2010 PCBC Show: Home Technology Finds - Sound Proofing

by Lori Cunningham

This article is a part of the series I am writing about the Pacifiic Coast Builders Conference I attended a couple of months ago.  In this PCBC series, I cover different innovative home technology products.  Today I'm going to write about something that does not have any technological features.  In fact, some would consider this subject to be even boring. Before arriving to the 2010 PCBC Show, I was contacted by Roxul to meet with them about their products.  As with most non-technological home product vendors, I turned them down.  I was attending the Pacific Coast Builder's Show to write about great technology products for the home.  Roxul makes insulation for residential and commercial walls. 

But Roxul saw it differently.  They asked me to review the Safe'n'Sound product on their website, and see how it's designed to keep noise out of the baby's room and greatly diminish the sounds stemming from a TV room.  I became intrigued as I know that with all of today's great home technologies -- like multi-room audio, surround sound, home theaters, the latest Xbox and Wii games, etc., knowing a little more about soundproofing a room is a valuable resource to homeowners.

I'll be the first to admit that insulation is not a product I've thought a great deal about.  Nonnetheless, while at the PCBC show, I met with representatives from Roxul.  In the house we are building, we were scheduled to have insulation installed within one month at the time I met with Roxul.  I have to say that I was impressed with what they had to say. 

Roxul's"Safe'n'Sound" product is made out of stone wool instead of the typical spun fiberglass insulation.  Roxul uses basalt rock and recycled slag rock to spin a wool-like substance, similar to what you see with regular insulation, but that's where the similarities stop. 

Roxul's Safe'n'Sound includes these features that regular insulation cannot live up to:

• excellent sound absorbency
• water repellent
• fire resistant (can withstand temperatures up to 2150 degrees F)
• non-combustible



The density of the Roxul Safe'nSound versus regular insulation.

• completely resistant to mold, mildew, bacteria growth, and rot
• highly energy efficient
• more than 40% of Safe'nSound is made from recycled content
• GreenGuard Air Quality certified
• easy to cut - can cut with a butter knife
• provides a tight fit between wall studs - won't slump or settle in your walls over time

Roxul Safe'n'Sound provides two huge benefits above normal insulation - sound proofing and fire resistance.

Soundproofing

Safe'n'Sound has a unique fiber structure of tiny interconnected spaces which traps sounds and vibrations.  Many home and commercial theaters use Roxul to soundproof the room so you can't hear the movie outside of the room or theater.  

Ideal rooms to soundproof would be TV rooms, bedrooms - especially the kids rooms - laundry rooms, furnace rooms, basements, and bathrooms.  Yes, with a Roxul insulated bathroom, you might not need to buy the TOTO Neorest 600 toilet with a built-in MP3 player.

Fire Proofing

In addition to sound proofing, Roxul provides for incredible protection against the spread of fire.  Watch this YouTube.com video showing an enclosed building fire test with stone wool versus regular insulation, the stone wool withstood the fire with minimal damage, compared to the insulation which had nearly completely burned. 

In a typical year there are 500,000 home fires reported.  The death report averages out to 3,000 deaths a year from these home fires.  A home insulated with Roxul would greatly deter the quick spread of a fire and provide for extra time to help get family members to safety.  In addition, Roxul insulation does not smoke or produce toxic fumes.

Ideal rooms, besides every room in the house, are attics, basements, kids' rooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, etc.  Kitchens are the number one area where home fires are started.

A Homeowners Perspective

If you are building a home or about to renovate your home or a room in your home, I would highly recommend you consider using Roxul for better sound and fire proofing.  It makes sense to 1.) ensure rooms that could potentially be loud - game rooms, bonus rooms, TV rooms, home theaters, and kids rooms are soundproofed so the rest of the house doesn't have to hear the noise.  2.) Fireproofing your kids' rooms and the kitchen just makes sense.

I arranged to review the Roxul Safe'n'Sound insulation in the home we're building.  I installed it between our 5.1 channel TV/Xbox bonus room and our master bedroom.  To soundproof this room, our builder was going to put up normal installation and extra drywall; he was not aware of Roxul.  I have a lot of confidence in the Roxul Safe'n'Sound product and feel that this will be a better solution.  Once the house is built and we move in, I'll give my review on how well it keeps the Rockband sounds from entering into our master bedroom.

Where to Buy

Roxul Safe'n'Sound is available at certain hardware stores.  You can also special order it through the contractors desk at your local Home Depot.  It typically takes 9 days for it to arrive.  I ordered Roxul through my local Home Depot and it cost $41.85 per bag --- not including tax.  Each bag covers 60 sq. ft. and weighs 37 lbs.  Safe'n'Sound is produced for two wall stud sizes:  16 in. On Center or 24 in. On Center.  Roxul typically costs roughly 25% more than other types of common insulation, but it also provides sounder soundproofing and fireproofing that common insulation products do not provide.

If you have used Roxul, or other types of soundproofing, please leave a comment with your experience.

2010 PCBC Show: Home Technology Finds for the Bathroom

by Lori Cunningham

I attended this year's PCBC (Pacific Coast Builder's Conference) in May.  PCBC is a tradeshow and conference focusing on homebuilding needs for builders in the Pacific Coast.  It's held every year in San Francisco.  It showcases everything from nail systems to solar panels to tankless water heaters to appliances.

While I was at the show, I met with several different manufacturers to learn more about their technology offerings for homeowners.  In the next several posts I'll give a brief review of some of the interesting finds I discovered at the show.  This article will focus on how technology is making the bathroom "smarter."


Toilets
I was very interested in learning what possible technology was available in an unlikely product - toilets.  I knew that if any company had progressed in this manner, it had to be TOTO.  I can surely say that I was not disappointed.  Toilets have come a long way!

I was happy to discover that TOTO's Neorest toilet collection include plugs that must be plugged into a wall outlet.  This can be problematic, as most of today's bathrooms do not have a plug near the toilet.  If you're building a new home and you have a desire to have the most talked about toilet on your block, mark your plans for a plug in the bathroom!

The Neorest Collection features many toilets from a retrofit toilet seat that can fit most toilets, called a Washlet, to a complete stand alone toilet that commands respect.  The entire Neorest toilet collection features a built-in bidet with pressure control, a heated dryer, a warmed seat, soft closing lid, and a remote control, which mounts on the wall next to the toilet.  The toilet seat includes built-in technology that learns it's users' habits and warms the seat according to their usage patterns.  I have to say I was very impressed with the feature set.

No longer do homeowners need to have a separate toilet and bidet - the Neorest toilet combines the two taking up less room and making it more convenient.  If you're interested in getting the top-of-the-line Neorest toilet, seeking the "King of the Throne" status, the Neorest 600 is the toilet for you.  In addition to the features above, it includes

• a dual-flush cyclone flush engine with automatic sensing
• automatic flush and lid closing - you no longer need to remember if you flushed or not
• cleaning mode - a flick of a switch starts the unique cyclone rim scouring motion which engages for a full minute to clean the bowl without having to flush
• automatic toilet lid opening upon sensing homeowners approach
• automated seat lifter with a press of a button, convenient for men
• automated seat closer - deemed a "marriage saver" by TOTO - another convenience for men
• built-in mp3 player to disguise unpleasant noises (speakers not included)

Japan is far more advanced than America in their toilet technologies.  TOTO, a Japanese company, is leading the way to bringing America the toilet of the 21st century.  Prices range from $500+ for the Washlet (retrofit seat) to over $5,500 for the Neorest 600.  For my first impression of the Neorest toilet, see the article I wrote for AT&T entitled, Not Your Father's Toilet.



Shower Controls
At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) I attended earlier this year in Vegas, I discovered Moen's new ioDIGITAL line.  I was immediately fascinated at how Moen married water with technology.  Moen's ioDIGITAL line includes controls for vertical spas, showers, and Roman tubs and allows homeowners to create custom presets for preferred water temperature and water flow.

The ioDIGITAL device requires electricity to run the controls.  The electronic valve which moderates the hot and cold water and requires electricity, can be installed near the shower or up to 30 feet away for retrofit flexibility.

One dial on the ioDIGITAL control manages the temperature while the other dial sets the water flow.  Once you find the right blend of the two, you can press one of four preset buttons to customize your setting.  Three other family members can do the same and have their own custom preset button.  So if you like your shower extremely hot and with full water flow, once you press your customize preset button, your shower will deliver this setting for you every time.  If your wife prefers less water flow and a warmer temperature, she can press her custom preset button before stepping into the shower.  No need to be present to adjust the water temperature for your kids any longer - they'll know which button to press to get the right amount of heat.

Vertical Shower

The Vertical Shower comes packaged with a big 7" rainshower showerhead, a handheld showerhead, four sprays, and the ioDIGITAL control.  The ioDIGITAL control allows a homeowner to easily set the temperature and waterflow of all the water dispersing components.  The Moen ioDIGITAL Vertical Shower retails for $2407, depending upon the finish (chrome, oil rubbed bronze, etc.).

Shower

The Shower package comes with a big 7" rainshower showerhead and the ioDIGITAL control.  It retails for $1,067.45, depending upon finish.

Roman Tub

The Roman Tub comes with the spout and ioDIGITAL control.  The Roman Tub only has three presets.  To set your custom presets, adjust your preferred temperature and then allow the water to fill the tub.  Once the tub is filled to your preferred water level, set your preset.  Now, in the future, just press your preset button and leave.  The tub will be filled at your preferred temperature and water level, then shut off automatically.  Very cool.  It even has a water top-off feature that when pressed, pours in more hot water to warm the bath before you enter.  The Roman tub also features a childlock feature which allows you to lock the water supply to the tub.  If children try to turn on the water, nothing happens.  By pressing the two dials at once, adults can use the water again.  

I love the fact that you can easily get  the exact temperature and water flow you desire with a touch of the button.  Moen's entire ioDIGITAL line also includes a pause button.  So you can pause your shower why you dart across the room to get your forgotten towel or talk to your toddler banging on the shower door.  Furthermore, Moen has an optional remote control that makes ioDIGITAL even more killer for us lazy ones on a cold morning.  Most of us need to wait a couple of moments before heated water starts flowing through a shower.  If your ideal is to leap from bed straight to a heated shower, then this remote control will do the trick.  Simply press your preset button on the remote control from bed, wait a couple of moments, then make a dash for the shower.  Now that's what I call convenience!

But wait, there's more!  If you install the Roman Tub ioDIGITAL and purchase the RF remote control ($159), you can be downstairs in the family room, press your preset button on the remote and the tub will be filled up as per your preferences. Technology can really spoil us, can't it?

The Moen ioDIGITAL control is certainly a luxury but I have a feeling once you try it, it becomes a necessity you can't live without.  We are installing both the Vertical Shower and the Shower ioDIGITAL controls in the house we are building.  Once the house is completed, I will be able to give you a full review.  Oh, and yes, we did get a remote control for the shower in the master bedroom!

Stay tuned for further articles on home technology finds from the 2010 PCBC Show!  If you have used TOTO Neorest toilets or the Moen ioDIGITAL line and would like to write a review, please contact us!