Cutting-Edge Products To Help Your Home
What's new for your home?
Plenty, as proven at the International Home Builder's Show in Orlando, Fla., through Sunday.
Home improvement expert Danny Lipford, host of "Today's Homeowner," browsed around and featured several of the innovations that caught his eye on The Early Show Thursday.
More than 100,000 housing professionals were expected to attend the builders' show. The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) event, held in one of the largest convention centers in the country, has a record 1,900 exhibitors displaying across more than a million net square feet of exhibit space.
Products and services spanning more than 300 building industry categories are being shown at the housing industry's largest new-product showcase.
Among Lipford's favorites, with commnents on them from him and the organizers of the International Home Builder's Show:
CRYSTAL CLEAR WINDOW WORKS:
If your windows retain moisture, you don't have to replace them anymore. Now, you can get the fog out with a patented process by Crystal Clear Window Works. It costs about half as much as glass replacement and many times less than window replacement. And, it only takes 15 to 20 minutes to repair. The fog is removed by first drilling a very small, 3/8 inch hole in the glass. The area is then sprayed with an environmentally sensitive solution to wash, clean, de-mineralize, and rinse the inside surfaces of the glass. To dry the glass, the solution is vacuumed out. The process is completed with defogger valves installed over the holes. Essentially, the window is re-engineered so water and moisture get out and don't return. In fact, it's increased the thermal performance of windows by 4-11 percent, reducing heating and cooling costs. So far, it has also stopped 4 million square feet of glass from going to landfill sites and saved 5 million tons of greenhouse gases from entering the atmosphere. Crystal Clear Window Works operates in more than 50 markets in the United States, using more than 215 trained technicians to perform the DeFogger service (and expanding by offering Get The Fog Out franchises across the U.S.). A 20 year warranty is offered on every window serviced.
getthefogout.com or 1-800-4-FOGOUT.
SMARTSCAN:
SmartScan is a biometric deadbolt that works off sub-dermal sensors. You just swipe your finger to open the deadbolt and tap the sensor three times to lock it. SmartScan provides three levels of access:
1. Continuous Access (24/7) for homeowners and family members
2. Date Restricted Access for Contractors
3. Date & Time Access for Housekeepers. For example: Friday at 9 am - 9:15 am
This keyless entry system by Kwikset is easy to install, program, and use. Needs no hard-wiring, has backup key usage and fits most doors. The product works off four AA batteries, has an audio low battery alarm, and battery life of more than a year. It is also programmable with up to 50 users' fingerprints. SmartScan is available in select markets with full availability this spring at major home improvements retailers nationwide.
$199; kwikset.com
DURACERAMIC TILE:
Congoleum has developed a versatile "engineered ceramic" featuring the look of a high-end ceramic tile floor, yet delivering benefits not available in conventional ceramic tiles. DuraCeramic is warmer and softer to the touch than ceramic, quiet and comfortable underfoot and extremely easy to maintain. The tile combines extra-thick limestone and space-age materials in a patented composite that resists cracking, breaking and chipping. The tile can be installed with EITHER traditional grout or without grout for a modern, tailored look. Because it is engineered, composite material, traditional mortar-setting materials and special wet saws, required for ceramic and porcelain tile, aren't necessary, making it possible to set and grout the floor all in one day. Available in eight inch- and 16 inch-square tiles.
$4.99+/per square ft.; congoleum.com
TANKLESS WATER HEATER:
Save energy, space and money with the T-K3 water heater by Takagi, the smallest, most versatile and powerful residential tankless water heater on the market. It can provide an unlimited supply of hot water continuously because there is no storage tank to heat and reheat. It has a maximum flow rate of seven gallons per minute, and up to four units can be connected without needing an additional control box. The compact water heater also saves homeowners valuable space. At 13.8 inches wide and weighing only 40 pounds, it can actually be recessed between two wall studs. The unit also qualifies for a federal tax credit of as much as $300.
PRICE: $TBD; takagi.com
QUIETROCK SOUNDPROOF DRYWALL:
Quiet Solution, a leading manufacturer of soundproofing products, makes high-performance noise reduction more affordable with QuietRock 510, the most cost-effective sound-damping wall and ceiling panel on the market. Installs easily with score-and-snap sizing (no saw required), hangs just like standard drywall and provides sound transmission class (STC) ratings from 47 to 52. Panels are 1/2 inch thick and come in sizes of 4 feet wide by 8, 9,10, or 12 feet long.
Prices start at $39.95 per 4X8 sheet; QuietSolution.com
FLATWIRE:
The new, UL-certified, low-voltage FlatWire may revolutionize electrical wiring as we know it! The alternative wiring system can be used to add lighting, flat screen TVs, home theaters, etc. to any space without the cost of rewiring or the unsightly mess of dangling cords. The wire, made of paper-thin copper conductors insulated on each side by polymer film, disappears with paint or wallpaper for a virtually invisible installation that is attractive and low-cost. Extremely easy to install, FlatWire attaches to the surface of walls and ceilings using a spray adhesive. The wires range from 4/1000 of an inch to 13/1000 of an inch, which makes it as thin as a business card. A professional installation would include standard wall or joint compounds and techniques to blend the minor thickness differential into the wall. Includes FlatWire connectors and adapters to work with existing wiring for easy installation of any type of wiring application.
$1.50 - $4.00/ft., Sconce Lighting Kit $199 & Up; flatwireready.com.