Real Estate Blog

Each year, the National Association of Home Builders holds its International Builders Show, the granddaddy of all home shows. The IBS is traditionally the launch site for a variety of new or redesigned building and home-improvement-related products, and this year was certainly no different.

Here's a roundup of some interesting products that you might find useful, along with Internet links if you want to find out more. Please note that all the information is based on the manufacturer's own product research and claims.

Faster Cooking: Looking to get dinner done a whole lot faster? Check out the TurboChef Speedcook Oven, which offers "revolutionary speed with gourmet results." Utilizing patented "AirSpeed" technology, the TurboChef cooks up to 15 times faster than conventional ovens, and will cook a rack of lamb in four minutes or roast a 12-pound turkey in 42 minutes. www.theovenreinvented.com.

A More Convenient Seat: Seating Innovations offers a variety of attractive and innovative seats for eating bars, tables, desks and other areas. The seats are suspended from the wall on steel pivots rather than having legs that sit on the floor, freeing up floor space, making cleaning easier, and eliminating floor damage. www.seating-innovations.com.

The King of Caulking: Newly introduced from Red Devil is King Kaulk, which the manufacturer guarantees is the only caulk you'll ever need. King Kaulk is a hybrid polymer composition that replaces all of the caulks, sealants and adhesives you currently have around the house, and will bond and seal virtually every construction material. It can be used indoors or out, has low odor, and is completely paintable. www.reddevil.com.

Energy-Saving Wall Heaters: Offered by ECO-heaters, these wall-mounted electric panels can heat an entire room while using less than one-third of the energy of regular wall heaters. According to the manufacturer, the heaters use the same amount of electricity as four 100-watt light bulbs, yet will heat an entire room. And the panels can be painted to match any décor. www.eco-heater.com.

A Smarter Lockset: Kwikset has introduced its new line of SmartKey deadbolts and locking knobs. The new technology replaces the old standard of pin and tumbler technology with its patented side-locking bar. What that means for you is greater security, and the ability to re-key locks yourself in seconds, without removing the knob or deadbolt from the door. www.kwikset.com.

Spray Foam: For larger insulating and sealing projects, Touch-N-Seal offers a two-part expansive spray foam in disposable containers. Compete with gun, hose, tanks and tips, this spray foam is ideal for a wide variety of sealing, insulating and sound-proofing applications, and is more economical and easier to use than traditional spray cans for those larger projects. www.touch-n-seal.com.

Steel Beams for Light Residential: There are certainly any number of applications in new building and remodeling where the strength of a steel beam would be a real advantage, but these massive beams had always been too difficult to deal with. The new LiteSteel Beam was developed to provide the greater structural strength of steel in a beam that is light, easy to carry, and can be cut, nailed, drilled and otherwise worked with on the job site using standard tools. www.litesteelbeam.com.

Flooding Protection: Flooding from storms or other causes can devastate your home. StormPro offers several innovative, high-capacity pumps with a battery backup, so you can be assured of reliable pump performance even when severe storms knock out electrical power. Their battery backup systems can also be used with your existing pump system. www.sumpro.com.

Polypropylene Siding Shingles: Nailite's new Cedar Pride EZ siding shakes and shingles offer some of the most realistic appearing shingles available. Cedar Pride shingles are installed in 6-foot strips for fast application, and have a deep grain and a staggered appearance for a more authentic look. They're available in several standard colors and patterns, and can also be painted. www.nailiteinternational.com.

Energy-Saving Bathroom Comfort: The Enerjoy Bathroom Comfort Center is an all-inclusive unit that provides heating, lighting and ventilation for your bathroom. The Enerjoy combines radiant heat panels, a room light, night light and low-noise fan in one unit that the manufacturer claims uses half the energy of conventional units. www.sshcinc.com/BarNone2.htm