This year’s inaugural Design and Construction Week—which combines the annual International Builders’ Show and the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show—is underway at the Las Vegas Convention Center, setting more than 600,000 square feet of tradeshow space abuzz. Though manufacturers this year are emphasizing their products’ new or upgraded technology and design functionality, we were able to find spots of green in the crowd. We’ve rounded up a few of the noteworthy new sustainable finishes and building materials.
WhisperGreen Select, Panasonic Eco Solutions
Panasonic’s eco-friendly products division is growing its portfolio of WhisperGreen bathroom ventilation fans with the modular WhisperGreen Select. The fan can be customized for a variety of applications thanks to a switch-controlled speed selector offering air-flow combinations of either 50, 80, and 110 cubic feet per minute (CFM) or 110, 130, and 150 CFM. The multispeed operator may help in achieving ASHRAE 62.2 continuous ventilation requirements. An integrated motion sensor activates the fan when a person enters the room and returns the fan to its pre-set lower speed when the occupant leaves.
Classtone, Neolith
Designed to look like marble but perform like a compact surface material, Neolith’s Classtone is made entirely of natural materials, such as clay, feldspar, silica, and mineral oxides. As such, it is 100% recyclable and has a stain-resistant surface with near-zero porosity. It achieves its marble look through the oxidization of its mineral components after they are sintered.
Zip System Radiant Barrier, Huber Engineered Wood
Huber Engineered Wood fitted its ZIP System sheathing with a radiant barrier to help protect against air and moisture infiltration while limiting energy loss loss through the roof. The Zip System Radiant Barrier is a two-in-one, dual-sided product designed to save time at the jobsite by eliminating the need to install felt roofing paper. It offers a 180-day rough dry-in.
Awaken Hand Shower and Showerhead, Kohler
Kohler is adding its EcoAssist water conservation technology to its Awaken line of fixtures with the release of a new hand shower and single-function showerhead. The hand shower allows users to choose between water flows of 1.5 gallons per minute (gpm) and 2.0 gpm by pressing a button on the hand shower’s fixture. The single-function showerhead’s spray engine offers a flow of between 1.5 gpm and 1.75 gpm. The Awaken collection is available in polished chrome and brushed nickel.
Tyvek ThermaWrap R5.0, DuPont
Combining insulation and a weather barrier may seem like an unsuitable way to manage moisture, but a new insulating weather barrier from DuPont helps the building envelope manage water infiltration while maintaining a continuous exterior insulation, increasing an assembly’s R-value, and reducing thermal bridging. Tyvek ThermaWrap R5.0 offers an insulating value of R-5. The vapor-permeable alternative to XPS, EPS, and polyisocyanurate foam exterior insulation products, it lets water vapor escape more easily from inside the wall cavity, according to DuPont. Made from 20% pre-consumer recycled polyolefin.
