May 13 2008 10:41AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

Readers, today we need your input. Below are some sample questions we are asking to formulate our new questionnaire…Tell us what you think—how concerned are you about green building? Are you just plain sick and tired of hearing it? Do you even have any idea what it truly is to be “green?” Or, as some might suspect, are we barking up the wrong tree here?

 

Sample Questions:

 

• Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with this statement: “Green building is a fad."

...Read More

May 9 2008 9:53AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

As consumers begin to learn more about indoor air quality, they will logically ask more of the homebuilder. Though mold and radon issues have garnered much attention, indoor air quality in general is becoming all the more important.

“Let’s face it. This all has to do with lawsuits. That’s just how it is,” says Dr. Ernest Chiodo, MD, JD, MPH, CIH. He is a practicing doctor, a practicing lawyer and president-elect of the Michigan Industrial Hygiene as of press time. He also holds a Michigan residential home builder’s license.

The “CIH” stands for “Certified Industrial Hygienist,” a term Chiodo feels builders should get to know. When it comes to builders, says Chiodo, “Almost none of them are using CIHs. Most builders don’t even hear about us until they get sued. We are the guys that are broug...Read More

May 7 2008 11:53AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

Whether you have a client who’s worried about their kids scalding their hands or someone who wants to bring some fun to the bathroom, The Temperature Controlled Faucet Light from www.hogwildtoys.com will satisfy both. This device is designed to determine the temperature of the flowing water and shine a corresponding stream of light that changes as the water temperature varies.

 

Installation is simple. According to the company, it replaces the aerator on the end of an existing faucet. When the water begins flowing through the ...Read More

May 5 2008 10:18AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

The great thing about having a blog as a "traditional" published writer is being able to follow up on previous stories whenever I'd like. Case in point: earlier in the year I spoke with Mark Pickard of Sonance regarding the company's array of in-wall speakers, in particular the Architectural Series (shown here).

Mark mentioned he was working on a video which would provide an example of an installation. I said that would be quite keen on getting more multimedia onto my blog. The video was finalized this week and is now online. It can be viewed in six different chapters or all at once. 

For anyone even remotely interested in A/V installations, I suggest you check it out.

...Read More

May 2 2008 9:55AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

Hurricanes often lift the roofs off buildings and expose them to havoc and damaging conditions, even after the worst of the wind has passed. A local roofer, Virginia Tech faculty members from architecture and engineering and a graduate student have devised an inexpensive vent that can reduce roof uplift on buildings during high winds, even a hurricane.

 

Low-sloped roof buildings around Wytheville, Va., where Virginia Tech alumnus Chuck Johnson and his brother, Pat Johnson, operate a roofing business, have sprouted...Read More

Apr 30 2008 1:24PM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

Revealed to the public amidst much fanfare at K/BIS, Kohler's new KARBON faucet is Intelligently engineered to hold any pose for hands-free operation. 

The design, so simple in premise, works wonderfully. I had the chance to "articulate" the faucet at the show and found it held its position remarkably, even when you have the faucet going full steam.

Because of its range, it can extend the faucet to fill large pots, lower it into the sink...Read More

Apr 29 2008 9:20AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

I’m anything but a panic pusher, but when one of the largest mortgage lenders in the nation posts a nearly $900 million loss (yikes!) you pay attention.

 

Countrywide Financial Corp. reported the $900 million loss earlier this morning. Higher-than-expected housing-related credit losses no doubt plagued the bottom line. And this isn’t the first bad news we’ve heard out of Countrywide--in the previous two quarters the company admitted big losses due to the housing markets’ collapse, mortgage defaults and the credit crunch.

 

Company officials did not issue any stat...Read More

Apr 25 2008 12:34PM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

As promised, more products coverage from K/BIS!

It’s hard to effectively pull off the rangetop/island/range hood configuration. But unlike other professional-style range hoods, the Best IP29 series by Broan provides consumers with ultimate features and performance. The IP29 series of island range hoods is the first to offer the company’s LinkLogic system that communicates with other enabled products in the home.

 

With LinkLogic, homeowners also have the option of having a remote control device to operate the range hood. This feature is ideal for those who have difficulty reaching the hood or for those builders/remodel...Read More

Apr 24 2008 10:58AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

Touted as improved and more environmentally-friendly, Engineered Cementitious Composite (ECC) is the subject of the course “Understanding and Using Bendable Concrete” set for June 24-26 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

 

The course will be taught by inventors Victor Li and E. Benjamin Wylie, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Michigan and Stanford’s Michael D. Lepech, Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

 

The topic on hand is a new material that bends but does not break because of the specially coated microscopic polymer fibers that make up the material slide past each other instead of snapping under stre...Read More

Apr 21 2008 12:17PM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

Readers: the staff of Professional Builder, Professional Remodeler, Custom Builder and Housing Giants magazines will be meeting tomorrow to discuss the future of HousingZone.com. After searching the 'Net and taking plenty of my own time looking at layouts I've come across a bunch of ideas for improving our magazines.

But we need your input, too--primarily when it comes to HousingZone.com. You'll notice in a few months that it'll have a new face, new functionality and new content. But what we need to know is what would you all like to see? Are we covering one area too heavily and not enough in another? Would you like to see more graphic (visual) elements? Let us know. We start tomorrow! 

Apr 18 2008 10:03AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

This morning Chicagoland was given a gentle shake that rattled walls, knocked books off shelves, disrupted a live broadcast and spooked my boss’ cat. The earthquake, which measured 5.2 on the Richter Scale, struck at 4:36 a.m. near the town of West Salem, IL. Admittedly I didn’t feel a thing but plenty of people who are lighter sleepers than I were scared out of their wits. Read the Tribune article here.

 

...Read More

Apr 16 2008 9:09AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

I’ve been on numerous site visits and have talked to numerous crews. If it’s one thing a lot of guys hate doing, it’s finishing up windows and getting everything to fit nice and snug.

 

Shaving time off the job is RLC Technologies’ Kwik Corner. The Kwik Corner is a vinyl siding accessory that allows contractors to quickly finish corners around windows and doors. It easily slips over most vinyl siding J-Channels on the market today. Its installation requires no extra cutting or tricky snipping, and doesn’t leave unsightly open mitres or butt corners. The product’s design forces water to flow through concealed ribs, eliminating potential damage. Builders can...Read More

Apr 15 2008 8:02AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

K/BIS is over and I'm back in the office. 

What did all of you think of the show? I personally thought it went very well this year. Booths were packed, traffic was up, Ty Pennington was walking around (note: he's a lot shorter than I thought) and I got to see some great new products. 

I decided to profile a few of the companies at K/BIS and their products for the next series of blog entries.

First up is W.A.C. Lighting.

Designed with a colorful retro look, W.A.C.'s “Ete&rd...Read More

Apr 10 2008 9:25AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

Tomorrow I’ll be waking up earlier and lacing my shoes tighter for the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show, heretofore known as K/BIS.

 

For those of you lucky enough to make it out to the McCormick Place you’ll be greeted with hundreds of booth spanning all facets of the kitchen and bath industry in three separate halls. My K/BIS beat will be to stop by booths, make new contacts (and get caught up with some friends) and to really dig deep into what’s going on i...Read More

Apr 8 2008 9:22AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |

I’ve been following home power supply products like generators and uninterrupted power supply (UPS) for a few months now and I’ve noticed a fair amount of interest online and at the trade shows. And while a lot of them deal with whole-house or emergency power, I ran across one that’s just for the A/V geeks: The Richard Gray Power Company (RGPC) PowerVault 11kW for entertainment and automation needs.

 

RGPC’s unit meets CEDIA installation needs as a power conditioner, a UPS as well as a surge protector.

 

...Read More