Only Online - Shelter June 2007
More of the Next Big Thing
Doors and Windows
Perfect
Pattern
Douglas Fir can be used in both modern homes and applications that require historical
accuracy. Windsor Windows & Doors says it now offers customers doors and windowns
made from vertical grain Douglas fir. The West Des Moines, Iowa-based company
says this select choice of wood ensures all of its windows and patio doors contain
at least six vertical growth rings per inch, rather than a mixed pattern. It also
says, unlike many of its competitors that use veneer, these windows are made only
from solid wood.
Hardware
New From Taylor Direct
If you are a one man shop that does one of a kind everything or a large facility
that does "cell" manufacturing, Taylor Direct says its CMC1040S is for
you. The company says this new unit is a swivel model that rotates to a vertical
position to save space. Six, 40-inch opening, EZ slider clamps with a 10-foot-wide
gluing capacity make panel, cabinet and entry door, posts, handrails, and stair
tread gluing simple and fast.
Sealants and Adhesives
Caulk Alternative
What
builder or remodeler isn't interested in doing the job better, while saving time
and money? Fomo Products Inc. has developed Handi-Stick Polystyrene Construction
Adhesive, a solvent and VOC-free, environmentally-friendly option to caulk. Unlike
caulk adhesives, the company says its new adhesive product can be used during
all phases of construction and will not degrade polystyrene material.
The Norton, Ohio-based company says one can of Handi-Stick delivers the same yield as 30 standard tubes of caulk and with fast open-time profile ensures users spend less time waiting for sufficient bond strength to develop. The result is an airtight seal that meets the American Air Barrier Association's (AABA) standards for air barrier construction materials and the dispensing system reduces clean-up after application.
Tools and Equipment
No More Ups and Downs
It's
impossible to carry every tool in your belt, so working on a step, extension or
multi-use ladder often means climbing up and down. And climbing up and down with
handfuls of tools can be dangerous. Creative Sales Co. in Columbia Falls, Mont.,
has a solution-the Professional Ladder Utility System.
The Master Kit contains a ladder mount, tool bucket with carrying handle and universal tool holder. The tool bucket can be mounted on either side of a ladder and the ladder mount secures it at working level. It features a safety latch, safety strap and leveling-adjustment block, and the tool holder is designed to hold various tools that do not fit in the tool bucket.
X-Ray Vision
Previously, when a stud finder couldn't tell you which way the ceiling joists
went, even on deep scan, it was time to create an opening. In this day and age,
builders and contractors have the option of seeing right through ceilings and
walls using Walleye Technologies' hand-held, portable imaging technology.
The Somerville, Mass.-based company has introduced its next generation handheld with the Walleye Imaging System, a patent-pending platform that generates high-quality digital images that can be readily displayed, stored, analyzed and transmitted.
This system works like a battery-powered digital "camera" that uses invisible wavelengths to see into and through objects.
Literature
To Fasten or Not To Fasten
What
do architects, engineers and construction specifiers have in their libraries?
Books like Powers Fasteners Inc.'s new 5th edition Specification and Design Manual.
This comprehensive 390-page manual is a complete update to previous technical manuals and provides the latest in anchor technology, testing standards, construction codes and approval listings for all of the Brewster, N.Y.-based company's products. In addition to general product information, Powers says it also contains up-to-date product approvals and listings, MSDS sheets, submittal packages, software tools, contact information and copies of the Powers newsletter.
Flooring
Take a Walk On the Wild Side
Not
every customer is looking for traditional looking wood floors. For a more modern
flare, Parterre Flooring of Brooklyn, N.Y., is offering a new exotic woods, plank
vinyl flooring collection that offers a multicultural feel when combined with
the hip, urban look of its Fused Floor products.
Zebrawood, along with other products in the collection, offer the look of real exotic woods, without depleting the rainforests and with the easy maintenance of vinyl. All Parterre wood planks come in a 4-inch by 36-inch size, as well as custom widths and unique sizes highlight the depth and character of the wood, while satisfying modern wide-board trends.
Sheathing
Quiet Strength
Nobody
wants to hear their neighbors all the time. And smart buyers are showing a stronger
interest in homes built with noise reduction in mind, so Temple-Inland® in
Diboll, Texas, says it has a solution-QuietBrace sound-deadening structural sheathing.
The company says QuietBrace provides a noise-reduction coefficient that's nearly twice as high as common wood structural sheathings such as oriented-strand board (OSB). It's available in 4-foot widths and 8-, 9- and 10-foot lengths and longer lengths increase installation efficiency by reducing piecing and fitting on 9- and 10-foot walls. One half- and 25/32-inch thicknesses are available and QuietBrace can be installed with pneumatic fastening tools using nails or staples.