{Re}habitat

From Saint Louis Catholic Church in St. Louis, Missouri, to Sacred Heart Ukrainian Catholic Church in Johnson City, New York, church members nationwide are giving thanks for the sturdy polymer roofing products over their heads. Whether replaced due to old age or storm damage, replacement roofs on churches across America are moving toward dependable, long-lasting polymer slate and shake roofing tiles.

When Steve Roth purchased a dilapidated and foreclosed Civil War era home in Hillsdale, Michigan, in 2011, many people said he had on rose-colored glasses. However, Roth, a professional contractor, quickly saw the potential of returning the home to its former glory by using innovative urethane products.

Therma-Tru, the nation’s leading manufacturer and most preferred brand of entryway doors, has introduced an upgraded version of its popular online Picture Perfect™ entryway visualizer tool. The new Picture Perfect 2.0 Virtual Designer software program offers expanded visualization capabilities that allow more customization by trade professionals when using the software on the jobsite, for in-home sales presentations, or in a dealer showroom.

According to the 2011 DaVinci Roofscapes’ Homeowners Exterior Preferences Study, nearly all* (88%) homeowners see the exterior of their home as a whole picture rather than the sum of all its different exterior features. This finding is supported by additional research showing that curb appeal is important to homeowners – and the style of the home and how it looks on the property are the most attention-grabbing features of the home.

Over the past four decades, EGStoltzfus Homes, LLC has constructed more than 6,000 new homes throughout south central Pennsylvania. Currently, the foundations for their new homes are the precast concrete walls manufactured by neighboring company Superior Walls.

Thanks to the new SafePoint™ impact-resistant laminated glass package from Simonton Windows, constructing a secure, quiet, and energy-efficient home just got easier. Engineered to withstand high winds and flying debris, deter intruders, and reduce outside noise in the home, the SafePoint glass package is now available nationwide as an option on Simonton ProFinish® Brickmould 600 windows and doors.

When the Universal Design Living Laboratory (UDLL) in Columbus, Ohio, opened to the public during the summer of 2012, it began serving as a show piece for independent living in an energy-efficient environment. Beginning with the Superior Walls precast concrete foundation and moving upwards, the national demonstration home and garden helps educate people on universal design living spaces.