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homeBUILDERcanada.com | Home BUILDER Magazine | Canada's #1 Information Source for Residential Home Builders and Professional Renovators

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Forty to Try

Our editors and writers pored over an array of exciting new products and technologies that promise, among other things, energy conservation, added value, efficiency, cost-savings, and a competitive edge to builders and renovators. However, we had to limit ourselves to presenting 40 top picks out of 345 submissions. Please note that we haven't tested or physically reviewed many of these products, so we're not necessarily endorsing them. We're just giving you an editorial sample of these innovations - many of them Canadian! - for you to explore and, hopefully, benefit from. You'll find nine additional new products in our feature articles and another five in "Tool Talk".



DELTA®-DRY "Barrier Wrap"
Unlike conventional house wraps, which are porous, DELTA-DRY is impervious to air or water. A semi-rigid, heavy-duty polyethylene membrane with a unique structure of studs and channels, it creates a protective barrier around the home when wrapped around exterior walls with edges overlapped so that its studs interlock.
DELTA-DRY uses convective airflow, instead of diffusion through a permeable membrane, to provide two-sided ventilation, draining, and drying of wall assemblies to prevent moisture build-up - a solution to builders' common problem with wet building materials. As well, its metallic silver surface reflects back approximately 60 per cent of radiant energy.
Cosella-Dorken Products Inc.
www.deltadry.com

Milwaukee 3/8" Close Quarter Angle Drill
Designed to offer the performance of a standard 3/8-inch drill in a compact, ergonomic package, the new Milwaukee Close Quarter Angle Drill is perfect for manoeuvring around awkward angles and hard-to-reach areas. It features a 3.5-amp motor and a metal-framed gear train, delivering significant power and providing a more stable gear mechanism for longer life. An angled chuck and small, compact shape offers added convenience when working in close quarters.
Other features include a large paddle trigger for easy grip and smooth control, a chuck shield to prevent damage to surface, and an angled cord exit to keep cord from the work area.
Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
www.milwaukeetool.com

Ultraplan® Easy
What could be easier than a self-levelling underlayment for surface preparation? Ultraplan Easy, a quick-setting HCT™ (High-Hydrated Cement Technology)-based underlayment can be applied over a variety of non-profiled substrates and well-bonded floor adhesives. It typically requires only a clean, soundly bonded substrate before application. Ultraplan Easy can be applied from featheredge to two inches per left, and can withstand light foot traffic two to three hours after application, tile and stone installation after four hours, and resilient flooring installation after 16 to 24 hours.
MAPEI
www.mapei.com

Northern Roof Tiles
Who says roofs have to be just functional? Importing architectural styles from various regions - and eras - Northern Roof Tiles are designed not only to keep rain out, but also to contribute to a home's architectural style. The 2007 Collection of clay roof tiles include Patrimony, made in Pontigny, France, and available in four sized and six colours; Frontier hand-finished tiles, available in four colours; the typically English Ashdowne style, available in seven colours; Pantiles, modelled after roofs in lower Europe and available in three colours; Romane, which lends a Tuscan look with its wide flat pan and tapering barrel, available in five colours; and others.
Northern Roof Tiles
www.northernrooftiles.com

The Joist Jaw
Like a second pair of hands, the Joist Jaw is the perfect accessory for a wood framer - whether the job is a deck, roof or floor. With a couple of twists, it clamps its target from the top and tightly holds up rafters and joists, no longer requiring two people to do the task.
Increasing accuracy and production, the auto-levelling joist and rafter clamp eliminates wavy framing connections and the need to measure every board. The Joist Jaw is made of zinc-plated durable steel and can be used for 2x wood framing (or less) and stick-built roof systems.
Grabber Construction Products
www.grabberman.com

4" Dry-Cut Masonry Saw
Tile, marble granite, concrete brick... the new 4" Dry-Cut Masonry saw smoothly cuts through the toughest materials. Designed with a powerful 11.6-amp motor that produces a no-load speed of 11,500 rpm, the saw also features the shortest base edge-to-blade distance in its class, making it easy to cut into the tightest spaces. A one-touch lever adjusts the depth of cut quickly and easily, and a dust-proof switch prevents debris from entering the tool. Despite its durability, the Dry-Cut Masonry saw is just 8-1/8 inches long and weighs 6.2 lbs.
Hitachi Power Tools
www.hitachipowertools.ca

Dunham Work Boot
With the protection of steel toes, the Dunham Contractor Collection of work boots provides instant comfort and tough, outdoor work performance footwear. Advanced engineering teams the New Balance Suspension System with contoured lasts, durable materials, waterproof leathers and a wider toe. Among other features, the 6" Hecor® + Schoeller and 6" Leather boots meet ASTM F 2413-05 M/I/75/C/75 and EH electrical hazard standards, are waterproof, and have fibreglass shanks and polyurethane insoles.
Dunham Canada
www.dunhamfits.com

Energy Block
Air infiltration around and through electrical boxes can result in both energy loss and an increased risk of mould. The Energy Block tackles this problem.
A simple and inexpensive block of foam insulation moulded to fit perfectly around electrical boxes, it can be installed in a couple of minutes without the need for an electrician. Applying a bit of latex caulk around the edges and then pressing down on the block secures it permanently in place. After sealant is smoothed around the electrical wires, insulation can be applied, without the need of getting it behind the electrical box; the Energy Block provides R-10 insulation.
Energy Block
www.energyblock.com

TotalFlash™
A fully integrated moisture control system, TotalFlash features flashing, a stainless steel drip edge that releases moistures away from the building, end dams, no-clog weep tabs, a termination bar, and a drainage matte that defeats mortar and grout droppings, all in one flashing panel. Between the termination bar and drip edge is a sheet of tough, 90 per cent open weave polyester mesh that lets moisture move to the weep tabs.
TotalFlash comes pre-assembled as handy five-foot panels, and its pre-drilled holes allow quick one-man installation, resulting in significant time and cost savings.
Mortar Net USA Ltd.
www.mortarnet.com

MetStar™ Shingles
It looks like asphalt, installs like asphalt and is even priced like asphalt, but the new MetStar Shingle - a Canadian innovation - is actually metal. "The World's First Stone-coated Metal Asphalt Shingle™" was introduced to Canadian roofers for the first time at the Rooftech Show in Calgary this past June and promises to be available throughout Canada by the end of the decade. MetStar Shingles come in Teak Brown, Clay Red, Charcoal Black and Forest Green.
BAT Group Inc.
www.batgroup.ca

Safety Boot® Guardrail System
New for 2007, the VersiShield™ Guardrail Clamp is a simple, low-cost temporary clamping system that allows contractors to quickly erect freestanding guardrails on concrete pre-formed stairs without drilling or fasteners. For guardrails on concrete decks, builders can use the SurShield(tm) Guardrail Clamp. Both fall protection systems are easy to set up and take down, instantly reusable, light, compact, and easily storable, which means they're handy in unexpected situations.
SFS Safety First Systems Inc.
www.safetyfirstcanada.com

GuardDog Belt-Mounted Watch
There's finally a watch designed for people who need a watch for work but who don't like to wear anything on their wrist - or are worried about safety or breakage. More convenient than a pocket watch, the GuardDog Belt-Mounted Watch clips easily to a tool belt, pants belt or your front pocket. The watch face folds forward and locks securely into a vibration-reducing Santoprene case, keeping the watch crystal protected at all times. An oversized white dial with luminous hands is easier to read than a cell phone.
GuardDog Watch and Clock
www.guarddogwatches.com


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