Diamonds in the Rough

By Ramsin Khachi

Details can often be the difference between a satisfied customer and an unsatisfied one. For that reason, it’s important to be as aware as possible of new and innovative products in the market that could help to set your operation apart from the competition. Here are just some of the products that have recently caught my attention.

The Perfect Shower Pan
I’ve never been fond of using rubber liner systems for creating a tiled shower pan. Most of these systems are built incorrectly and that can result in leaks and mould build-up. Redi Pan builds a prefabricated shower pan that is rigid, one piece and pre-sloped. What makes this pan different is that you can tile directly onto it. This allows you to create that custom tiled look with a perfect consistent slope that is leak proof and mould free.

Remote Locks

Schlage’s newest version of their keypad lock, LiNK, uses z-wave technology to provide secure remote access of the lock from your computer, PDA or cell phone. Programmable temporary pass codes provide access to a service tech or even allow you to receive a text message when a family member enters their code. Because Schlage uses the z-wave chip, customers have the ability to pair this product with any other z-wave enabled products and can start building their ultimate wireless home control system. Z-wave is a communication platform that is being adopted by companies so that their products can communicate with other manufacturers’ products to provide a simple means of creating an automated home.

Medicine Cabinets Don’t Do That, Do They?

Medicine cabinets are a great use of space. Unfortunately, they also look generic and lack innovation and convenience. Robern has brought the medicine cabinet into the 21st century, offering a wide variety of design styles and functional features. The simple design of the exterior opens up possibilities for customization, and inside each cabinet the features are endless: cold storage,  mirror defoggers, night lights, outlets, magnifying mirrors and more.

Radiant Heating Gets Smart
Floor warming is now an affordable indulgence for many people, and now that the number of installations has increased, so has the scrutiny. Some of the problems in the past have been limits on the size of mats that can be used (resulting in multiple heating zones in large areas), controlling those zones collectively and having to use different thermostats for different voltage systems. The SOLO Programmable Thermostat is Nuheat’s latest and most advanced floor heating thermostat. It’s a revolutionary dual-voltage all-in-one thermostat with unique features including network capability (so you can link multiple SOLO’s together and centralize control), floor temperature sensing and ambient air temperature sensing, built-in class-A ground fault circuit interrupter and the future compatibility of adding exterior temperature and humidity sensors.

Tuck Away the Dryer Vent
One of my pet peeves has always been the fact that the dryer requires a minimum of five inches of space off of the back wall to accommodate the venting. When trying to create an attractive built-in look with the cabinetry around, one has to make the sink cabinet very deep and that’s only if you have the room to do so. The Dryer box provides a recessed cavity in the back wall with all the required connections for the venting and gas line to be neatly tucked into the hollow space. This means the dryer can be pushed all the way back, flush with the washer, without compromising the venting.

A Multi Zone Sound System That Is Simple and Affordable
There are many systems that provide access to multiple sources of audio in different zones of a house. Sonos has a revolutionary new system that simply replaces all of the elaborate pre-wiring and component installations of yesterday. The system gives you access to all of the music on the hard drive of your computer, over 25,000 radio stations from around the world and all the music you could want via Napster, for only a $10-per-month subscription. Zone players can be installed in one central location and the speakers can be wired from there to each room, or simply install a zone player where you want music and connect bookshelf speakers to it. With the push of a button, these zone players connect to the group and you now have a new zone. You can have up to 32 zones, each playing something different. The controller is wireless and you now can download an application for your iPod to control the system as well. As a builder, you pre-install and wire all of the speakers and the client can grow their system as they wish.

Ramsin Khachi, president of Khachi Design Group Ltd., is recognized in the industry for his keen ability to find ingenious building products that other builders miss.