Modern home materials & technologies discussion thread

[Zorba]

So Zip board has actually become super-huge in Connecticut. Nearly every new house being built I've seen has the green on the outside, and there was even one multi-story building in Hartford that was using it for the exterior.

There was one on the way to a customer's location that I watched being built over a few months that turned out to be a log cabin house...with the Zip board for the exterior, then they put logs (fake or real, I dunno) instead of siding on the outside. Pretty slick!

Yeah, Zip is cool stuff. I actually saw it at Lowe's or HD the other day, I was pretty surprised. Although still not that common, especially on houses, I am seeing more and more of their roof decking system too, especially on commercial buildings.

 

[herm0016]

Yeah, Zip is cool stuff. I actually saw it at Lowe's or HD the other day, I was pretty surprised. Although still not that common, especially on houses, I am seeing more and more of their roof decking system too, especially on commercial buildings.

Every new house around here has it. I think they only tape about half the seams though. haha. 500k for 2000 sq feet of chinese MDF and unpainted drywall! a coat of paint is an "add on" along with things like light fixtures and screens for the windows.

 

[Zorba]

Every new house around here has it. I think they only tape about half the seams though. haha. 500k for 2000 sq feet of chinese MDF and unpainted drywall! a coat of paint is an "add on" along with things like light fixtures and screens for the windows.

Yeah, every house here has the wall sheathing and has since about 2010. But the roof decking is still pretty uncommon. Though getting more popular.

Considering roofs have an average life of around 4 years here, I wonder if you could save money in the long run but not needing tar paper. Although I have no idea how the roof decking holds up to a stripping.

 

[gorcorps]

Not sure if it was mentioned, but I recently screened in my patio using the screentight system: http://www.screentight.com/prod-screen-tight.shtml

Pretty simple but also pretty slick. You buy black plastic bases that are either 2" or 4" wide that have grooves in them to mount the screen with standard spline material (same way it's mounted onto screen doors). You basically make a frame around whatever opening you want screened in by cutting the black bases to length and screwing them onto the available posts. Buy standard spline material (whatever size needed for the screen type you picked) and install the screen using a screening tool/rolling knife. Then you buy the color cap you need (I used white) and cut those to length as well. They press fit onto the black base which hides the base and spline and ends up looking pretty good. I'll post pics of my project later because I'm pretty proud of how it turned out.

perks:
+ stocked in the typical local hardware stores
+ easy to install given you have a decent frame around what you want to screen in order to screw the base into
+ relatively inexpensive per piece

cons:
- found out during a hot day that the plastic pieces will thermally expand in the hot sun, so you really do need to use every single screw hole they provide you or it'll pucker out once it expands
- Color of the caps were right, but are a fairly soft plastic that scratched/scuffed easily. They're also just a dull flat finish. Hopefully in the near future they'll come out with wood prints or something to look a little nicer
- not a lot of color options, but the white worked for me

 

[herm0016]

Yeah, every house here has the wall sheathing and has since about 2010. But the roof decking is still pretty uncommon. Though getting more popular.

Considering roofs have an average life of around 4 years here, I wonder if you could save money in the long run but not needing tar paper. Although I have no idea how the roof decking holds up to a stripping.

4?? where do you live? we get pretty good hail storms here, one a few months ago caused over 1.4 Billion in damage in the Denver area. also, high winds, blizzards, 20 or 30 inches of snow at one time several times a year. Our roofs still last longer than 4 years.

 

[Zorba]

4?? where do you live? we get pretty good hail storms here, one a few months ago caused over 1.4 Billion in damage in the Denver area. also, high winds, blizzards, 20 or 30 inches of snow at one time several times a year. Our roofs still last longer than 4 years.

Oklahoma City. 4 might be a little exaggerated, but not by too much. I had two coworkers just replace roofs less than a year old. Luckily mine is actually 7 years now, but a ton of my neighbors have gotten new roofs, even though we have 50 year shingles.

You also never see vinyl siding around here because it'll get punched full of holes.

 

[Kaido]

Nice Formica brochure:

https://ljskitchens.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/170808_MK16045-Com-Surface-Styles_mh.pdf

I got to see a real nice process in-person - custom island counters cut with a CNC machine & then finished with laminate. If you're not hung up on having granite or engineered stone, it's an awesome way to get great-looking custom shapes.

 

[Kaido]

I don't know if it's available in the US, but Wilsonart acquired BushBoard last year:

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161102005179/en/Wilsonart-Acquire-Bushboard-U.K.

They manufacture Nuance bathroom boards:

Nuance laminate panelling is an ideal alternative to tiling. There are no grout lines to scrub at and day to day cleaning is no more than a simple wipe down. Nuance panels come in a choice of sizes that make them flexible in both design and use in any bathroom. They can be used to panel out the wall around the bath and even around the bath itself. The large format panels with postformed outer edges mean there are no extrusions and few visible joints to detract the eye.

I'm a bit fan of the Kerdi waterproofing system for bathrooms, but this is a pretty awesome setup too. Here's an install video:

Overview video:

This also introduced me to the concept of "wetrooms":

https://www.wetrooms-online.com/wetroom-help-and-guides/wet-room-help/wet-room-faq-s.html

Do some googling & Pinterest search for "wetrooms" and "nuance laminate" to see some cool ideas!

 

[Greenman]

I don't know if it's available in the US, but Wilsonart acquired BushBoard last year:

http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161102005179/en/Wilsonart-Acquire-Bushboard-U.K.

They manufacture Nuance bathroom boards:



I'm a bit fan of the Kerdi waterproofing system for bathrooms, but this is a pretty awesome setup too. Here's an install video:

Overview video:

This also introduced me to the concept of "wetrooms":

https://www.wetrooms-online.com/wetroom-help-and-guides/wet-room-help/wet-room-faq-s.html

Do some googling & Pinterest search for "wetrooms" and "nuance laminate" to see some cool ideas!

The bathroom in their marketing pictures isn't nearly as attractive as the last gas station bathroom I was in. Somebody needs to be fired.

 

[Kaido]

Blink Hangers:

https://blinkhangers.com/

Genius system...it's a pair of clips that go onto your picture frame, which you then push in to mark the wall (with a level on top) & then just hammer into the holes. The video explains it better:

Example in use:

 

[Kaido]

WallDecor3D: 3D wall panels

https://www.walldecor3d.com/

Gallery: (note: there are buttons for the galleries for the different types of panels)

https://www.walldecor3d.com/gallery/

Available in 3 categories, with a total of 42 shape options: (note: they are paintable as well)

• Plant fiber panels (32 designs)
• MDF wood panels (12 designs)
• Mosiac wood panels (7 designs)

Personally I hate wallpaper, so this actually looks like a pretty cool way to get some texture & design up on the walls outside of painting. Looks pretty slick for a TV backdrop:

Introduction video:

Basic installation video: (there's a more detailed one on their Youtube channel)

 

[Kaido]

FlowMeters:

https://www.flowprometers.com

* Flowrate in gallons/minute
* Totalization in gallons
* Leak detect
* Low battery (runs on 2 AA batteries for 2 years; 2-wire version also available)
* Over range
* Pressure in PSI

Saw this as part of the new Spruce Irrigation package:

https://spruceirrigation.com

 

[Kaido]

My wife does real estate photography; we've been seeing a lot more homes being offered with ceramic tint (aka higher-end "solar window films") on the windows, which reduces both heat & UV rays into the home (house runs cooler & it fading of fabrics, furniture and artwork), and can also be decorative and/or privacy-oriented (ex. colored or reflective). I saw one with a bronze tint that acted like a one-way mirror - you could see outside from the inside, but couldn't see inside the house from the outside. A few vendors:

https://www.huperoptikusa.com/residential/

https://www.3m.com/3M/en_US/company...-for-Residential/?N=5002385+3292716663&rt=rud

http://northamerica.llumar.com/window-film-for-homes/types-of-window-film-for-home

 

[Kaido]

Clip-on door stop:

https://www.stoppclipp.com/

 

[Greenman]

The impact point looks to be about the same area as a door knob, so I guess the point is you get to decide where the hole in the wall will be? Or you could put it down low so it works like a regular door stop.

 

[Exterous]

The solar window films sound interesting. That said, being in Michigan there is a substantial part of the year we want solar heating

 

[Kaido]

The solar window films sound interesting. That said, being in Michigan there is a substantial part of the year we want solar heating

I've lived all over the place, including Michigan. That's one place I never want to revisit...SO COLD during the winter! Oh my gosh...that lake effect is pure evil lol.

 

[Kaido]

The impact point looks to be about the same area as a door knob, so I guess the point is you get to decide where the hole in the wall will be? Or you could put it down low so it works like a regular door stop.

It extends beyond the door knob; the square part fits over the door, then there's the metal "spring", then the rubbery stopper. You can put it on the top, the side, or the bottom of the door.

Not the most aesthetic design, but fixes a need!

 

[Kaido]

Diamond Pier pin-pile foundation system:

https://www.diamondpiers.com/

Foundation system for decks, porches, etc. Super cool!

 

[Kaido]

Surefoot Footings concrete-free footing system:

https://surefootfootings.com.au/

I plan on doing a raised foundation when I build with ICF blocks (single-story home, no basement) & this looks pretty awesome!

 

[Exterous]

I've lived all over the place, including Michigan. That's one place I never want to revisit...SO COLD during the winter! Oh my gosh...that lake effect is pure evil lol.

The best part is that we get humidity from the lakes too so our summers are stupid humid. 75+% is common in the summer

 

[Kaido]

The best part is that we get humidity from the lakes too so our summers are stupid humid. 75+% is common in the summer

On the flip side...pasties in the U.P. So I guess it balances out

 

[Greenman]

It extends beyond the door knob; the square part fits over the door, then there's the metal "spring", then the rubbery stopper. You can put it on the top, the side, or the bottom of the door.

Not the most aesthetic design, but fixes a need!

My point was that you still end up with a hole in the wall. That's the reason door stops hit the base board.

 

[Greenman]

Surefoot Footings concrete-free footing system:

https://surefootfootings.com.au/

I plan on doing a raised foundation when I build with ICF blocks (single-story home, no basement) & this looks pretty awesome!

Very cool idea, one I'm sure the engineers here in earthquake country will never let us use.
Could be a God send for decks though, I'll have to look at pricing and code compliance.

I've seen ground screws used around here, not at all popular, though I don't know why.

 

[Kaido]

Very cool idea, one I'm sure the engineers here in earthquake country will never let us use.
Could be a God send for decks though, I'll have to look at pricing and code compliance.

I've seen ground screws used around here, not at all popular, though I don't know why.

You know, I was just talking to an engineer today & he said the same thing...apparently wood can flex quite a bit in an earthquake, whereas brick homes are sometimes so rigid that they just fall apart - using those footings would create such a solid structure that it wouldn't fare too well with earthquakes, especially since a good earthquake can raise one part of the house like 6" higher than the other, which is concerning (I grew up in California). They had that EBB program for raised foundations, so I've looked a bit into the bracing required for that. When I lived in Florida, a lot of the homes were on like concrete pilings to prevent flood damage & whatnot, as we didn't really have to deal with earthquakes to deal with there. Dunno where I want to build yet, so I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it