Products - Industry News

• Luxury Homes Shrink in New Market
  U.S. luxury home builders say they are building smaller homes, as the recession has pared down the American Dream by at least a walk-in closet or two. Here’s a look at what’s been happening to the size of today’s luxury home.
• U.S. Citizens Now Showing Up at Day-Labor Hiring Sites
  In the latest sign of the economic free fall, U.S. citizens are starting to show up in the early mornings outside home improvement stores and plant nurseries across the Las Vegas Valley, jostling with illegal immigrants for a shot at a few hours of work. Experts say the slow starting but seemingly inexorable trend is occurring nationwide. Check it out.
• The Allure of Kitchen Remodels
  Here are some ideas on how to spice up a kitchen remodel that you can share with clients who are either planning on doing kitchen remodel project, or may be thinking of doing one.
• Fire Sprinklers Set to Become a Standard Feature in All New Homes
   Members of the International Code Council's Residential Building Code Committee (RBCC) have made it clear that fire sprinklers are destined to become a standard feature in all new homes. The fire sprinkler requirement was added to the International Residential Code (IRC) last year, and it is scheduled to become effective January 1, 2011.
• How Fireplaces Add a Cozy Touch to New Homes
  The residential fireplace is a vestige, no longer needed to heat the home or house a kettle of soup. But here’s a look at the reason why new-home buyers continue to demand, and pay extra for their fireplaces.
• Feds: Chinese Drywall Reports Still Inconclusive
  Federal studies released last week cannot yet definitively link imported Chinese drywall to health problems or corrosion of pipes and wires that thousands of U.S. homeowners have been reporting for nearly a year. Find out what came out of the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s initial report.
• Stark Realities of Chinese Drywall Liability Set In
  Chinese drywall manufacturers have more or less ignored litigation thrown at them in the U.S., and here's how consumers, home builders and government representatives are reacting. 
• How Green Can You Go?
  Interest in green home building is exploding, but builders say most buyers are ordering up a small serving of energy efficiency instead of going for the whole green enchilada. Home builders in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa market share their experiences with green home buyers they’ve encountered.
• Wood Preservative Technologies Receive NAHB Research Center National Green Building Certifications
  Osmose, Inc., the premier supplier of wood preservative technologies, has earned Green Approved Product certification for its MicroPro and NatureWood (ACQ) wood preservative technologies from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center under the National Green Building Standard program.
• Lawyers: Chinese Drywall Makers May Ignore Suits
  Lawyers representing homeowners and homebuilders who used drywall suspected of causing corrosion and possible health risks say they expect Chinese companies that made the wallboard to ignore hundreds of lawsuits filed against them in U.S. courts. OK, so now what happens?
• Recession Chips Away at Granite Kitchen Tops
  Not long ago, it was a home-improvement rule seemingly set in stone: a new or upgraded kitchen had to have granite countertops. Now, 21 months into this recession, granite countertops seem to be relics of a fizzled-out housing boom. Here’s the reason why, and a look at what consumers are starting to choose instead.
• A Tale of Two Pools
  In this case study two different families wanted something special for their backyard oases. One went for a cleanly modern resort-style pool, the other a faux tropical lagoon. This is how the desires were met for both.
• Mini-Kitchens in Many Places
  Secondary kitchens are starting to make their way everywhere from the master bedroom to the basement. Here’s a look at examples where a secondary kitchen is desired and why.
• Reclaimed Wood Flooring is the Ultimate Green Choice
  When it comes to flooring options, everyone knows that wood is a green flooring choice, but for the ultimate in green flooring, consider using reclaimed wood.
• Foreign Drywall Makers Targeted
  Not surprisingly in the wake of the Chinese drywall debacle, bipartisan legislation has been introduced in the U.S. Senate that aims to help victims of tainted drywall as well as hold foreign manufacturers more accountable for their defective products.

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