The Product Guy

Nov 2 2009 9:44AM | Permalink | Email this | Comments (0) |
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By Nick Bajzek

Hi folks, I’m back from last week’s Remodeling Show in Indianapolis. I hope you followed some of my ‘tweets’ online on www.twitter.com (I’m @nbajzek just in case you didn’t). Show synopsis: the consensus on the floor is that while traffic was down considerably (the show organizers combined the Deck Expo and Remodeling Show into one cohesive event) there were plenty of great conversations and sales leads.

From where I stand, I thought the show went very well. First, some quotes from Carl Seville during his “Dry Home: 7 Things that Must Happen”. He laid out seven points all builders and remodelers should follow when it comes to maintaining a tight building envelope in our homes:

1. Ventilate
2. Right size HVAC
3. Air seals intact
4. Allow walls to dry out
5. Drain
6. Deflect
7. Design for drainage

One quote to take home with you: “A ventilated rainscreen is one of the best investments you can make.” I agree. Seville’s presentation was very matter-of-fact and straightforward—what else would you expect from the ‘Green Curmudgeon?’. If you get a chance, check out his site at www.greencurmudgeon.com

Tim Faller’s “Empowering Your Team” presentation was early (8am on Thursday) but well worth the wake-up call. His presentation centered on empowering your workers with tasks and trusting them to make their own decisions in the field. “There’s only a certain amount of work you can do. If you want your company to get bigger, you have to let go. You have to empower your employees,” he said, adding later, “Empowering doesn’t mean you abdicate authority in the hope someone else will pick it up.” How true.

Tomorrow I’ll highlight some of the products I came across. How does camouflaged siding sound? Or a new adhesive that you can use underwater? Check back tomorrow for more!