ToolBase E-News volume 139
In This Issue:
2006 NEXTGEN "PEACE OF MIND" HOME DEBUTS AT INTERNATIONAL BUILDERS' SHOW:
Attendees of the 2006 IBS had the opportunity to examine the industry's best storm-resistant construction products and practices at work in the 2006 NextGen Demonstration Home - the "Peace of Mind Home." The 2,500 square foot home incorporated more than 15 technologies identified by the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) as having the potential to improve housing durability, quality, affordability, and/or energy efficiency. Some of the products included: DuPontTM StormRoomTM with Kevlar, a residential in-home storm shelter; hurricane-rated windows and doors; a power generator that starts up automatically within 30 seconds of an outage; high-performance structural wall sheathing that reduces or eliminates the need for wall uplift hardware; fire-resistant joists; storm-resistant garage doors and shutters; and a steel roofing system. Construction of the home also focused on energy-efficient design, green building, and home automation.
The 2006 NextGen "Peace of Mind Home" was built on site at the IBS by custom home builder BrownStone Builders & Associates, and incorporated principles of the Institute for Business & Home Safety's (IBHS) Fortified...for safer living® program. It is an Energy Star home and qualifies as a Certified Florida Green Home. For more information, visit the NextGen "Peace of Mind" Demonstration Home website.
PATH UNVEILS "STORM-RESISTANT ROOFING" TECH SET; ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP FOR HURRICANE REPAIR WORKSHOPS:
During Builders' Show, PATH unveiled its latest Tech Set, "Storm-Resistant Roofing," which demonstrates how 11 innovative building techniques can be used together to increase the safety of a home while reducing the need for maintenance and repair work. The Tech Set is designed to protect homes against water and wind, two of the leading sources of damage from hurricanes and tornados. The technologies create a tighter, drier structure by reducing water infiltration and securely fixing the roof to the building envelope. PATH also announced that it will partner with The Home Depot and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to conduct home repair workshops for Gulf-State homeowners whose houses were damaged in last fall's hurricanes. Three, two-day expos held in New Orleans, Biloxi, and Mobile over the next several weeks will train skilled, do-it-yourself homeowners in energy efficiency, durability, storm resistance, and repair techniques. For more information, visit the PATH website.
2006 ENERGYVALUE HOUSING AWARD CEREMONY HONORS LEADERS IN ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOME BUILDING:
During a special dinner ceremony at the IBS, 17 builders received the industry's top honor in energy-efficient design and construction practices - the EnergyValue Housing Award (EVHA). Now in its 11th year, the EVHA program honors builders who voluntarily integrate energy efficiency into the design, construction, and marketing of their new homes. AndersonSargent Custom Builder of Waxahachie, Texas, received the 2006 EVHA Builder of the Year award. The builder's 2006 EVHA Gold award-winning zero energy home features state-of-the art energy-efficiency and green-building technologies and practices, and includes eight kilowatts of solar power capacity that is designed to offset the home's energy consumption. Other winning projects include a passive solar concrete home, a manufactured home, and a home located in a co-housing development. Award-winning architect and author Sarah Susanka, FAIA, keynoted the EVHA dinner ceremony, sharing insight from her "build better, not bigger" approach to residential architecture. For more information about the 2006 EVHA, read the press release. For more detail about the 2006 EVHA winners, visit the EVHA website.
NEW ONLINE FEATURES HELP WITH TECHNOLOGY DESIGN & SELECTION:
ToolBase Services, the home building industry's technical information resource, introduced several new online features at the 2006 International Builders Show, designed to make ToolBase.org an even more practical resource for builders and remodelers. The redesigned PATH Technology Inventory features ToolBase's new TechSpecs, which provide builders with concise, easy-to-read summaries of innovative building technologies. Additionally, several technologies in the Technology Inventory now include online videos that demonstrate benefits and installation practices of advanced technologies, and free, downloadable CAD details to add to building plans. To investigate these new resources, visit the PATH Technology Inventory on ToolBase.org.
THE NEW AMERICAN HOME CELEBRATES 23RD ANNIVERSARY; FEATURES REAL-WORLD ADVANCES FOR ALL HOUSING:
The New American Home (TNAH) is a real-world laboratory that demonstrates concepts, materials, designs and construction techniques that can be replicated, in whole or part, in housing built any place in any price range. This year, TNAH celebrated its 23rd anniversary as the official showcase home of the International Builders' Show (IBS). The Energy Star home features 7,367 square feet of conditioned space (10,023 total), yet uses 61 percent less energy for heating and cooling and 50 percent less energy for water heating compared to a traditional home of similar dimensions. The design takes advantage of cross-ventilation, and includes HEPA filtration, a roof gutter system that collects rainwater for landscape irrigation, and mulch made from recycled construction materials. The home is nearly 100 percent wheelchair accessible and is equipped with an elevator. For more information, read the press release, or visit the TNAH website.
2006 INNOVATIVE HOUSING TECHNOLOGY AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED:
The Innovative Housing Technology Awards (IHTAs), presented by the National Association of Home Builders, the NAHB Research Center, and TecHome Builder Magazine, are specifically aimed at recognizing significant advances by product manufacturers, integrators, and builders in technology development for the housing industry. The 2006 IHTA winners were announced during the IBS on January 12, 2006. The winners include Pivotal's Homebuilder Front Office Version 3.5 as the Best Overall IT Product and HomeLogic, LLC's OneHome MultiBrick as the Best Overall Home Tech Product. The full list of the winners is available on the TecHome Builder magazine website.
INNOVATIONS FROM GE PLASTICS LET THE LIGHT IN:
During the 2006 IBS, GE Plastics showcased its latest product innovations for the construction industry: clear, hurricane-resistant window and door coverings and new translucent roofing systems. GE's Lexan XL 10 sheets are clear storm-panel shutters that, according to the manufacturer, provide up to four times the impact strength of one-half-inch-thick plywood, are half the weight of traditional metal panels and offer improved aesthetics that encourage their prolonged use. The roofing system is made from a Lexan Thermoclear multi-wall polycarbonate (PC) sheet, filled with Nanogel® translucent aerogel. The patent-pending roofing system filters and diffuses natural daylight entering living areas, eliminating shadows and glare, and raising energy efficiency by a factor of five compared with glass panels. According to a recent press release, the result is natural, museum quality light, and improved aesthetics, comfort, energy efficiency and sound insulation. The system can also withstand wind loads of up to 140 mph, and provides exceptional UV resistance, impact strength and fire resistance. For more information, read the press release.
