by Patrick
McCombe
Water Management
. Need a good
way to control storm water in front of garage and entry doors
and in wet landscape areas? Consider Zurn's Z880 Flo-Thru
Trench Drain. The 21/2-inch-wide channel comes in five
colors; preformed 90- and 45-degree corners, end caps, and two
types of outlets are also available. A heel-proof polyethylene
grate is standard; stainless-steel, bronze, and aluminum grates
are optional. List price starts at about $20 per foot.
Zurn, 800/906-5060,
www.zurn.com
Post Protection
. Embedding a fence
or deck post in concrete or the ground is likely to result in a
rotted post — but what's the alternative? The
Postsaver. This polyethylene boot with an interior coating
of bitumen shrinks around the post when heated, providing a
barrier against rot and minimizing the leaching of
preservatives. Timber treaters typically apply the product,
which adds about $3 to the cost of a 4x4. Postsaver
USA, 610/681-6451,
www.postsaverusa.com
Maintenance-Free
. Aside from Tom
Sawyer's buddies, most folks don't particularly enjoy painting
fences — which means that Eon's introduction of Pro
Series Fencing should come as welcome news. The
prefinished all-plastic product requires no maintenance beyond
the occasional hosing, says the maker. It comes in privacy and
lattice-top styles in three colors — cedar, driftwood,
and redwood — and costs between $35 and $45 per foot
installed. Eon, 866/342-5366,
www.eonoutdoor.com
Energy Conservation
Cheaper Hot Water.
The average
American household spends about a third of its home-energy
dollars on making hot water — but a solar hot-water
system can reduce that expenditure by as much as 90 percent.
Ready-made systems like the ones sold by Stiebel Eltron
simplify installation. The company's SBB300 Plus kit
consists of an 80-gallon tank, two solar collectors, and an
assembled pump station with circulator, expansion tank, drain
valves, pressure gauge, thermometer, air vent, and controller.
Collector mounting hardware and collector-to-tank piping are
not included, because they vary by application. The package
costs $2,660. Stiebel Eltron, 800/582-8423,
www.stiebel-eltron-usa.com
Duct Tape for Ducts.
One of the
most cost-effective ways to increase a home's comfort and
improve its energy efficiency is to effectively seal its
ductwork. Most tapes aren't up to the job — with one
notable exception, Hardcast's Foil-Grip 1403-181-BFX,
which uses a nonhardening butyl formula. At 17 mils thick, it's
less messy than duct-sealing mastic and can be applied in
temperatures from 35°F to 110°F. I've tried it and can
tell you it has a tenacious grip. It comes in 100-foot rolls in
2- and 3-inch widths. Hardcast, 800/527-7092,
www.hardcast.com
Handsome Savings.
Most high-efficiency
exterior light fixtures look a little institutional, but the
sconces in Brownlee's Weathermate Series look pretty
good in a residential setting — and they offer
significant energy savings compared with incandescent outdoor
fixtures. The 7563 is shown; it comes in 14 finishes and
accepts 9-watt or 13-watt compact-fluorescent bulbs. Prices
start at about $120. Brownlee Lighting,
800/318-6768, www.brownlee.com