The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Research Center offers a Web-based news service featuring the latest in products and approaches for residential design. The most recent edition features stories on energy-efficient lighting, off-ridge roof plugs to thwart wind-blown rain, high-impact and wind-blown-rain-resistant glazing systems, recycled-newspaper insulation, and automated faucets.

With financial assistance from third-party sponsors, including the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the NAHB Research Center, through the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) offers the ToolBase news service to interested professionals and the public.

Energy-efficient lighting strategies
Combining daylight and supplemental lighting approaches, PATH offers passive and active design strategies for reducing energy use while increasing the quality of light in the home. Content includes discussion of low-e glazing, seasonal shading, tubular skylights, Energy Star fixtures, compact and full-spectrum fluorescent fixtures, light-emitting diodes, dimmer switches, motion sensors, and overall code considerations. This report is the fourth PATH technical set available on-line.

Roof-vent plugs to staunch hurricane rain
The 2004 hurricane season prompted one builder to reconsider his off-ridge roof plugs when he discovered water spewing into his attic by the buckets-full. A subsequent brainstorm resulted in the Hurri-Plug, which, as its name implies, is readily installed to thwart wind-blown rain and just as readily removed to allow the roof vent to work as intended when the severe weather has passed.

Resistance to wind-blown debris as well as rain
With severe hurricanes all too common in recent years, manufacturers have addressed two of the biggest concerns in glazing—resistance to high-velocity debris and high-pressure, wind-driven water. Specifically, Pella has developed a high-impact, shatter-resistant glass that can withstand a baseball traveling at the speed of sound, the manufacturer claims. Dramatic video on their Web site shows the glass resisting cannon-propelled dimensional lumber. Therma-Tru, in turn, touts on its Web site a sliding glass door that reportedly resists wind-blown rain and high-velocity flying debris.

Newspapers become flame-resistant insulation
Themo-Kool of Alaska offers a recycling strategy for newspapers that combines pulped newsprint with boric acid to create a post-consumer-recycled insulation that the manufacturer claims will blacken but not burn, even when subjected to the flame of a blow-torch.

Touchless faucets for the home
Adaptable to any standard home sink fixture, the Touchless EZ Faucet adaptor saves up to 70 percent in water use, claims the manufacturer. Plus, the fixture is ADA compliant, they say, making it ideal for accessible home design.

The current ToolBase site features all these appliances and more in a quick read with links to more Web-based information, should you want it.

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