It turns out lighter gypsum wallboard sells well. In July 2010, USG Corporation tested the market for Sheetrock UltraLight panels, which are anywhere from 15-24 pounds lighter per panel depending on the size, and they outsold heavier product, according to NYSE Magazine. Since then, the panels have rolled out to several Home Depot stores and a 40% lighter joint compound was introduced in January this year.
Clayton Homes, maker of the popular i-House, is the largest producer of homes in the country and accounted for 7% of homes constructed in 2011, according to the annual report of parent Berkshire Hathaway. They have a large residential footprint, and their efforts to educate home purchasers can go a long way. So it’s great to learn of their recent announcement of a new home energy label along the lines of what we’ve discussed previously with other builders.
This is the first and only UL-listed, 120-volt, plug-and-play solar kit in the world, according to SpinRay Energy. The DeckPower120 comes with one, 240-watt solar panel and can be hung on a deck or elsewhere outdoors using a simple mount bracket. The system allows for up to 1,300 watts of AC power with five solar panels and should qualify for available federal (and sometimes state) tax credits.
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If you like the look of reclaimed wood — and you might, it’s really popular right now — then Pioneer Millworks should be on your radar. The company, located in Farmington, New York and McMinnville, Oregon, carries FSC certification for all of its reclaimed wood and has saved more than 21 million board feet of wood from barns, industrial buildings, and the like. Pioneer Millworks has flooring, siding, paneling, timbers, etc, and it’s all nice stuff. I could think about where to use these materials all day long.
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