I’ll be blogging live next month from the International Builders Show in Orlando, Fla., but manufacturers are introducing so many new products now that I’m getting a head start. One of these is TimberWolf, a wood-composite fencing material made by FiberTech Polymers of Santa Ana. The fencing is manufactured, the company says, from 100% post-consumer…
There must be an art to chair and stool making. I say that because some manufacturers seem to have missed that mark. All the chairs and stools on this page (and many more than this) have been recalled by the Consumer Product Safety Commission for being unsafe, with some collapsing and causing bruises, cuts, and…
If you have a deserving DIY-er on your holiday gift list, one of these new small cordless screw guns is a cool way to go. Bosch came out with its little 10.8-volt Pocket Drive powerhouse less than two years ago. Designed to fit in a construction worker’s tool belt, it will drive 300 3-inch screws…
Even on Halloween, a house shouldn’t be so scary that your circuit breaker fails to trip when it’s supposed to (because it’s counterfeit!) and your patio chair collapses beneath you. And so that’s why these products, both made in China (are you shocked?), have been recalled, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The…
An article in today’s L.A. Times describes how some well-to-do homeowners got concierge-level protection during the recent wildfires. As subscribers to AIG insurance company’s Private Client Group protection, some of these homeowners were the happy recipients of fire-retardant foam sprayed over their multimillion-dollar homes and properties. But these folks didn’t have to worry about shortages…
This is kind of an old story: Stand ‘n Seal grout sealer was found to be dangerous and was recalled in 2005. But this is just the kind of home-improvement product you would have in your garage or under your sink for years and not even realize the use of it could put you in…
One of the most compelling products to be displayed at the upcoming West Coast Green building conference (San Francisco, Sept. 20-22) will be American Clay plaster, a natural clay application that can give otherwise ordinary walls depth and a warm glow. Manufactured in and using materials from the United States, American Clay, based in Albuquerque,…
Who knew the future could be so delightful? Here is a story from CNN called “High tech meets high tide at beach of the future” that details some computer-based innovations planned for the beach in Ocean City, N.J. There are electronic wrist bands to keep track of kids, and wireless internet capacities, and electronic signs…
You know what’s needed during a stressful remodel? A shower experience! This new offering from Kohler is so over-the-top decadent that, well, it demands to be tried out. The Kohler DTV custom showering experience combines water flow and temperature, chromatherapy (colored lights), sound, and steam mist with aromatherapy to create individual showering experiences. Let’s say…
When you buy new appliances, do you fill out the warranty registration cards? I don’t. I get tired of spreading my information to marketers. However . . . as I’ve been perusing the product recall website of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission I realized, uh oh, those cards are how I would be contacted…