The Building Products Guide > Product Reviews

Countertops - Glimmer Glass

Deborah Holmes — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Want to give your kitchen a facelift without having to endure major surgery? Trend Q comes in tiles or formed sheets and fits right on top of your old countertop. Made of up to 72 percent recycled glass, granite and porcelain is bound by a non-toxic resin to form lustrous tiles and sheets. Pigments in the resin give the material both saturated color and depth. It's available in 50 colors from neutrals, which mimic natural granite, to fiery oranges and reds simply not found in nature. Not limited to countertops, Trend-Q can be used on walls, floors and shower surrounds. Instead of being rolled into thick slabs, this material is only a quarter of an inch thick. That makes it light and thin enough to be installed over existing countertops. In new construction, it can be installed over level plywood. Extremely durable and strong, Trend Q can be heated and bent like postform to form a bullnose edging or backsplash. Resistant to moisture, heat, stains and scratches, Trend Q can be cut with a standard wet saw. And all that convenience and versatility comes at a smaller price than many composite countertops. Twelve inch field tiles start at $15 per square foot, with sheets running about $30 per square foot.

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Supplier: Trend USA Ltd.
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Lighting - Classic Art Deco

Deborah Holmes — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Introduce a little Art Deco elegance into your home with this classic ceiling pendant fixture. Designed from an antique 1920s lighting mold, this fixture work work with a variety of styles from bungalow to modern loft. One of the many reproduction fixtures made by this Oregon company, Thunderbird features a stepped glass shade with a hand stenciled black sunburst graphic. The porcelain fixture comes in gloss black or white. If you're lucky enough to already have a fixture, you can buy the shade separately.

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Supplier: Schoolhouse Electric Co.
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Flooring - Strand Woven Mulberry

Deborah Holmes — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Add mulberry to the growing list of trash wood being turned into flooring. The striking flooring in this photo is made of mulberry branches, a byproduct of the silk industry. Silk worms exist solely on the leaves of mulberry trees before spinning cocoons of silken thread. The denuded branches are considered industrial waste. But the same process that turns bamboo into woven wood can also be used with mulberry. The process begins with stripping the bark and cleaning the mulberry branches. The wood is dried and compressed into a very dense log. This log is then dried to a particular moisture level and milled into flooring, which the manufacturer claims is more durable than oak and other hardwoods. Rich and warm textures and patterns emerge from the milled wood, making every floor unique. Green Choice calls the flooring a lifetime investment and backs that with a lifetime structural warranty. The flooring comes prefinished and can be maintained with a non-wax wood cleaner. It needs be be buffed and recoated every few years to protect it and keep it looking fresh. Not all bamboo flooring can be refinished, but this manufacturer claims that its mulberry and other flooring can be refinished. Mulberry grows rapidly, with new branches sprouting almost as soon as the old ones are cut. That makes mulberry flooring an ecologically sound choice on two fronts. Wood that otherwise would be discarded is used for a long-lasting product, and the mulberry tree is replenished easily and quickly. Michigan-based Green Choice Flooring International also sells woven palm and bamboo flooring as well as mouldings, stair parts and vents.

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Supplier: Green Choice Flooring International
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Garage Doors - A New Opening

Deborah Holmes — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Made almost entirely out of recycled wood fibers, these carriage house doors have the look, feel and strength of hand-crafted wood, but at a fraction of the price. That's only one advantage of EcoBuilt doors. The resin, wax and wood composite material offers better weather resistance than its wooden predecessor. The doors resist splitting, warping and cracking. Manufacturer Overhead Door Corporation markets these doors as being environmentally friendly without sacrificing style. Douglas fir shavings, the industrial byproduct of milling dimensional lumber, are bonded with exterior grade resin and wax to form the core of the door. Interior and exterior surfaces are formed from resin impregnated recycled newsprint, eliminating the need for priming before painting. With a multitude of panel styles, graining designs, window style, glass and hardware options, the doors offer a custom look at a stock price. Shown here is the Presidio door in the Verde collection, aimed at homeowners who want a period look. The doors are also available in a more contemporary raised panel style.

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Supplier: Overhead Door Corporation
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Toilets - Perfect Flush

Deborah Holmes — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Want to switch to one of the water-saving duel flush toilets, but loathe to rip out a perfectly functioning fixture? Brondell's brand new Perfect Flush adds dual-flush capability to most existing toilets and takes just minutes to install. And you don't need the help of a professional plumber if you've got basic home repair skills. To install, remove the existing fill valve from the toilet tank and install the Perfect Flush components. The flush selector is connected to the system by a fill valve. The electronic control pictured sits on top of your throne and allows you to select a half or full flush. You can have a default setting of either, and adjust the water flow for your particular toilet. Most household flushes can be accomplished at the half setting. Brondell estimates that a family of four can save about 11,000 gallons or $100 a year with the dual flush. Perfect Flush is expected to retail for about $120, paying for itself in less than 18 months.

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Supplier: Brondell, Inc.
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Cork Flooring - Green and Easy

Deborah Holmes — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Being green just got a little easier with WE Cork's new Avant Garde floating cork floor. The snap-together planks have a finish that's tougher than that of traditional wood floors, claims the manufacturer. That makes the flooring durable enough for a high traffic areas such as hallways and kitchens. With its its distinctive and beautiful graining and colors, it's also a natural for bedrooms and living rooms. Pictured here is ''Sardinia'' used in a bedroom. Cork has been growing in popularity in recent decades as an environmentally friendly alternative to hardwood flooring. The product of a certain type of Mediterranean oak, cork is considered a renewable resource. As flooring, its resilience makes cork easy underfoot and sound deadening. It's also naturally resistant to dust and bacteria, making it a nice alternative to carpeting for those with allergies. A major drawback is that the flooring is prone to gouging. And unlike wood, cork cannot be sanded and refinished. WE Cork addresses the durability issue with a tough-as-nails polyurethane finish, similar to the type used on pre-finished hardwood flooring. You'll still need to be mindful of deep gouges, but the flooring resists every day scratches. Like carpeting, cork has a ''memory,'' so heavy furniture should be placed on protective pads to minimize denting. A layer of fiberboard sandwiched between a thin cork wear layer and a thicker cork underlayment forms the floating floor panels. Tongues and grooves milled into the fiberboard allow the flooring panels to snap together with a few simple tools. Avant Garde can be installed over existing vinyl flooring and at or below grade level. It's not recommended for use in high moisture areas, such as bathrooms (the company's glue-down cork flooring can be used in bathrooms). Drying can be a problem if the floor is installed over radiant heat mats, and you'll want to run a humidifier. The planks are available in 13 designs.

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Supplier: WE Cork, Inc.
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Tiles - Apples and Tangerines

Deborah Holmes — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Vivid tangerine and apple green circles flirt with subdued mocha and black tiles in this playful backsplash made mostly of recycled glass. Stardust Glass specializes in artisan tiles, made of up to 97 percent recycled scrap glass. The result is a wide selection of colorful translucent squares, circles and rectangles that can be used on countertops, backsplashes and walls. Because the tiles are hand-pressed, each one is unique giving walls a warm, handcrafted look. Choose from 65 colors and a variety of squares, rectangles, circles and trim pieces. Shown here are tangerine and mocha 4'' square field tiles with a mosaic blend of 1-1/4'' circles of apple green, tangerine, mocha and black. All tile is sold by the square foot. Tiles come tape-faces of loose depending on the application.

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Supplier: Stardust Glass
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Plaster - The real deal

Deborah Holmes — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Finding a skilled plasterer to produce a fine Venetian finish can be tricky and expensive. But if you don't mind rolling up your sleeves you can produce the same look for about a dollar a square foot. Decoliss lime plaster can be used over new or existing drywall or plaster. It comes premixed and ready to apply. Pigments can be added to the naturally white plaster for a colored top coat. A natural material, Decoliss does not contain polymers or volatile organic compounds (VOCs), so it's a good choice for those with allergies and chemical sensitivities. With additives to help prevent shrinkage and tearing, Decoliss can be installed by an ambitious DIYer. Its manufacturer touts it as ''the 'real' finish that people spend thousand of dollars trying to re-create with other materials.'' TransMineral holds periodic workshops in California where you can give their lime plasters and paints a try before committing your own walls to the material. If you decide to go it on your own, the manufacturer recommends experimenting on sample panels. If you'd rather leave the job to a pro, plan on adding about $7 a square foot to your costs. Decoliss is applied with a trowel in two thin coats. The final coat is then worked with a stainless trowel to create a smooth, hard surface. Finally, the wall is finished with wax or olive-based sealant. Decoliss can be applied over acrylic primer on smooth surfaces. Transmineral also sells a lime mortar primer for uneven walls or those covered with more than one type of material.

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Supplier: TransMineral USA, Inc.
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Countertops - One of a Kind

Deborah Holmes — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 12:00:00 GMT

Squak Mountain Stone looks like soapstone, with all the veining and variations found in the perennially popular countertop material. But this stone is made by hand, not nature. A slurry of recycled paper, recycled glass, coal fly-ash and cement is hand-cast into slabs. When dry it becomes a beautiful and durable stone-like material that can be used in kitchens, bathrooms, hearths and stairs. Aside from the environmental benefits of a countertop made from materials that otherwise would be discarded, Squak costs about half as much as limestone or soapstone. For an even more economical countertop, the material is available in square or rectangular tiles. A skilled DIYer can install Squak with standard woodworking and masonry tools. Like most natural stones, Squak needs to be sealed and periodically maintained with surface sealers or food-grade wax. Countertop slaps are 1-1/2'' thick and come in five commonly used sizes. Tiles are 1/2'' and 3/4'' thick. Choose from five natural shades of gray, green or brown.

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Supplier: Tiger Mountain Stone
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Glass Tiles - Eye Candy

Deborah Holmes — Thu, 9 Apr 2009 12:00:00 GMT

This colorful arrangement of tiles is made entirely from recycled glass that otherwise would be clogging a landfill. Its creator, Sandhill Industries, is a pioneer in the reuse of glass, starting with an award from the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation. Now based in Idaho to be closer to supplies, the company produces 36 colors of glass tiles. Ranging from vibrant to subdued shades, the tiles can be combined into mosaics for stunning patterns. Pictured here is Concept Board #11 with Candy Apple and Peppercorn tiles. Sandhill has remained true to its environmentally correct roots, producing its tiles using half the energy required for conventional ceramic tiles. Field tiles are available in 4'' squares, diamonds or triangles, 3'' x 6'' and 2'' x 4'' bars, as well as rails. The company also sells dozens of mesh-mounted mosaic and border designs using colorful bits as small as 1'' square. Or if you've got an artistic bent, the company will mount a mosaic of your own creation.

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Supplier: Sandhill Industries
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