Marketing Home Products

This Greenbuild report is brought to you by guest blogger Mark Johnson, FAIA

Connect with him on Twitter at @MarkJohnsonFAIA, or on GreenDesignGuide.

Greenbuild celebrated an exciting tenth year by going to Toronto, its first destination outside the United States. USGBC’s theme, Greenbuild Next, was appropriate as attendees pondered, “what’s next” for the sustainability movement and green building products.  Attendance was down a bit at 23,000, but the energy and enthusiasm are so high at Greenbuild, it’s a show not to be missed!

So what’s new at the world’s largest expo featuring sustainable building products? I overheard a few curmudgeons who wanted to see more dazzling new products, but I was delighted to see many product makers focusing on incremental refinements, collaboration, and cost savings to improve their products. As more manufacturers introduce green building products, the competition heats up and that drives prices down, speeding the adoption of sustainability. It’s a good thing for all of us as we hunker down to power through a tough economy.

Another theme at Greenbuild was the thoughtful integration of design and technology. Product makers are getting better at designing green products to look handsome and mainstream.

DIRTT showcased a fascinating new indoor idea, the Breathe Living Wall, a modular indoor wall garden that saves floor space in today’s smaller homes, contributes to better indoor air quality, and looks beautiful.

Richlite teamed up with Plyboo to collaborate on an exciting new surface product called Stratum. It embeds a layer of bamboo between two layers of Richlite. Its beauty is the way the edge reveals each layer and contrasts the two materials.

Expanko’s Vallarex cork floating floor system is another handsome product combining advanced technology with nine beautiful shades and patterns. The fiberboard core is made with recycled post production waste and features a glue-less installation.

I could go on at length about all the handsome new dual-flush toilets from bathroom fixture companies, but I’ll leave the potty talk to them! Click here to see a list of all the exhibitors at Greenbuild.

My ‘Cool Booth Favorite’ for Greenbuild 2011 is Austria. Their booth’s combination of contemporary design, open plan, and lighting was a show stopper!

Greenbuild 2012 is in San Francisco next fall. Make your plans early. Hotel rooms sold out this year…a good thing!

For the past couple of years, I’ve been particularly fascinated with the Remodeling Show – perhaps more so than other industry events. Due to our economic climate, the undeniable increase in remodeling and renovation over new home purchases, and general uncertainty, it’s often a relief to experience how our industry of home and building professionals continues to block and tackle through it all.

I’m pleased to see brands such as the ones listed below to dedicate time, people and resources to a tradeshow such as the Remodeling Show, as it is a direct result of their commitment to marketing and innovation.

Simple updates for the home

• WoodTrac: Possibly the simplest way to get that “wow factor” in an office or room in the basement is by replacing standard drop-tiles with a customizable ceiling system that mimics the coffered look.
• CedarSafe: Using specially designed panels in a closet help for organization, but those made of Aromatic Eastern Redcedar is scientifically proven to repel unwanted pests from your belongings.
• Hy-Lite: Decorative glass windows can increase energy savings and provide privacy, all while looking stylish.
• Thermique Technologies: Using heated glass technology, Thermique offers luxurious glass towel warmers, space heaters and heater plates for residential and commercial settings.
• STEP Warmfloor: Bringing the heat under your feet is STEP Warmfloor, whose products are designed to produce radiant heat under all floor types while maintaining low-voltage use.

And I’d be amiss to not mention the Deck Expo, which occurs on the floor simultaneously with the Remodeling Show. We can expect to witness the latest in decking technology and sustainability, as decking brands are continually working to improve their products’ durability, beauty and resistance to the elements. A few I’m especially looking forward to checking out:

• KLEER Decking: “Thinking beyond wood,” KLEER utilizes cellular PVC for its decks as well, which contains no organic fillers and is up to 40 percent lighter than wood-plastic-composites.
• Gossen: Decking, moulding, weatherstrips and railings by Gossen are made from cellular PVC, making its full line of building materials low maintenance and resistant to mold, stains, fading and water damage.
• GeoDeck: Mechanically engineered in an environmentally-friendly fashion, GeoDeck’s composite decking has exceptional color retention and resistance to decay.

What’s a deck without accessories?

• CAMO Fasteners: At the show, CAMO will introduce its brand new hidden fastening tool, the CAMO Marksman™ Pro-NB , created specifically for narrow deck boards.
• Highpoint Deck Lighting: The deck and landscape lighting company will also feature new products at the event, including new LED lights for recessed step lighting, under railing lighting or as a deck surface mount.

Outdoor living is still very much alive, even as the colder months arrive.

• Archadeck: From covered patios to screened-in porches and sunrooms, Archadeck proves that outdoor living doesn’t stop when summer ends.
• DANVER: When the air gets a little too cool for comfort, DANVER offers patio heaters from EvenGLO that pair nicely with its complete line of stainless steel cabinetry, grills and kitchens for outdoor living.
• Fortress Railing Products: Whether you spend time outside or not, attractive fences and railing systems can add great curb appeal to the home.

GLASSBUILD: September 12-14, 2011

Georgia World Congress Center: Atlanta

The National Glass Association’s annual event, GlassBuild America, hit Atlanta this year with a show full of innovation, energy savings and pops of color.

Innovation & Energy Efficiency

- Guardian Glass introduced a new coating system for its residential windows in which three layers of silver are used to coat the glass. The coating helps significantly improve energy efficiency.
- Trulite is on its way to becoming a one-stop shop for its customers. As glass panels aren’t just for shower enclosures, Trulite offers glass and aluminum solutions including curtain walls, patterned glass, entrance doors and sliding wall systems for commercial applications.
- Sage Electrochromics showed off its brilliant window tinting system, which can electronically adjust the tint of windows according to preference and weather, all while saving energy and eliminating the need for screens, blinds or draperies.

Color

- On Guardian Glass’ commercial side, colors abound in various applications for glass panels and furniture.
- IGE Solutions print any design, image or pattern directly onto glass in its turnkey facility.
- General Glass International displayed its decorative glass options, which include silkscreening, lamination, painted and etched glass.

“We are in the worst economic market maybe of my lifetime … [but] there is more change and innovation going on today than there ever has been in the history of the planet.” – David Petratis, Quanex Building Products President and CEO on the GlassBuild show floor