There are two annual main industry shows that showcase home improvement products in rooms about the size of five football fields; the International Builder Show and the National Kitchen & Bath Show. Both have a panel of judges to determine the best, most innovative products for home improvement, and here are some of our top favorites and their categories.
Kitchen: HydroTap faucet by Zip Water. It can instantly provide filtered boiled, chilled or sparking water. Its micro purity filtration even removes heavy metals and chlorine and reports to be 25 times better than a standard refrigerator filtration.
Bathroom: The Blade 3D Printed Faucet, DXV by American Standard. It is a stainless steel sensor faucet that the end of the horizontal spout is a circular hole through the flat stainless blade that the water pours through the inside edge to create a vortex of cascading water. Its simplistic design is unlike anything we’ve seen before! (see our blog for photo)
Outdoor Living: Soho folding glass wall doors by Hampstead. These accordion folding glass doors are their new line at a lower price point that open up 18 or 24 feet. Their goal is to make high-end glass walls more affordable for homeowners.
Smart Home Technology: Flo by Moen. This smart flow meter will send you an alert and stop leaks which can help minimize damage to the home. It monitors the toilets, shower, faucets and hidden pipes so there are no water bill surprises or catastrophes while you are away. With proper sizing and installation, it can also be used to monitor irrigation systems.
Best Green Building Product: Heatlok HFO Pro by Demilec Spray Foam Insulation. It is the highest-rated insulating foaming spray, with an R-value of 7.5 per inch and 98% closed cell rate. It uses renewable and recyclable material and does not deplete the ozone.
Best Energy Efficient Product: Powerhouse 3.0 Solar Shingle by RGS Energy, a made in the USA company. Combines asphalt tiles with a photovoltaic silicon solar cell system for ease of installation and visually unobtrusive aesthetics. Its design makes it one of the most affordable solar shingle systems. Excess electricity generated can either be sold back to the utility company (you’ll need their preapproval) or stored in a battery for use when the sun isn’t shining. There are tax incentives for going solar.
For other favorites and to see pictures and links to the products, please visit our blog at cookremodeling.com. Happy home remodeling!
Janet Cook, Certified Aging in Place Specialist, is President of Cook Remodeling, now celebrating
their 40th year.