Kitchen & Bath Outlook Healthy

The industry will likely get a boost from an increased interest in home remodeling, which is projected to grow by 62 percent from 2006 to 2016. Much of the demand for outdoor remodeling work will be driven by affluent households with incomes of $75,000 or more. In addition, there is a higher demand for outdoor living products among “upscale” homeowners.

Solar Power

A Michigan roofing contractor’s residential solar roofing kit won first place for best new product at the recent International Roofing Expo in Las Vegas.

The kit, designed by Gary Allen of Allen Brothers Inc., a roofing contractor in Rochester Hills, Mich., and marketed by sister company LUMA Resources LLC, fits with any type of roofing material and can be used in new construction or reroofing.

It uses thin-film photovoltaic (PV) solar cell technology, but can also be adapted to fit other kinds of solar collectors. It is designed to generate 1,860 watts of electric power and consists of 60 solar shingles, an inverter, and the necessary flashing and components needed to put the system together.

Green Building

Wood flooring is environmentally friendly, a study conducted by the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA) with the University of Wisconsin concludes. An analysis of engineered wood flooring is underway.

Among the conclusions:

• Wood flooring has no emissions for methane, nitrogen oxide and other particulates, and minimal emissions for carbon dioxide.
  
• Water consumption was substantially less than that used to produce linoleum or carpet.
  
• Primary energy use reflects the collective energy inputs required in manufacturing. Again, wood was found to have the least amount of primary energy consumption.
  
• Because hardwood floors can last hundreds of years, there are fewer replacement production impacts.
  The full report is available at http://www.nwfa.org/, under the “What’s New” menu option.

Building Materials

Boral Bricks recently opened a 295,000-square-foot brick manufacturing plant in Terre Haute, Ind. The company says the plant, which can produce approximately 120 million bricks per year, is the largest in the United States. In addition to advanced technology, including robotics, the facility is a zero waste plant where nearly all the waste generated in the process is recycled in new batches. The plant uses methane gas from a nearby landfill as a substitute for natural gas and employs a number of energy efficient measures as well.

Green Remodeling

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Foundation and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) launched the nation’s first green residential remodeling guidelines during Interiors 08: The ASID Conference on Design, held in New Orleans.

Organized into the 10 most common remodeling projects, the REGREEN Guidelines can be applied to a variety of projects, from remodeling a kitchen to executing a full-scale renovation. Additional information is available at www.regreenprogram.org.

Roofing

Carlisle Construction Materials (CCM) Carlisle, Pa., announced the formation of Carlisle Residential Products Group. The following lines will fall under the new division: EcoStar roofing products; Water and Ice Protection (WIP) underlayments, EZ Roof Waterproofing system and EZ flash.

Solar Roofing

CertainTeed Corporation, a manufacturer of interior and exterior building products, announced it has entered into a partnership with SRS Energy of Philadelphia, Pa., to develop a polymeric-based photovoltaic roof tile that generates energy without compromising the look of the home. While most existing solar roofing systems rely on large conspicuous panels, the technology goal is to seamlessly and unobtrusively embed solar technology into the roof tile.

Custom Electronic

The Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association (CEDIA) will host its third annual Electronic Lifestyles Forum April 30-May 2 at the Adolphus Hotel in Dallas, Tx. CEDIA members specialize in designing and installing electronic systems for the home.