texture and color variation. It features a swirling grain and open and closed knots. Character maple is available in a number of standard finishes...

Linear.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... The LSO garage door operator is the premium entry from this firm. The 1/2-horsepower head unit offers dual 100-watt courtesy lights, exclusive noise-reduction technology, and a lifetime motor warranty, says the firm. The LSO can be belt or...

Eliane.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Arizona, a new series of porcelain tile, is offered in six colors inspired by the desert landscape: sandstone, desert, blanc, amber gold, blue ridge, and green. The tiles can be used in interior or exterior applications and come in 18 inches by...

Villeroy and Boch.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Liason, a wall-mounted sink, combines a crescent-shaped tempered-glass basin that appears to float against a solid cube of porcelain, which conceals the plumbing roughs and eliminates the need for an interior wall installation, says the maker....

Bruce.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... The Turlington American exotics hardwood collection comes in cherry, walnut, and maple. Offered in either 3-inch or 5-inch widths, the floors have micro-beveled edges and ends. Five-ply construction offers increased dimensional stability, the...

Comfortmaker.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Featuring R-22 or R410A refrigerant, Softsound SX 2300 air conditioners attain up to 14-SEER efficiency when matched with high-efficiency indoor units, the manufacturer says. The single-phase air conditioners include new sound jackets and a fan...

Marazzi.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Vesale stone glazed porcelain tile for floors and walls comes in a variety of earthtones--beige, brown, gray, and green--all with straight edges. Modular tiles come in 6 1/2-by6 1/2-inch and 10-by-20-inch sizes and mesh-mounted mosaics in three...

GAF materials.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... An expanded color palette for Country Mansion shingles includes seven colors: aged oak, brownstone, Victorian red, moss green, estate oak, estate brown, and olde pewter. The shingles are designed to resemble hand-crafted slate and feature a...

Chadsworth.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Columns and pilasters designed for interior use are made from Western red cedar, clear heart redwood, mahogany, and teak with plain or fluted shafts. Columns are available in sizes between 8 inches by 8 feet to 20 inches by 20 feet. The...

Grace.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... The manufacturer says this roof membrane is designed to waterproof critical roof detail areas such as valleys, rake edges, chimneys, ridges, skylights, and dormer walls, The flexible membrane conforms tightly to common roof details, reducing...

Lennox.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... The Merit Plus stainless steel wood-burning fireplace is designed to fit easily into almost any space because it comes in two of the most popular wood-burning framing sizes and with a minimum clearance to combustibles. Its front face, lintels,...

Robbins.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... The Artesian Classics Color-Wash process yields a new type of distressing with an almost smoky look. Offered in birch, cherry, maple, and walnut, the woods are first washed with a black stain, sanded, and then stained again with an alternate...

THG.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Lalique Panthere, one design in a new set of faucetry and bath fixtures, is constructed of satin-finished crystal in clear or black, solid brass, and precious metal finishes such as gold, sterling silver, bronze, and rhodium. It is available in...

Paslode.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... A 16-gauge pneumatic angled finish nailer, the T250AF16 is made to allow users to reach into tighter spots than with a straight finish tool, the firm claims. It accepts angled finish nails ranging from 1 1/4 inches to 2 1/2 inches. Other...

Pactiv.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Greenguard flashings are made to deflect water from entering the wall system at critical penetration points such as around windows, doors, and wall protrusions, the maker says. Made of a butyl-rubber formulation, the self-adhering flashing...

Intermatic.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... InTouch, a new line of professional, Z-Wave-enabled home controls, provides full two-way, real-time status for every device in the network, including Legacy Z-wave devices. Features include greater network range, system text and graphics...

Sears.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Kenmore Pro appliances offer the look of high-end products, but for more reasonable prices, the firm contends. This refrigerator/freezer with trim kit features 304 commerical-grade stainless Steel, 33.7 cubic feet of interior space,...

TimberTech.(Home Fashions: The latest products for every taste, style, and budget.)
May 1, 2006... Available in deck planks and fascia, Earthwood composite decking replicates the look of a tropical hardwood. The planks measure 12, 16, and 20 feet long and resist rotting and warping. The product comes in dark tropical walnut. 800-307-7780....

Up, up & away: new technologies give home elevator installation a lift.(Trends)
May 1, 2006... The residential elevator market grew between 15 percent and 20 percent during the past five years, with most of the sales growth coming from new construction. So what's driving this surge in sales? Many well-to-do baby boomers are building...

Lumber demand expected to slow this year.(In the News)
May 1, 2006... The string of four consecutive years of record lumber demand should end in 2006, as the red-hot home construction market begins to cool, according to a new forecast released by the Western Wood Products Association. Preliminary estimates...

Second-homes sales soaring.(In the News)
May 1, 2006... Americans snapping up second homes--as investments or vacation properties--accounted for four out of every 10 sales of existing homes last year, a record that helped drive the real estate market to new highs, according to a report by the...

100 to watch: here are the year's most wanted products.
May 1, 2006... Tankless water heaters, solar-energy systems, and garage organization packages don't have much in common. But they do share the distinction of being some of the building products readers most wanted to know more about. Over the next 22...

Exchange cultural: what you can learn from the big brands about working with and selling to Hispanics.(FEATURE / Cultural Exchange)
May 1, 2006... Hispanics have become a huge presence and driving force in the growth of the residential construction industry--and not just in California, Texas, and Florida. What's more, today's Hispanic construction worker or foreman is likely to be...

It's a snap: easy installation and durability make tub and shower surrounds worth a second look.(Bath Products)
May 1, 2006... Years ago, installing a tub or shower surround was a two- or three-person job complicated by the products' sometimes cumbersome dimensions and fragile components. But today's surrounds offer sophisticated styling and easier installation that...

Rock revival: more durable than ever, exposed aggregate concrete is back in fashion.(Construction Products)
May 1, 2006... New technologies are paving the way for the comeback of a once-dated decorative concrete application. Exposed aggregate is turning up in prestigious places like the renovation of the Getty Museum in Malibu, Calif., and is adding a touch of...

What's up? Good-looking architectural shingles offer design opportunities and more profits for pros.(Exterior Products)
May 1, 2006... Architectural asphalt shingles feature larger exposures, better algae- and weather-resistant properties, and a greater array of warranty options than ever before. That means more ways for pros to highlight increasingly steep roofs--and more...

High class closets: fancy closet organization systems spawn happy homeowners and more profits for pros.(Interior Products)
May 1, 2006... Every 18 months, KB Home's Houston division surveys potential local home buyers about the features they most want in a new home. Almost everyone asks for the same thing--larger closets. So three years ago, the division added large, walk-in...

Bro bowls: consumer-pleasing kitchen sinks are packed with style and utility.(Kitchen Products)
May 1, 2006... Nearly 30 years ago, design journalists Joan Kron and Suzanne Slesin identified one of the most influential trends for the foreseeable future in a visionary handbook about industrial style. At first the domain of pioneering architects,...

Taking charge: lithium ion-batteries may boost the cordless power tool market.(Tools & Equipment)
May 1, 2006... Not surprisingly, most contractors are more concerned with a tool's productivity than the battery that drives it. But an emerging battery technology may cause them to reconsider their battery choices. Powerful, compact lithium-ion (LI)...

Wide open: when it comes to windows, manufacturers are looking at the big picture.(Windows & Doors)
May 1, 2006... Earlier this year at the International Builders' Show, Marvin Windows and Doors introduced the operable Ultimate Double Hung Magnum window that measures a whopping 10 feet high by 5 feet wide. The introduction "is exciting because it's the...

Air barrier.(What's New: Short Reports on Products & Programs)
May 1, 2006... Sto Corp. The company says that its Sto Guard spray-on waterproofing air barrier has received ICC recognition as a weather-resistive barrier. The code recognition permits the use of Sto Guard beneath most claddings, including brick, wood,...

Southern pine brochure.(What's New: Short Reports on Products & Programs)
May 1, 2006... Southern Pine Council. Southern Pine for Structural Components, a 12-page full-color brochure, reveals the cost savings possible when component manufacturers and other industry professionals use Southern pine, according to the trade...

Recip saw blades.(What's New: Short Reports on Products & Programs)
May 1, 2006... Milwaukee. The Wrecker recip saw blades have eight teeth per inch for cutting through wood, thick metal, plastic, and composite material. The blades' Bi-Metal Matrix II material with 8 percent cobalt increases blade life, the firm says, and a...

College center.(What's New: Short Reports on Products & Programs)
May 1, 2006... California Polytechnic Institute. Construction of the Center for Construction Excellence, a state-of-the-art facility for future builders, is underway and will house the Construction Management Department at the college. The center will total...

Plumbing installer.(What's New: Short Reports on Products & Programs)
May 1, 2006... Matrix Xtreme Co. SpeedLine eases the installation of plumbing and electrical lines by separating each line to meet code requirements and reducing the number of holes that have to be cut in joists. Instead of cutting a hole for each plumbing or...

All-weather tape.(What's New: Short Reports on Products & Programs)
May 1, 2006... Gorilla Glue. Able to adhere to wood, stucco, plaster, brick, and metal, Gorilla Tape's 17-mil adhesive layer is two to three times thicker than conventional duct tape, and its reinforced backing exceeds the industry standard thread count....

Dual-panel radiator.(What's New: Short Reports on Products & Programs)
May 1, 2006... Myson. The dual-panel, double-convector T6 IVC radiator offers the advantage of a standard 2-inch central connection as well as standard four corner connections. With a new, innovative T6 design, pre-planning and installation are greatly...

Hammer line.(What's New: Short Reports on Products & Programs)
May 1, 2006... Johnson Level & Tool. Fuller Wavex hammers feature anti-vibration technology originally designed for tennis rackets and an integrally molded ergonomic grip to protect against repetitive stress injuries, says the firm. The line includes 16- and...

Concrete guide.(What's New: Short Reports on Products & Programs)
May 1, 2006... Portland Cement Association. A replacement manual for The Cement Mason's Guide, The Concrete Finisher's Guide expands beyond a step-by-step explanation of finishing concrete. Readers receive information on how to select materials, the proper...

Heavy-duty footware.(What's New: Short Reports on Products & Programs)
May 1, 2006... Timberland PRO. The company, an industry leader in footwear, adds the Titan Heavy Duty (HD) to its successful Titan line of work boots. The contoured footbed provides cushioning and resists compression. A wider toe box allows for a better fit,...