Air Blocker Air-sealing electrical boxes is
tough to do. You can use caulking or duct seal, but flexing the
wires while installing the device is likely to ruin the seal.
Special work boxes with gaskets are another option, but they're
expensive and I'm betting that your electrician would prefer
something a little more conventional. After struggling with
this problem for years, Joel Anderson, a North Dakota builder
specializing in energy-efficient construction, came up with the
idea of sealing plastic and metal electrical boxes with a small
block of polystyrene. Dubbed the Energy Block, his invention
insulates behind the box, too, so you don't have to worry about
fitting fiberglass back there. A whole-house kit with 49
single-gang, four four-gang (they can be trimmed), and 15
ceiling boxes sells for about $87. Individual boxes are also
available. Pine Ridge Builders, 701/320-1111,
www.energyblock.com
Shingle Style Unlike most plastic shingle
panels — which are made from polypropylene — The
Foundry's Vinyl Cedar Shingles are composed of PVC with an
acrylic color layer. This construction earns them a Class-A
fire rating and provides homeowners with 16 good-looking colors
to choose from. According to the manufacturer, the panels cost
less per square than other plastic shingle panels and generate
less waste. Since the panel molds are made using impressions
from real cedar shingles, the siding has a surprisingly
realistic look. It is available in sawn, hand-split, and
fancy-cut versions. Prices start at about $200 per square. The
Foundry, 800/771-4486, www.foundrybytapco.com
Quick Frieze Installing and painting a
decorative frieze on a new home requires an abundance of time
and skill not commonly available on high-production job sites.
Alsco's Contours Collection promises to make trimming out the
overhangs on your homes fast and painless. Made from
prefinished aluminum with a polystyrene backing, the 7-inch
Contours Frieze comes in 12- and 18-foot lengths and mounts
without visible fasteners. It's available with a channel at the
top to receive the soffit material, and either a brick pocket
or a J-pocket at the bottom to receive your exterior cladding.
The company also offers preformed inside and outside corners,
and a matching, prefinished 6-inch Contours Fascia to speed
installation further. Standard colors include white and sierra
(light brown); custom colors are another option. The frieze
sells for roughly $4.50 to $6.50 per foot; the fascia for about
$2.20 to $4.50 per foot. Alsco Metals, 800/231-9333,
www.alscometals.com
Hi-Flow. Increasingly popular in today's
residential kitchens, commercial-style ranges were once
reserved for restaurants with exhaust fans powerful enough to
suck up a chef's hat. Unfortunately, these fans are incredibly
loud, making them unappealing in a home environment. If you
find yourself ordering a commercial range for that
power-cooking customer, consider pairing it with the Kitchen
Ventilation System from Fantech. This product includes a 36- or
48-inch hood liner with aluminum grease filters and dimmable
halogen lights, a 400- to 1,200-cfm in-line fan, and a duct
silencer that can reduce "perceived noise" by half. The
remotely mounted fan's variable-speed control reduces the din
even further when the owner doesn't need full power. List price
for the whole system starts at about $885. Fantech,
800/747-1762,
www.fantech.net
Garage Ventilator. Stored solvents, gas cans, and the
family minivan all contribute to a garage's poor air quality
— and, since most garage spaces are under positive
pressure compared with the rest of the house, these potentially
toxic fumes and vapors can easily find their way inside. A new
product from Tamarack Technologies, the GV-7, is a
through-the-wall exhaust fan and hood designed specifically for
the garage. Producing about 150 cfm, it can be controlled with
a wall switch, timer, or motion detector, or it can be wired to
the garage light. It sells for $179 on the company's Web site.
Tamarack Technologies, 800/222-5932,
www.tamtech.com
Fit and Trim. Squeezing a bath or ventilation
fan into a 2x6 joist cavity can be challenging, but Panasonic's
Whisperfit line has a 51/2-inch-deep housing that's perfect for
the job. The newest model, the Whisperfit-Lite, includes a pair
of compact fluorescent bulbs for lighting, so you don't have to
install an additional overhead fixture. The fan delivers up to
110 cfm, depending on size; you can use it with either a 3- or
4-inch duct. Sound levels range from .7 sone to 2.0 sones. A
50-cfm model sells for about $120 on the Web. Panasonic,
866/292-7292, www.panasonic.com
Fire-Rated Fan. You can't go installing just
any ventilation fan in a fire-rated ceiling, because air and
heat leaking through the housing or ductwork could contribute
to flame spread. Ventilation fans like Air King's Fire Rated
Series have dampers actuated by a fusible link that closes in
the presence of fire. Models range from 50 to 130 cfm, with
sound ratings of 11/2 to 4 sones. Prices run between $100 and
$220. Air King, 877/304-3785,
www.airkinglimited.com
Cool Breeze. As central air conditioning has
grown in popularity, whole-house fans have dwindled. That's not
surprising: First-generation fans leaked astonishing amounts of
cold air during heating season and made about as much noise as
a helicopter. Newer models, however, like the Whisper Aire from
Air Vent, can complement or even replace central air during
much of the cooling season in all but the hottest climates
— quietly. Powered by two small fans that produce up to
2,200 cfm, the Whisper Aire can reduce the temperature in a
2,000-square-foot home by 15 degrees in 15 minutes, says the
maker. The small cabinet fits within 16-inch framing; a
motorized damper insulated to R-25 prevents air leakage when
the unit's not in use. The five-speed motor draws from 3 to 4
amps and is controlled by a hand-held remote with a
four-setting timer (30 minutes and one, two, and four hours).
The fan costs about $650. Air Vent, 800/247-8368,
www.airvent.com
Stealth Ventilation. Some customers want the action of
a bath fan without the appearance of one. Show these folks the
Decorative Fan/Light from Broan, which masquerades as a
conventional ceiling light while circulating air through
cleverly concealed vents. The fixture is offered in five
corrosion-resistant finishes and in 70- and 80-cfm models, with
a sound rating that ranges from 2.5 to 3.5 sones. It accepts
two 60-watt bulbs. The suggested list price for the 754SN
(satin nickel) model is $158; the 757PT (pewter) model goes for
$222. Broan, 800/558-1711, www.broan.com
EXTERIOR DOORS
Weatherproof Wood. If your customer insists
on a real wood door despite extreme weather exposure or
inadequate overhangs, you might suggest a Simpson Performance
Series unit. These doors, which are available in several wood
species, "virtually eliminate" rotting, splitting, and swelling
of the bottom rail and lower stiles, says the manufacturer.
They contain 3/4-inch insulating glass and feature a five-year
warranty. Prices vary by region, but the fir model shown should
sell for between $400 and $500 per panel (without the frame).
Simpson Door Co., 800/952-4057,
www.simpsondoor.comSplit Personality. Although it looks fairly
convincing stained, I've often thought that the imitation wood
grain on fiberglass doors looks a little too simulated when
painted. This can be frustrating for homeowners who want doors
with a stained-millwork interior and a painted exterior —
a common scenario. To address the problem, Peachtree has added
a new option to its Newport Line of fiberglass doors: a
wood-grained interior with a smooth exterior. Available in six
standard colors in 6'-8" and 8'-0" heights, the door comes in
most common styles, including full- and half-glass models with
plain or decorative glass. The smooth-exterior option adds
about $10 to the door's price. The model shown — without
transom or sidelight; with 49/16-inch jambs and adjustable sill
— sells for $350. Peachtree Doors and Windows,
800/732-2499, www.peachtreedoor.com
Arts & Crafts. One of the defining details of a
Craftsman-style house is a sturdy and handsome hardwood door.
But who says it has to be real wood? For the folks who want
period architecture without heavy-duty maintenance, there's
IWP's Aurora Craftsman Collection. Sold in three
architecturally correct Arts & Crafts styles, the
fiberglass doors and sidelights come with either oak or
mahogany graining. The manufacturer offers seven prestained
finishes and numerous factory-applied paint colors — an
added bonus that eliminates the perils of job-site finishing.
The door shown costs about $4,000. Jeld-Wen IWP, 800/535-3936,
www.jeld-wen.com
Two-Faced. Window and patio-door manufacturer
Hurd has added entrance doors to its product repertoire. The
most interesting model is the Taylorwood, which combines a
steel exterior with a wood-veneered interior available in more
than a dozen species. The door comes in 6'-8", 7'-0", and 8'-0"
heights and can be ordered with jamb cladding to match the
company's aluminum-clad windows. The company also offers
all-steel and fiberglass units and 12- and 14-inch sidelights;
all can be prefinished at the factory. Prehung wood-veneer
units (without sidelights or transom) range in price from about
$2,000 to $3,000. Hurd Millwork Co., 800/223-4873,
www.hurd.com
Agrarian Charm. Finding a fiberglass door with rustic
character is harder than you might imagine, but the Classic
Craft Rustic Collection fits its moniker quite nicely.
Originally offered in only 8'-0" heights, the line has expanded
to include 6'-8" offerings in several styles. All the doors
feature simple contours reminiscent of Mediterranean
architecture; unlike wood, says the maker, the fiberglass
construction is ideally suited to the Southwestern U.S., where
these styles are especially popular. An unfinished 3'-0" x
6'-8" prehung unit (without sidelights or transom) has an
average list price of $535. Therma-Tru, 800/537-8827,
www.thermatru.com
DECKING
Tropical Trex. When it comes to high-end
homes, there are generally two types of decking to consider:
exotic hardwoods and fiber composites. Each has its advantages,
but a new version of Trex promises the best of both worlds,
according to the manufacturer. Offered in cayenne and burnish
amber, Trex Brasilia boasts "subtle shadings" and "natural
color variations" that make the composite look like natural
tropical hardwood, says Trex — but without the high
maintenance. The company also claims that its product is easier
to cut and fasten than many types of exotic-wood decking. The
Brasilia hues are available throughout the Trex product line,
including for rail systems and trim boards. The decking sells
for about $5.20 per square foot. Trex, 800/289-8739,
www.trex.com
Steel with Appeal. Looking for a way to eliminate
pressure-treated materials from your decks? Check out the Steel
Deck Framing System and Xccent Decking. With 40/10 loading, the
steel framing system can span 171/2 feet with 16-inch spacing,
and a little over 15 feet with 24-inch spacing. The
galvanized-steel joists — which have an extra,
rust-resistant top coat — banish concerns about wanes,
knots, and checking. Topside, the decking is made of steel
C-channels with a vinyl covering. Just make sure to do your
homework before starting a project with these products, because
they involve special details and connections that you need to
get right. The brochure the manufacturer sent me does a pretty
good job of explaining how it all goes together — except
it left out all the railing details. Prices vary by region, but
expect to pay from $8 to $12 per square foot for the decking.
Xccent, 800/933-4748, www.xccentdecking.com
Straight-Grain Composite. For many carpenters,
TimberTech — one of the first fiber composites to use a
hidden fastening system — ranks among the best-looking
fiber-composite offerings on the market. The product's latest
version, Floorizon, features what the maker calls a
"VertiGrain" surface, which mimics vertical-grain wood
flooring. The decking comes in cedar, gray, and redwood. Unlike
many other fiber-composite decking materials, some TimberTech
products can be installed on joists with 24-inch spacing (in
residential applications). Prices vary by region, but generally
run about $5 per square foot. TimberTech, 800/307-7780,
www.timbertech.com