The NAHB International Builders' Show has drawn to a close for the year, but there's still more to discover from the Day 3 show floor. Here's the third and final round of our editors' picks:
Cornering the Market
Georgia Pacific, which introduced ForceField tape last year, plans this spring to roll out ForceField Corner Seal for use in conjunction with its tape on both inside and outside corners. GP.com
Clean Sweep
The same company that brought you Bathtubs for Pets has (pardon the pun) rolled out Bathtubs for Bicycles. They're made from stainless steel. BathtubsForPets.com
Best Supporting Performance
Sierra Pacific's expertise in both windows and wood shows in its new architectural wall system. A typical window or door unit doesn't provide structural support, such as holding up a roof. This does, thanks to the use of glu-lam beams 7 to 9 inches thick that can be incorporated into the overall design. The system is designed to be acquired in sections and assembled onsite. Spi-ind.com
Sleek Chic
Slim and modern hardware is showing up more and more often in windows today. Kolbe furthered that trend by introducing a new handle in the Evolution line for its VistaLuxe Collection casement windows. The handle makes it possible to open the windows to three different settings. Kolbe-kolbe.com
Broan
The ventilation company has introduced the ERVS100S, an updated energy recovery ventilator for hot and humid environments, particularly in southern regions. As the building envelope continues to get tighter and tighter, homes become harder to ventilate. Broan’s system is installed in the ceiling and features a built-in humidity sensor that starts the ventilator, bringing in hot air, converting it, and then expelling it from the home, reducing excess moisture by 51% in the process. The fully-installed system is roughly $1000, which is about half the cost of other systems on the market.
American Standard
One of the first touch shower heads is here from American Standard. The new Spectra line of shower heads has four new models in both 2.5 and 1.8 gallon per minute flows. But the standout product of the line is the shower head with the company’s new touch technology. Users can either touch the shower head itself to change the flow and cycle through type of spray, or use the sensor—a hockey-puck-sized clicker that uses a radio signal to change the water. The clicker can be attached anywhere in the shower and pressed or held by the user.
Armstrong
Armstrong Flooring launched a new luxury vinyl tile flooring line called Vivero. The flooring uses Diamond 10 Technology, which incorporates actual diamond particles into the wood for increased strength. The durable flooring repels stains and is scratch and water resistant. The flooring is available in 33 colors with 4 “looks” including rustic woods and exotic stone. Homeowners will love that the flooring comes with a lifetime warranty against wear and tear, and can also include a pet warranty.
Worry-Free Subfloors
Weyerhaeuser is launching its newest oriented strand board product, Diamond. The engineered subfloor panel is designed to provide industry-leading wet weather performance and superior strength and nail retention to help eliminate squeaky floors, providing builders a worry-free subfloor solution, the firm says. Available on the East Coast starting in Spring 2017, Diamond features a self-draining technology that channels water away from the end of the panel and away from the supporting member. The result is that standing water collected on the surface of the floor during construction drains away. weyerhaeuser.com
Powerful Toilet
Mansfield Plumbing has introduced the new Denali Power Flush toilet. Featuring superior flushing performance, Denali moves 1,200 grams of waste with 1.6 gallons per flush, based on independent testing. The unit maximizes energy by having water sit higher in its tank. During the flushing process, energy picks up as water moves through a 3-inch flush valve to reach its highest velocity earlier in the flushing cycle. Dual side jets intensify the waste removal process. Additionally, Denali has been tested to one-and-a-half times the industry standard for carrying waste further down the drain line --- up to a 60-foot drain line carry distance. Mansfieldplumbing.com
Beveled Siding
Introduced at the Builders’ Show, Boral TruExterior 8-inch and 10-inch bevel siding products combine unmatched authenticity with superior, long-lasting performance. The new bevel profile boasts a true taper and deep shadow lines that mimic wood like no other man-made material has been able to achieve, the firm says. Made with the company’s proprietary blend of polymers and fly ash, TruExterior offers a high level of dimensional stability for reduced expansion and contraction, and durability for resistance to warping, cracking, and splitting. As a result, the material requires no sealing of ends or cuts in the field, it can be used in ground-contact applications, and it can be painted any color, including dark hues. Boralamerica.com
Raising the Profile
IKO Roofing is raising its profile with high profile ridge cap shingles designed to make a statement with a home's roof. Making the roof lines stand out is an easy way to differentiate homes and add a touch of elegance to a often overlooked design material. The company also released new colors that will make this design pop.
A Solid Winner
Not that there's nothing to worry about when there's a water leak on your property, but with Mohawk's new SolidTech vinyl panels, there's at least less to worry about. The new waterproof panels simply pop in and pop out, so when there's water damage, just pop out a panel to let the underneath dry and put the panel back. The easy to clean solution will be a go to for kitchens and bath.
Power Up
DekTek released its new wireless phone charging system. A transmitter is placed beneath a non-metal surface where the user wishes to install the station (such as below the countertop). The transmitter can be mounted to the surface with screws or with a simpler fastener like Velcro tape. Then, users plug their device into a disk-shaped receiver (called Halo) and place the Halo above the transmitter to begin charging. The 10W transmitter is designed to charge smaller devices, like phones, while the 16W transmitter will charge larger devices such as tablets.
This article originally appeared in BUILDER Magazine.
