They say what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but I’m gonna spill the beans…on my experience at the International Builders’ Show, anyway.
Day #2 of IBS 2010 at the Convention Center in the City of Sin didn’t fail to deliver, as I was treated to the finest in residential sprinkler systems (soon to be mandated in a state near you), a stainless steel cooking hood built exclusively for an outdoor kitchen, the quietest in garage door openers and home ventilation systems and more.
I just had to TwitPic a very cool accessible bathtub from Aquatic with an automated hydraulic door that lowers and raises with a press of a button. The tub holds around 70 gallons, all of which drains in less than 30 seconds at the press of a button. I’m not at the stage in my life where accessibility is a necessity, but I have great appreciation for those who do and especially for those companies who are meeting the needs of such consumers. Bravo, Aquatic.
As I was being shown Overhead Door’s best and newest in garage doors, a nearby employee opened the garage door behind me using the company’s new whisper-quiet garage door opener. Though standing but 10 feet away, I neither heard nor felt the door being opened. Such was the smooth and silent operation of the new line of garage door opening products. As impressive as the doors themselves, to be sure.
A new building code being adopted by states across the country (including Ca, NH and Pa) mandates a fire suppression system in residential new home construction. So a visit to Tyco’s booth was in order. Their residential sprinkler system featured unobtrusive, recessed sprinkler heads that are covered by a white plate that installs flush to your ceiling, more resembling of a lighting fixture or sprinkler than anything else. When the temperature in a room hits 135, the plate falls away, exposing the sprinkler head. Temperatures of 160 then cause the sprinkler to engage, releasing gallons of water onto the affected room to suppress a blaze. A clear life-saving and possibly house-saving product if I’ve ever seen one. Retro-fits are possible for the existing home, too.
Be sure to check back with On The Level as we sift through the hundreds of press kits to find those blog-worthy nuggets and new products.
I’d blog on, but the roulette table calls.
