The 2007 International Builders Show took up 1.7 million square feet of exhibit space at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla.. It was held Feb. 7-10, but it should have been held on St. Patrick's Day, because the predominant color was green.
Green products were everywhere. A "green" product is one that is significantly more environmentally benign than its competitors. That green rating may be earned in different ways. It can have lower contaminating ingredients, such as low or no-VOC paint. It can be more energy efficient, such as an Energy Star appliance. It can reduce risk, such as a mold-killer or mold-resistant product.
"Mold is gold" is a term from the legal industry. While good for lawyers. It was bad for the members of the building industry being sued.
Now Protecto Wrap has coined the phrase: "Stop Mold, Stop Lawsuits."
Mold spores are everywhere, but require moisture to become active, so stopping or managing water penetration has become a prime requirement.
While walking the show last year, I turned to my publisher and said, "There is an answer to every building problem right here on this floor. The problem is that most of the builders and tradespeople don't know about it."
Many builders and tradespeople don't go to trade shows because they are too busy and figure they can get by with what they already know.
That's unfortunate because the products they didn't see and the classes they didn't attend could solve many building and home improvement problems.
Clip and save my next couple of articles. Demand that builders and tradespeople learn about and use new products to give you a better job.
Mold killer
Nisus (800-264-0870, www.nisuscorp .com) Bora-Care with Mold-Care kills and prevents mold, prevents wood decay and delivers wood destroying organisms including dry wood termites, carpenter ants and wood-boring beetles.
Drainage
Protecto Wrap (800-759-9727, www.pro tectowrap.com), introduced a new window-sill, pan-drainage system (PSDS) that combines their flexible peel and stick with a positive-slope, closed-cell foam membrane that protects the window opening from mold and moisture damage.
Dupont introduced StraightFlash VF as part of the Tyvek (800-44- TYVEK, WWW.ty vek.com) Weatherization System. StraightFlash VF is a dual-sided, self-adhered flashing tape that provides a reliable moisture seal to integrate brick mold, non-integral flanged and non-flanged windows and doors to the building envelope, channeling water away and protecting them from bulk water leaks.
Consella-Dorken's dimpled basement waterproofing membrane (888-4DELTA4, www.consellal-dorken.com) is the industry standard. Now, they've expanded the dimple idea to house wrap to channel any moisture that may get behind the siding away from the house.
Pactiv's new Green Guard Ultra Wrap (800-241-4402, www.greenguard.com) non-woven, non-perforated house wrap has one of the industry's highest perm rates, is UV-stable and can be exposed to the sun for up to four months.
Construction materials
Wet wood is one of the great weaknesses of on-site construction.
Georgia-Pacific Plytanium DryPly (800-284-5347, www.gp.com/build) has a water-repellent coating that reduces water absorption by 40 percent.
Graber/Duratape Wet-N-Stick (800-249-1357, www.duratape.com) joint tape has mold and mildew inhibitors in the adhesive to prevent bacteria growth.
WoodSmart Solutions Inc., (516-416-1972, www.bluwood.com), headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., developed a proprietary two-part infusion film and DOT wood preservative technology. The coating is absorbed into the lumber, and bonds to the wood's fibers to form a water-repellant, semi-permeable film that controls moisture absorption and resists mold, mildew growth, fungi and wood-ingesting insects, including Formosan termites. No special handling is required, and the wood can sit on the job site for up to six months.
Insulation
Johns Manville introduced formaldehyde-free spray fiberglass insulation (www.jm .com) that will not settle or shrink, and is naturally mold-resistant.
BASF showed Comfort Foam (Google: BASF comfort foam), a closed-cell spray foam vapor barrier with an R-value of 6 per inch that stops vapor movement and contains no urea formaldehyde or VOCs.
CertainTeed (800-233-8990, www.certain teed.com), introduced MemBrain vapor retarder for use over unfaced fiberglass insulation in walls and ceilings. MemBrain automatically senses current humidity levels and changes permeability to match current conditions. Invisible pores open under wet conditions and close under dry conditions.
Hurry back. I'll have more new products next week.
If you have a question, call the Handyman Show with Glenn Haege at (866) ASK GLENN between noon and 2 p.m. Saturday or Sunday. The show can be heard on WJR and more than 160 radio stations nationwide. To suggest a question for Haege's Wednesday "Ask Glenn" column, write: Ask Glenn, Master Handyman Press, P.O. Box 1498, Royal Oak, MI 48068-1498 or e-mail askglenn@masterhandy man.com.
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