Style and water conservation are not mutually exclusive, according to new research from Niagara®

LAS VEGAS – According to new consumer research conducted by Radius Global on behalf of Niagara Conservation®, creators of water-saving toilets that use Stealth® Technology, among 2,010 Americans who place a priority on saving water with new toilets for their home, but don’t feel they should give up style and design in the name of water conservation. More than half (55 percent) of Americans would prefer a toilet that is both stylish and conserves water over one that is only stylish, or only conserves water.

Consumers also place a high value on combining flushing power and performance with water conservation. Additional research conducted by SMS Research Advisors on behalf of Niagara in 2017 showed that 52 percent of consumers believe a toilet should be powerful while also conserving water.

When asked to rank features in order of importance, consumers consider water conservation as the most important aspect when thinking about a new toilet. Other essential features, in order of importance are easy maintenance, innovation and performance, and finally style.

According to the EPA, toilets account for 30 percent of the total water usage in an average home. Water conserving toilets not only help the environment, but they can help save money on residential water bills as well. The EPA estimates that water conserving toilets, such as the Nano® Dual Flush toilet from Niagara, can reduce water usage up to 60 percent every year, lowering monthly water costs significantly and saving more than 13,000 gallons of water annually.

“Water conservation and reduced water bills make it an easy decision for homeowners, contractors and property managers to choose Niagara products,” said Niagara Executive Vice President, Carl Wehmeyer. “People have an interest in saving the environment – it's the right thing to do – but they also want to save money while enjoying function and style in their home.”

Niagara's newest dual-flush toilet, the Nano, is one of the most water efficient toilets available using 77 percent less water than most other toilets on the market. The Nano offers users the option of a .5 or .8 GPF with the same power as the industry standard 1.6 GPF, a significant improvement over older toilets, which can use up to six gallons per flush. The Nano was also selected as one of This Old House's “Top 20 New Bath Products for 2019.”

More than 31 million Americans agree that water conserving toilets save them the most money when it comes to water usage in their home, followed by water-saving shower heads and faucet aerators. They see it as the fourth highest cost-saving, environmentally friendly home item, behind energy-efficient insulation, LED light bulbs and smart thermostats.

Additional findings from the study show how different demographic groups view water conservation and style when it comes to their toilets: · More men (12 percent) than women (5 percent) said they would prefer a toilet that is only stylish · Those over 45 are more likely to rank water conservation as the most important aspect of a toilet versus those 44 and under · The majority of Americans age 18-24 prefer a toilet that is both stylish and conserves water

For more information on the study and water conserving toilets that don’t compromise style or power, visit Niagara Conservation this week at KBIS in Las Vegas at booth SL1812.

LEWISVILLE, Texas – A mixed-medium masterpiece of metal panels, glass, wood, and stone building elements, the award-winning ilani Casino Resort property in Ridgefield, Wash. was designed to reflect the culture of the Northwest with unique aesthetic cues that pay tribute to the heritage of the local Cowlitz Indian Tribe.

The nearly 400,000-square-foot casino is a joint development between the Cowlitz Indian Tribe and the Mohegan Tribe, based in Uncasville, Conn. Construction for the complex project kicked off in early 2016 and included a $32 million upgrade to a nearby freeway interchange.

At over 150 acres, the ilani is home to more than 2,500 slot machines and 75 tables throughout its 100,000 square feet of dedicated gaming space, in addition to entertainment and retail areas. The resort also features a food court and a variety of restaurants, including the only West Coast location of Michael Jordan's Steakhouse.

The project showcases a number of design elements inspired by the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, according to Chuck Jones, senior vice president with Friedmutter Group, the architectural firm responsible for the project design.

“The entrance area—the porch—takes its design cue from a blunt nose canoe,” Jones said, referring to the Cowlitz Tribe's historical means of transportation, carved to move fluidly through white-water rapids. “And the iridescent metal panels were inspired by fish scales. The majority of the other elements are featured within the casino interior.”

Notably, these features include light fixtures inspired by woven basket headwear and the imagery of violet camas flowers throughout the casino floor carpet.

The project's high-performance exterior relies on more than 75,000 square feet of 2.5-inch Metl-Span CF Architectural insulated metal panels (IMPs) in Champagne and Medium Gray colors. “The color recommendations came from our design team,” Jones reported. “The Champagne worked well in tandem with the stone, wood, and other metal cladding elements.” When weighing building envelope options, Friedmutter Group was focused on meeting energy codes and placed a high emphasis on overall thermal performance. According to Jones, the decision to specify IMPs was based on a recommendation from the building owners. The product proved to be an ideal fit to handle the region's notoriously unpredictable weather systems.

“Insulated metal panels are a fairly cost-effective way to skin a building, especially in that climate,” Jones said. “It ended up being more suitable than using an EIFS system.”

An EIFS, or exterior insulation and finish system, relies on multiple wall components working in concert. This complicated assembly can be susceptible to moisture infiltration due to numerous wall penetrations or imperfections in the installation process, which often requires multiple crews and steps.

Metl-Span IMPs act as a single-component system eliminating the need for separate batt or board insulation, exterior sheathing, or vapor barriers for a one-and-done wall solution. This expedited installation process can have a positive effect on everything from project scheduling to the bottom line. Moreover, the quick installation makes way for interior trade work early in the construction schedule.

The Metl-Span CF Architectural panel is ideal for high-profile applications with its flat, monolithic appearance—providing a contemporary aesthetic. The IMPs are available in thicknesses up to 4-inches to meet even the most demanding thermal performance requirements.

The ilani casino resort celebrated its grand opening in the spring of 2017, after more than 10 years of planning and two years of construction. The casino took home 2016 Best Project of the Year honors in the Vancouver Business Journal's Top Project Awards before it had even opened its doors to the public. More recently, the project was the recipient of a Sports-Entertainment Award of Merit from Engineering News-Record (ENR) Northwest and was honored by the NAIOP Washington commercial real estate development association.

Omaha, Nebraska – Airlite Plastics acquired TRUEGRID on April 15, 2019, adding the permeable paving grid system to its line of environmentally sustainable construction products.

TRUEGRID high-performance pavers control runoff, create less thermal pollution and reduce waste for landfills, among other ecological benefits. Made of post-consumer recycled high-density polyethylene, the pavers have revolutionized the construction industry with versatility, attractiveness and 100% permeability.

Some of the most recognizable national names rely on TRUEGRID for parking areas, streets, walkways and bike paths -- Whole Foods, NASCAR, AutoNation, Super Bowl LI's Club Nomadic, the New York City Ferry.

Airlite Plastics headquarters in Omaha, Nebraska and manufactures a wide range of custom plastic products for consumer and construction markets, including containers and lids for food packaging, drink cups and lids, and Fox Blocks insulated concrete form (ICF) building blocks.

TRUEGRID joins the family of Airlite products aimed at innovating the sustainable construction market. The paving system is a natural complement to Airlite's Fox Blocks brand of ICF building blocks. TRUEGRID will continue to operate in Houston, Texas and sell under its TRUEGRID name.

“We are delighted to welcome TRUEGRID to our family of world-class products,” said Brad Crosby, President and CEO of Airlite Plastics. “This exciting acquisition launches a new period of strategic growth. Airlite Plastics will aggressively continue to develop or acquire additional sustainable construction products.”

“Our companies share a like-minded passion for developing quality products that are both functional and environmentally friendly,” said Barry Stiles, founder of TRUEGRID. “We are proud to join forces with Airlite Plastics, a leading-edge business with a track record of success.”

The companies finalized the acquisition on April 15, 2019, and the terms of the agreement remain private.

ST. CLOUD, MN – St. Cloud Window Inc., a leading manufacturer of high-performance and acoustically-rated commercial aluminum windows, historic replacement windows, architectural terrace doors, aluminum sliding glass doors and acoustically rated curtain wall products is pleased to announce that Springfield Technical Community College's new Student Learning Commons has won a Robert H. Kuehn Award from Preservation Massachusetts. The 170-year-old building, originally for storing gunstocks, never fully enclosed is now the heart of the campus with St. Cloud Window SCW3000 Series windows comprising nearly 50% of building's 747-foot façade. Congratulations to Ann Beha Architects and everyone involved in the restoration and repurposing.

Building 19 is part of the Springfield Armory National Historic Site and is one of 13 National Historic Registered buildings on the college campus. It housed gunstocks from 1846 until it was closed and given to the college in 1968. However, because of the old infrastructure and the many considerations that go in to renovating and remodeling historic sites, it sat largely unused for nearly 50 years.

One of the largest challenges in updating Building 19 was its windows. Built as a storehouse for gunstocks more than 170 years earlier, it was never fully enclosed. Major updates would be required to make it an accessible, usable space. And the building is large – 767 feet long and three stories high. The fenestration made up nearly 50 percent of the building's façade, which meant a lot of windows – 552, to be exact. And due to the historic construction, no two windows were alike, with openings ranging from 10 by 7 feet to 10 by 13 feet.

The architect turned to St. Cloud Window and the SCW3000 series to update the windows while maintaining the historical look and feel. St. Cloud Window worked with the National Park Service and the Massachusetts Historical Commission to develop the fenestration, fully enclosing the building while maintaining natural light. In addition, historical louvers originally designed for ventilation were retooled as exterior sun shades to manage and minimize heat.

Today, Building 19 is an accessible, sustainable and vibrant part of campus life, housing administrative offices, a student commons, student services, a health center, a café, study spaces, a library, and campus bookstore.

Substantial geometry and data advancements in latest IFC version

Columbia, MD (April 18, 2019)—Global design and BIM software solutions provider Vectorworks, Inc. announces that it is the first architectural software developer to achieve IFC4 Reference View 1.2 Export Certification (Architectural Reference Exchange). The certification comes from buildingSMART International (bSI), the worldwide authority driving the transformation of the built asset economy through creation and adoption of open, international standards.

The new IFC4 certification means Vectorworks officially meets the export criteria for the International Organization for Standards ISO-16739. This standard gives users a publicly-defined and accepted standard to serve as the basis for contracts.

“The IFC file format gives focus to the standardized exchange of data when sharing information among different software systems used in the building industry, said Rubina Siddiqui, director of product marketing at Vectorworks. “In the past, IFC was more focused on the technical side of data, making it difficult to navigate for architects and designers. The alignment with familiar and accepted standards of ISO makes IFC more relatable for architects.”

Vectorworks has supported IFC4 import and export since Vectorworks 2018. This certification process proves to the AEC industry that Vectorworks’ IFC4 export has been quality-tested against the bSI benchmarks, ensuring that users are sharing quality IFC models with other BIM software products.

“Supporting the needs of BIM workflows for our customers has always been a top priority,” said Darick DeHart, vice president of product management at Vectorworks. “Receiving certification for our IFC4 export is a recognition of our commitment to openBIM workflows with Vectorworks."

Moving forward, Vectorworks will work to implement IFC4 Import certification once it’s offered by bSI.

‘Transverse' panels installed above skylights to prevent leaks

Bossier City, La. — The versatility of a symmetrical standing seam metal roofing system has given birth to a new way of dealing with damaged metal roofing. Northwest Distributors in Hays, Kan., is a busy warehouse, dealing with auto parts and supplies. The R-panel roofing on the original building and an addition both sustained damage in several hailstorms over the years. After a 2017 hailstorm, the insurance company for Northwest Distributors agreed a new roof was needed and it would cover the damage.

The tried and true method of replacement involves complete roofing tear-off and replacement. Obviously, this would expose the valuable contents of the facility to the elements. Roofmasters Roofing & Sheet Metal of Hays proposed the patented 238T tall clip re-cover using the 238T symmetrical standing seam roofing system from McElroy Metal.

The roof re-cover would not require the removal of any existing roofing panels and therefore, would not interrupt any activity inside. It would be business-as-usual at Northwest Distributors during the install.

The owners at Northwest Distributors decided to go with the re-cover. Project manager Andrew Bizzell and project superintendent Andy Littrel headed up the assignment for Roofmasters.

“The tall clip re-cover cost is about the same as a removal, but the benefit comes from the contents of the building not being exposed to potential damage from rain or wind or hail,” says Bizzell. “Plus, they were able to keep working without interruption. That saved Northwest money as well.”

Panels for the 58,000-sqaure-foot re-cover were produced onsite and stacked on the roof. Roofmasters owns its own roll former that produces the 238T symmetrical standing seam panel. The 24-gauge panels are 24 inches wide with striations in PVDF Regal White. Panels were approximately 64 feet long.

“It really was a straightforward job,” Bizzell says. “We have installed several re-covers with the 238T. We like the ease of installation. It provides a great benefit to the building owner because if a panel is damaged, a single panel can be removed and replaced anywhere on the roof. If a panel is damaged with another type of standing seam system, you have to start on an end and remove all of the panels up to and including the damaged panel. Obviously, that is a much greater expense.”

Bizzell says not all insurance policies cover cosmetic damage sustained in weather events like hailstorms. The symmetrical standing seam system allows for the replacement of a single panel or only damaged panels the owner feels the need to replace, reducing his financial hit.

Roofmasters installed 3-1/2 inches of batt insulation between the original roof and the new panels to eliminate the possibility of condensation forming between the two metal systems. It also provided the owner with an added R-value of R-12, which will help reduce heating and cooling costs.

It should be noted the Northwest Distributors warehouse roof includes 36 skylights, a feature the owner wanted to keep. To eliminate the problem of standing water behind curbs above the skylights, Roofmasters installed transverse panels from the top of the skylight to the ridge. Transverse panels are installed perpendicular to the slope using floating purlins that lift the transverse panels and skylights above the field of the new roof. This system lifts the leak-prone skylights out of the water plane. None of the exposed fasteners used for this detail penetrate the roof.

Roofmasters installed a polycarbonate skylight panel from MWI Components over the original skylight hole.

“We use transverse panels with skylights and other roof penetrations,” Bizzell says. “We also use the traditional curb. Installed correctly, they both do what they’re supposed to do.

Milwaukee, WI – U-Line introduces U-Chill™, an in-counter cooling cylinder that maintains the temperature of chilled beverages while you enjoy them. With no ice and no drips, U-Chill™ is perfect for wine, champagne, craft beer, carafes, bottled water, juice, soda, and spirits.

“Known for our industry-leading innovations, U-Line continually strives to enhance the lifestyle of our customers,” says David Carr, Director of Product & Marketing for U-Line Corporation. “U-Chill™ is a natural companion for our undercounter refrigeration products, especially our Wine Captain® Models and Beverage Centers.”

U-Chill™ maintains the temperature of your chilled bottle within 2° - 4°F without the need for ice. Using patented technology, a jacket of cool air surrounds the bottle, keeping it cool and dry. Simply touch the hand polished stainless steel crown and choose from 27 different color options or choose the color flow setting which cycles through the spectrum of colors. It can be easily installed into nearly any surface in minutes, is virtually silent, & maintenance free.

“It’s efficient, stylish, and can be built into a variety of settings both residentially and commercially,” says David Carr. U-Chill™ is available at u-line.com/u-chill and select dealers nationwide.

ABOUT U-LINE - For over five decades, U-Line continues to be a leader in innovation, quality, and value in the premium modular refrigeration, ice making, and wine preservation market.

U-Line is located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Since 2014, U-Line has been part of the Middleby family of brands.

LEWISVILLE, Texas – To keep up with the company's growing customer base, SKS Bottle & Packaging Inc. required a new, larger facility. To keep any interruption of service as brief as possible, the 140,000 square foot office and warehouse was constructed with insulated metal panels (IMPs).

Metl-Span delivered more than 90,000 square feet of CF-42 insulated metal panels in two profiles and colors, both filled with a three-inch urethane. SKS moved from Watervliet, N.Y., to this new facility in the WJ Grande Industrial Park in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., less than five miles from the home office of Munter Enterprises, Inc. who was the general contractor as well as the IMP installer for the project.

Since beginning operations in 1972, Munter Enterprises Inc., has become a leader in the Northeast construction industry. Munter Enterprises offers their customers a variety of construction services beginning with land acquisition and design, through planning and general contracting. Self-performing the major trades, such as steel and IMP erection, using the highest quality and skilled personnel in the region, assures their customers' projects are completed proficiently and safely.

With the assistance of firms such as Paone Architecture, Munter Enterprises offers comprehensive guidance through all stages of design-build projects – site and building design, local permitting, and of course the construction. This has enabled Munter Enterprises to provide construction services for some of the largest companies in the region and nation. Munter Enterprises is committed to the continued satisfaction of their customers by providing many more years of quality, value, safety and superior service.

“It was an aggressive 268 days from building permit to certificate of completion – the land was cleared in the fall, foundations started in November into December 2017 followed by steel erection in a bitter cold January,” says Todd Coffin, Project Coordinator for Munter Enterprises. “Other than a couple key open wall areas for access of equipment, cement trucks and management of materials into the building, we had the building essentially enclosed by May of 2018.”

SKS is a supplier, consultant and designer of plastic bottles and jars, glass bottles and jars, metal containers and closures for packaging. SKS is a worldwide supplier of containers, offering more than 6,000 containers and closures.

Coffin says Munter Enterprises has a lot of experience with IMPs, so these vertically installed panels went up without a glitch. “It’s always easier to go with vertical cladding when you have a typical pre-engineered girt design,” he says. “With horizontal panels, you’re required to install additional vertical framing and backers and need to coordinate the seam layouts with structural constraints, aesthetic elements and shipping lengths.”

The offices located in the front of the building are clad with the CF-42 panels which feature a 24-gauge Galvalume exterior in Charcoal Gray with a Santa Fe finish. The remainder of the CF-42 insulated metal panels have a 26-gauge Galvalume exterior in Tundra with a Light Mesa finish. The interior of all of the IMPs is 26-gauge Galvalume in Igloo White with a Light Mesa finish.

The flat roof features an internal gutter system and is 31 feet high. The IMPs exceeded the eave lines to create a parapet of varying heights to break up the “boxy” look of the building and provide screening of the mechanical systems on the roof. In some spots, the IMPs are 35 feet high and in others, they are stepped down to 32 feet.

The offices and the corners of the facility are highlighted by glass – even the upper corners of the warehouse area – with overhangs above and below the windows to enhance the aesthetics of the building. The soffit panels installed on these overhangs are Artisan L12 beaded soffit panels from MBCI, a sister company of Metl-Span, so the colors match perfectly. Using the beaded panels greatly reduces the chance of oil canning.

John A. Paone, RA, Project Architect at Paone Architecture in Saratoga Springs, has gotten quite comfortable taking advantage of the many benefits offered by insulated metal panels. “It’s the one-stop shop,” he says. “You only have to visit the wall once during installation. In one pass, the 'skin' you are installing is a finished product that can easily meet the energy codes – which are continually getting stricter. And with the variety of colors, finishes and textures, it's easy to achieve a great look.

“When you're constructing a warehouse you generally have massive wall areas to address – and unless you have an unlimited budget, you can't afford to spend too much money on product systems that are both energy efficient and aesthetically pleasing. Insulated metal panels simply address both of these elements and work as well for the warehouse area as well as they do for the office sections – the colors and textures make it easy to dress up the façade so the building doesn’t look like just another box warehouse.”

The varying heights of parapet walls was a design element Paone tried on a different project and believes it helps improve the appearance. “With each job we try to do something new, change it up a little,” Paone says. “You can do that with these panels. You have some design freedom.”

Willoughby, Ohio - TELLING INDUSTRIES, LLC announced True-Brace Bridging, an innovation from Telling Industries.

True-Brace is used as mechanical bridging for studs. Typically, U-Channel or CRC, is attached to studs via clips or a weld to eliminate stud rotation and minor axis bending under wind or axial loads. 1-1/2” True-Brace is passed through the stud knockout and snapped securely into place with Telling’s patent pending technology saving valuable time and money.

True-Brace features an innovative, highly engineered design that securely locks the True-Brace into the stud slot hole without the need for clips or welding for most non-structural applications.

TELLING INDUSTRIES, LLC are registered trademarks in the United States and/or other countries.