Big Power, Small Package. According to Rheem, the
29-gallon XR90 Extreme Recovery Gas Water Heater exceeds the
performance of most 50-gallon water heaters but costs less to
operate than any standard 30-, 40-, or 50-gallon model. The
appliance has an Energy Factor of .70, a first-hour rating of 90
gallons, and a recovery rate of 61 gallons per hour (at a
90°F rise in temperature). The company attributes the
XR90’s efficiency to a baffle and flue design that retains
the burner’s heat longer. Pricing ranges from $750 to $950.
Rheem Manufacturing Co., 800/621-5622, rheem.com
Safer Spray-Foam
Cleaner. Touch ’n Seal now offers a more
environmentally friendly way to clean uncured spray foam from
hands, tools, and applicator guns. Poly-Clean is VOC-free and
nonirritating to skin, says the manufacturer. The can is compatible
with all standard applicator guns and includes a removable spray
tip for cleaning the gun’s exterior surfaces and a screw-top
for attaching directly to the gun barrel. A 12-ounce can costs
$9.50. Convenience Products, 800/325-6180,
touch-n-seal.com
Interior Paint.
Advance Waterborne Interior Alkyd flows on and levels out like a
traditional alkyd but has low VOC content (less than 50
grams/liter) and cleans up with soap and water. In addition, it
offers a longer working time and dries to a harder, more durable
surface than an acrylic while staying white longer than most
alkyds, says the company. It comes in high-gloss, semi-gloss,
satin, and primer versions and costs about $45 per gallon.
Benjamin Moore & Co., 855/724-6802, benjaminmoore.com
Sun-Powered Fan.
Broan’s 20-watt Solar-Powered Attic Ventilator can ventilate
up to 1,600 square feet. It features an efficient ultra-quiet DC
motor and a highly sensitive solar panel that keeps the fan blades
turning even in low light, says the maker. The fan can be
configured for surface-mount, curb-mount, or gable-mount
installation, and the solar panel can be placed in a separate
location. The product comes in three colors and costs about $1,200.
Broan-NuTone, 800/558-1711, broan.com
Green Grass.
Pearl’s Premium Ultra Low Maintenance Lawn Seed grows at a
quarter the rate of blue grass and puts down 12-inch-deep roots
that tap into naturally occurring moisture, says the maker. The
resulting lawn requires no chemical fertilizer, little or no
watering (after the first year), and mowing only once a month, the
company claims. The seed comes in 5-, 25-, and 50-pound bags for
$35, $170, and $300 respectively. Pearl’s
Premium, 508/521-9940, pearlspremium.com
Post Wrap. Versatex has added 4-by-6-inch and
8-by-8-inch sizes to its precut Versawrap PVC column cladding for
rough-sawn wood posts (existing sizes are 4 by 4 inches and 6 by 6
inches.) All the wraps have three premitered grooves that surround
the post and lock together with a friction fit joint. Various
molding kits and post caps are also available. These products
undoubtedly come at a premium; the manufacturer declined to give
pricing but said the material costs “about the same as
high-end cedar.” Wolfpac Technologies,
724/857-1111, versatex.com
Quick-Change Locks.
With SmartKey Locks you can turn a project over to the homeowners
without worrying about who might still have access to the house. At
the end of a job, you insert a special tool into the keyhole along
with the old key to reprogram the lock to accept a new key.
SmartKey deadbolts, knobs, levers, handle sets, and electronic
locks are available. Deadbolts — which the maker says resist
drilling, lock-picking, and bumping — cost about $30.
Kwikset Corp., 800/327-5625, kwikset.com
Cabinet Glass Upgrade. The manufacturer best-known
in this country for reproductions of historic “wavy”
glass also makes replacement inserts for built-in cabinets and
furniture. Bendheim’s Cabinet Glass Collection contains more
than 150 frosted, etched, linear, geometric patterned, and antique
styles. Prices range from $10 per square foot for machine-made
textures to $50 per square foot for mouth-blown varieties. The
collection also includes glass for entry doors and sidelights.
Bendheim Cabinet Glass, 800/221-7379, bendheimcabinetglass.com
Recycling Center. Blum’s two new
waste/recycle drawer sets fit 15-, 18-, and 21-inch base cabinets.
The Tandembox is a pre-assembled metal drawer with runners. The
Tandem is a hardware set for use with wood drawers. (Neither
product includes drawer fronts and bins.) Both have soft-closing
runners, with the company’s Servo-Drive touch-to-open feature
available as an option. Prices range from $300 to $365 for each
set. Blum, 800/438-6788, blum.com
Ready-to-Go Blower
Door. The Minneapolis Blower Door comes equipped with
everything needed to measure airtightness or diagnose air-leakage
problems, says the manufacturer. In addition to a lightweight
injection-molded fan, the standard Model 3 kit includes analysis
software, communication cables, a “Cruise Control”
feature that lets the operator maintain consistent building
pressure without a computer, a nylon panel, and an aluminum frame
that fits an 8-foot-tall door. It costs $2,500. The Energy
Conservatory, 612/827-1117, energyconservatory.com
Retrofit LEDs. Nora Lighting recently added a
4-inch 10-watt model to its Diamond Series of LED retrofit
downlights. Like the series’ 5-inch (12W) and 6-inch (12W)
fixtures, the new model can be installed in an existing Nora or
third-party housing and is energized through a medium screw base or
a Gu-24 adaptor. Prices for Diamond Series downlights run from
about $120 to $170. Nora Lighting, 800/686-6672,
noralighting.com