Hot Roof
Hot wired, that is. Sunslates — a combination of synthetic
roofing slates with an ultra-thin glass laminate and photovoltaic
cell — can be used for an "energy roof." Sunslates can
generate up to 1 kilowatt per square (100 square feet); a typical
energy roof uses about 300 square feet (or 3 squares) of Sunslates,
which are integrated with another roofing. Sunslates are secured
with stainless steel storm anchor hooks and are anchored to 1x4
nailers resting on 2x2 sleepers — providing a system that can
withstand a 125-mph wind load test with Miami-Dade County product
acceptance. A proprietary gas-tight connector wires each tile to
the adjacent tile, and at the end of each course, a "homerun" cable
joins in a splice box on the underside of the roof deck and runs to
an inverter located near the main breaker. A roofer and electrician
can handle the installation, but they'll need training provided by
the manufacturer. For more information, contact Atlantis Energy
Systems, Inc., 916/438-2930 or 916/869-6784, www.atlantisenergy.org
Job-Site Desktop
Finley Products offers a portable workstation made of durable
ballistic nylon that can be hung on a wall. It unfolds quickly,
creating a 2- x 4-foot work surface for blueprints and laptop
computers. Dubbed the Plan Station, this workstation offers
professional contractors, architects, and engineers the ability to
take their desks to the job site. Multiple storage pockets can hold
documents, office supplies, cell phone, coffee cup, and other
needed goods for organizing a project. For more information,
contact Finley Products Inc., 888/626-5301, www.planstation.biz
Heavyweight Contender
CertainTeed's Presidential TL Ultimate "shakes" may be the thickest
asphalt shingle available, providing an ultra-durable roof when
installed correctly. The "TL" stands for triple layer. Each shingle
is composed of three layers of heavy-duty fiberglass shingle mat
laminated together. When installed, this product is actually
thicker than cedar shingles, providing authentic shadow and texture
as well as a Class A fire rating and 110-mph wind resistance. Each
square weighs in at 480 pounds — not as much as slate or
concrete tile (which weigh in at 750 to 900 pounds per square)
— but it will be more durable and more fire resistant than a
wood shake roof. CertainTeed offers a limited lifetime warranty on
the shingles and a 15-year warranty against streaking (the granules
include 15% copper flake that protects against the streaking and
discoloration caused by airborne algae). For more information,
contact CertainTeed, 800/345-1145, www.certainteed.com
Strong-Wall Resource
Simpson's Strong-Wall Shearwalls aren't a new product. The
engineered prefab shear-wall panels have been around for over a
decade. But the company offers a new Strong-Wall catalog that
explains the different types of Strong-Wall products now available
and clarifies the many ways these structural systems can be used.
Chief among these is the "two-story stacked shear-wall solution."
Stacking two steel-panel shear walls accomplishes two things: it
provides high load values, and it uses minimal wall space —
both key in meeting structural requirements in contemporary home
designs. Namely, the stacked Strong-Wall design takes up very
little wall space, allowing more room for openings in extra-high
window walls. It also provides the moment resistance required for
wind-loaded, open-style "great" rooms up to 20 feet tall. The new
Strong-Wall catalog is available for downloading at www.strongtie.com/strongwall, or contact Simpson
Strong-Tie at 800/999-5099.
ADA-Approved Door Handles
According to their inventor and manufacturer, Owen Baser, these
prizewinning door handles are ADA compliant. Baser Door Handles'
new Push-Entry model opens with less than one pound of pressure,
and there's no grabbing or twisting required, making them ideal for
homeowners with any kind of physical limitation. The Push-Entry is
comprised of only three parts, and is available to fit all standard
bore sizes, which is good news for contractors. Made of a zinc
alloy, the new Push-Entry model comes in only nickel and brushed
brass, for now. As any contractor in coastal regions knows, salt
air usually tarnishes and corrodes hardware finishes quickly.
According to Baser, these handles have a "grade one" finish that
survives a 90-hour salt-spray test. Go for the nickel, known to
last longer in salt air. All handles cost $39.95 plus $6.75
shipping and handling. For more information, contact Baser LLC,
800/569-0935, www.baserdoorhandles.com
Sweet Cedar Railing
The Maine Ornamental preassembled cedar railing system includes
glass rail inserts and Tiffany-style post caps that may provide the
perfect accent to a Victorian home or Shingle-style cottage. The
handrail comes packaged in fully assembled sections, complete with
mounting brackets and all required hardware, and is available in
34-inch-high sections in both 6- and 8-foot lengths. Matching
42-inch cedar post sleeves and 6-foot stair rails are also
available. For more information, contact Maine Ornamental,
866/780-3507, www.postcaps.com
Flexible Arches
Interior archways
Need a fast way to frame-out arched interior doorways? Easy-Arch is
a simple piece of curved sheet steel with upturned flanges along
each edge that can be screwed to the framing of a rectangular
opening. Once it's secured, this curved track provides a nail base
to support interior drywall. Easy-Arch comes in two widths to fit
2x4 and 2x6 framing and can be used in steel or wood framing.
Various styles available to form quarter-circle, half-circle,
eyebrow, elliptical, and compound-radius arches. For more
information, contact Easy-Arch, 800/854-2461, www.easy-arch.com
Exterior brick archways
A new system designed by Estate Products promises to dramatically
reduce the time and expense involved in building masonry arches.
The ArchClip System consists of two components: an ArchClip and an
ArchStrip. The clip is a 16-gauge galvanized metal clip that gets
positioned around an arch window. A self-adhesive backing holds the
clip in place for fastening with a nail (and also self-seals around
the fastener to avoid water penetration, claims the manufacturer).
Next, the ArchStrip — a 16-gauge flexible metal strip —
feeds into the mouth of each clip, creating a perfect arch that
serves as a support form for laying the brick. The strip is removed
once the arch is built, and it can be reused. No weight from the
brick rests on the window, eliminating any window warranty issues.
For more information, contact Estate Products, 800/264-5141,
www.archclip.com
Steel Column Templates
The typical steel column base has a four-bolt anchor connection to
the footing — a very strong tension connection that's
particularly frustrating to align correctly prior to the concrete
pour. Bolt-Rite's adjustable templates not only enhance the
precision required for this task, but also save time by eliminating
the usual plywood templates that get made and then tossed between
jobs. The aluminum templates can be cleaned easily as well. They
are available in standard sizes for 9- x 9-inch columns (single,
$14.94; 10-pack, $139.44) and 14- x 14-inch columns (single,
$27.81; 10-pack, $257.30) with anchor bolt sizes from 5/8 inch up
to 11/2 inches. Centering layouts can be adjusted from 4 to 6
inches on the 9- x 9-inch templates, and from 5- to 10-inch centers
on the 14- x 14-inch templates. For more information, contact
Bolt-Rite, 530/243-0181, www.boltrite.com
Low-Vibration Recip Saw
Got to do some demo? Hitachi has introduced a new reciprocating saw
that reduces motor vibration and promises to significantly decrease
end-user fatigue. This is accomplished, says the manufacturer, with
a counterweight mechanism that reduces the vibration transferred to
the user. The CR13VBY Reciprocating Saw also offers a "swing
cutting" mechanism (for the same kind of aggressive cutting action
you get with "orbital" action) and a 11/4-inch stroke with 0 to
3,000 strokes-per-minute variable-speed control. Other features
include tool-less blade changes and "triple-seal" protection of the
motor from dust generated by demolishing drywall, say, or from
water when cutting into pipes. For more information, contact
Hitachi Power Tools, 800/829-4752, www.hitachipowertools.com
Uplift Panel
For improving moisture resistance, Roy O. Martin's new WindBrace
OSB side-wall panels are specially designed for coastal
applications: thanks to their high-resin, southern yellow pine
composition, they offer a significant moisture-resistant option
over ordinary aspen OSB panels (see Soundings, page 29). In
addition, the 7/16-inch-thick sheathing comes in panel lengths each
11/8 inches longer than conventional 8-, 9-, and 10-foot-long
panels, so there's enough meat to tie into the top and bottom
plates on standard framing or to lap over the floor framing in
multistory construction. In wind zones, this uplift connection will
require an aggressive nailing schedule (see "Solving the Uplift
Puzzle," July/August 2007; available at www.coastalcontractor.net). When asked about
resistance to nail pull-out, Roy O. Martin stated that these panels
shouldn't be any different than any other sheathing panel. In
green-building applications, WindBrace OSB Sidewall can also be
ordered as a FSC-certified product, providing assurance about the
sustainable origins of the product's wood content. For more
information, contact Roy O. Martin Lumber Management, LLC,
318/448-0405, www.royomartin.com
Impact Curtain
Shield Technology Group's new ImpactShield improves on most other
shutter systems and storm panels for ease of use and aesthetics.
Made of waterproof, UV-resistant polyethylene fabric, this
translucent shield deploys from a tube, which is installed over
each opening (all you need is a drill, says the manufacturer). To
operate, the shield is hand-cranked down like a bedroom shade and
fastened into another tube along the bottom of each opening, then
back-cranked to stretch the fabric as taut as a trampoline. Shells
can be painted to taste. Standard sizes (37 x 60 inches) start at
$199 (an entire house is estimated at $4,000) and do not require
support bars — but larger, customized sizes might. Two-panel
glass door sizes are also available with larger sizes coming soon.
Although novel enough to be recognized by the History Channel's
Modern Marvels Invent Now Challenge and strong enough to meet the
standards of the American Standards Testing and Measures (ASTM),
the Florida Building Code, the International Building Code, and the
International Residential Code, the ImpactShield awaits Miami-Dade
impact certification. According to the manufacturer, the product
has passed the necessary windborne debris testing, but this would
be the first fabric shutter approved. A new test may be needed to
set the standard for future fabric shutters. For information,
contact Shield Technology Group, 866/443-0046, www.shieldtechinc.com
