This is the place to rant, rave, brag, belly-ache, crack a joke, procrastinate, and delve into the metaphysical aspects of the DIY mindset. We’re off the map, on a tangent, and frequently off topic. This is the stuff we don’t show on TV.
Old light fixtures can make a room look dated. Funny thing is, installing new light fixtures is one of the easiest things to change and is a job any do-it-yourselfer can tackle. Join the At Home channel’s host, Jeff Wilson, as he demonstrates the job of removing an old fixture and replacing it with a new one to brighten up your room.
DaVinci Roofscapes®, the leader in synthetic roofing tiles, successfully showcased the company’s newest roofing colors and blends at the 2011 International Builders’ Show. The company exhibited its revolutionary Bellafortéline of interlocking and self-aligning slate tiles along with the company’s original polymer Slate and Shake roofing tiles.
The ComfortLink™ II Thermostat from Trane is the company’s latest and most innovative offering. With its 7" interactive high-definition color touch screen, the product is the ultimate home comfort connection. Providing an intuitive user interface, the thermostat serves as an easy-to-use central planning center for the home, bringing year-round home comfort and control right to one’s fingertips. The ComfortLink II Thermostat will launch in early 2011 and, even before its official debut, has already been named a Consumer Electronics Show (CES) Best of Innovations 2011 Honoree and winner of the Popular Mechanics 2010 Breakthrough Award.
Finding a big hole in your drywall isn’t much fun, but fixing it isn’t a big problem. Whether you have a hole to fix or you are just prepping to paint, a few supplies and tools are all you need for the job. Join the At Home channel’s host, Jeff Wilson, for a demonstration of how to repair a variety of different size holes and divots in drywall.
Sherwin-Williams celebrates individualism through its thoughtfully-selected colormix™ 2011 collection. Whether our client's passion is a love of antique maps, a fascination with 3D animation, or a collection of batik-patterned dresses, the professionals at Sherwin-Williams can help clients to embrace their passions and use them to guide a project’s decorating direction. The 39 colors selected by Sherwin-Williams color experts for colormix 2011 are grouped into four palettes: Purely Refined, Bold Invention, Restless Nomad, and Gentle Medley.
Sherwin-Williams has enhanced its ever popular, zero-VOC* Harmony product with a formula that offers improved application, better hide, and new odor-eliminating technology that actually reduces odors in the air, keeping rooms smelling fresher longer. The length of time for which Harmony actively reduces odors depends on the concentration of the odors, the frequency of exposure, and the amount of surface area being painted. Harmony also withstands frequent washings and resists mildew on the paint film with an antimicrobial agent.
At the 2011 International Builders' Show, Kohler introduced a number of new products to meet the consumer demand for increased functionality, simplified aesthetics, and water conservation. Some of the product lines featured this year included Karbon, Loure, and Stance faucet collections. These collections are sleek and stylish and can reduce the water consumption by 30% without sacrificing performance. This year Kohler also featured a digital thermostatic showering system. The DTV II uses a one-piece interface design that provides convenient control of the menu-based navigation system, allowing the user to program the shower's water temperature, spray settings, and lighting.
Lutron Electronics Co., Inc., headquartered in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, designs and manufactures lighting controls and automated window treatments for residential and commercial applications. Lutron products save energy and make light bulbs last longer, making them an eco-friendly addition to the home and office. Lutron estimates that the installed base of its products saves the nation nearly 10 billion kWh of electricity, or approximately $1 billion in utility costs per year.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, random air infiltration through gaps and cracks is a leading cause of energy loss in homes, accounting for 25–40% of energy loss in most residential structures. Fortunately, Dow Building Solutions (DBS) has been a leader in building envelope solutions, including air sealing and insulation, for over 60 years. Dow offers the broadest array of solutions for minimizing energy loss and moisture damage caused by air leaks, including FROTH-PAK™ Foam Insulation and Foam Sealant Kits, and GREAT STUFF PRO™ Insulating Foam Sealants and Adhesives. At the International Builders’ Show (IBS) 2011, the DBS booth featured a fun, fascinating, and interactive presentation about GREAT STUFF, which showed how the products work to fill gaps and cracks and how they can help to seal a home, increase energy efficiency, and save money.
With today’s tighter building envelopes, it is imperative that builders and contractors stay up to date on industry standards for ventilation systems in order to ensure good air quality inside the home. Longer duct runs and multiple elbows increase static pressure, which can reduce airflow. ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigerating, and Air-Conditioning Engineers) has set the industry standard for ventilation performance measurement at 0.25" water gauge for airflow. To meet this standard, Panasonic Home & Environment Company has introduced its third-generation WhisperGreen® line of premium ventilation fans.
Duradek has been in the deck and balcony waterproofing industry since 1974. They pioneered the use of PVC membranes as an outdoor walking surface and were the first to have an approved single ply "walk on" roof membrane. Duradek membranes are the primary approved roofing materials on tens of thousands of roof decks throughout North America. From large condominium and townhouse complexes to single-family homes, Duradek is the choice of architects, builders, property managers, and homeowners who appreciate our attention to detail.
What kind of electrical receptacle should you install in the kitchen or bath? The answer is a GFCI outlet, or a ground fault circuit interrupt outlet. A GFCI (or GFI) outlet should be installed in any place where electricity might come in contact with water; such as a kitchen, a bathroom, a laundry room, garage, or exterior space. Basically, a GFCI outlet will sense when electricity is going to pass through a person’s body and it will shut off before the shock is delivered. Installing this type of outlet is only slightly more complex than installing a standard three-pronged receptacle. Join the At Home channel’s host, Jeff Wilson, for a tutorial on how to install a GFCI electrical outlet.
