Digital 2010 Radiant Flooring Guide Now Available
Designed for architects, heating contractors, mechanical contractors, floor covering retailers and installers, builders, wholesalers, radiant system specifiers and homeowners, the 2010 Radiant Flooring Guide includes an updated directory of manufacturers, plus direct links to articles and advertisers' Web sites. The print version costs $15. Contact Stephanie Weingartz. Phone: 248-244-1275 or visit: www.AECstore.com.

What Do The Definitions of Wholesaler and Manufacturer Really Mean? by Scott Benfield

A Business Lesson from Braveheart, Al and Ellen by Tim Fausch

Computer Backup From Mild to Wild by Al Levi

These are just a few of the blogs you can read and comment on at www.supplyht.com, www.pmmag.com, www.bathandkitchenpro.com, www.pmengineer.com and www.tilemagonline.com . Stop by and browse! We'd love to hear what you think!

Hansgrohe's Sharon Murray, national market development manager, and Nicolas Grohe , director of marketing and product development - North America, recently visited Plumbing Group editors at BNP Media's Bensenville office to show the company's new iBox Universal Plus, which it will feature at K/BIS. It is one valve that fits thermostatic or pressure balanced and works for all Axor and Hansgrohe shower styles. Its ports are fully sealed against leaks. Rubber seals on the inlet and outlet ports absorb noises.

The Plumbing Manufacturers Institute hired Charles Hernandez as technical specialist, responsible for fielding and researching members' technical questions, analyzing and reporting on proposed code and standard changes and attending and monitoring code and standard hearings and meetings. He has been a licensed plumber and most recently worked as an independent consultant, providing guidance on project management, efficiency improvements and maintenance management.

Dow Water & Process Solutions , a business unit of The Dow Chemical Co., announced that the next generation of DOW FILMTEC reverse osmosis membrane components for residential water treatment is expected to become available globally during the second quarter of 2010. The product will be launched in North America March 10 at the Aquatech 2010 tradeshow in Orlando. The new components help provide safer and good-tasting drinking and cooking water that meets both U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and Safe Drinking Water Act standards. The elements boast increased throughput and trouble-free operation for under-the-sink and countertop home water purification systems, making it easier to address and comply with industry standards.

The GreenGuard Environmental Institute (GEI) has unveiled its redesigned Web site with the aim of "providing visitors with a wealth of updated, easy-to-find, user-specific information on indoor air quality (IAQ), children's health, and GreenGuard Certification programs," the GEI says. Read more.

Sub-Zero and Wolf Appliance announced that Jennifer Gilmer Kitchen & Bath Ltd. was the first place regional winner in its 2008/09 Kitchen Design Contest. The top 48 regional winners have been invited to The Breakers in Palm Beach, FL, where the Top 3 national winners will be announced March 26.

Banner Plumbing Supply 's showroom team welcomed 130 guests to the company's 15,000-sq.-ft. showroom in Buffalo Grove, IL, when the wholesaler hosted a local NKBA chapter meeting in January. Pictured, back row, L-R: Dee Gonzaga, Rachel Dubin, showroom manager Michelle Henderson, Ismael Torres, Jennifer Burke and Roxane Ellwanger; front row, L-R: Ella LaRiviere and Dawn Overbeek.

Color Trends: It's All About Time

Color trends for 2010 take inspiration from a variety of social and economic influences. Living space personalization continues to act as a driver for color change with accent walls or niche areas appropriate for small doses of high impact, bold color while using more subtle hues on broad wall areas.
"More and more homeowners are taking on the task of simple home projects to save money and improve their current space," according to Debbie Zimmer, paint and color expert with the Paint Quality Institute. "Conversely, others are sprucing up in preparation for placing their home on the market."

Good Morning (pictured)
This palette consists of hues that are fresh, clean and comfortable.
Colors: honey-like hues such as tan or pale gold, coral, yellow, mineral grey

Good Night
These colors are especially useful in bedrooms and baths or to "warm-up" a family space.
Colors: pastel hues, particularly pale blue or shell pink for ceilings, midnight blue, eggplant wine

Good Bye
This palette reflects an assortment of simplistic hues that work well for any living area, especially foyers, kitchens and family living spaces.
Colors: khaki pared with crisp white, mid-toned blues, off-white, bisque black

Courtesy of Paint Quality Institute

Can't wait for, or not able to obtain, the print magazine? Our Web sites provide a digital edition of each month's print issue, with all editorial and advertising content.

Brizo says its Talo SmartTouch pull-down kitchen faucet takes its design cues from nature but features cutting-edge faucet technology. The name derives from the Italian word petalo, meaning "petal." Talo's high-rise profile and soft contours bring an organic beauty to the kitchen. The patented two-button/four-function pull-down wand controls spray, stream, volume control and pause functions. SmartTouch enables the user to activate the faucet by tapping or touching it anywhere on the spout or handle.  MagneDock magnetic docking technology securely locks the wand into the faucet spout.

New River Cabinetry , a new division of Custom Wood Products, offers semi-custom cabinetry - a more affordable alternative to custom cabinetry but with many of the same features and advantages, such as all-plywood construction and a Limited Lifetime Warranty. Cabinets are available in 70 finish colors in both stains and paints. The line also includes 20 fashionable door styles and eight wood species: alder, cherry, hickory, lyptus, maple, oak, rustic alder and rustic cherry. To further customize, New River offers glazing, antiquing and other individualized techniques.

Tasman Sinkware has introduced Sonetto , a cost-effective line of sinks fabricated from 304-grade, 18-gauge stainless steel, available in a variety of sizes in undermount and drop-in styles. Sonetto features sound-deadening pads and a welded brace for double sink models to enhance stability. The satin finish matches most kitchen stainless steel surfaces. Tasman says Sonetto offers an affordable solution to cost-resistance when its Oliveri or Essentials kitchen sink is specified.

California Faucets introduced four patent-pending StyleDrain forged-brass-finished designs: Mission, Waves, Deco Line and Deco Swirl. StyleDrain has a flush grill, featuring smoothened edges, no visible screws, and a fast-draining capacity. Clean, symmetrical "Mission" has a pattern of 64 small squares (eight rows of eight). Spa-inspired "Waves" has a set of five soothing transverse waves. "Deco Line" features shapes reminiscent of  Frank Lloyd Wright architecture. "Deco Swirl" offers a cross-cultural, retro experience with art deco shapes.

LG Hausys Floors , the floor covering division of LG Hausys America, launched DECO Essential & Advantage LVT, luxury resilient flooring designed and engineered for the residential contract market and offered at a competitive price point. Manufactured with a minimum 14% post-consumer recycled materials, it provides the realistic look of materials found in nature with the durability and longevity needed to withstand the everyday challenges of multifamily housing, public housing, dormitory, military housing and light commercial environments. Available in 42 colors and styles, with nine wood patterns and nine different stone-look variations, the floors have a UV-cured urethane surface that protects against staining and soiling.

         AEC Store Corner

2009's Popular Products For BK Pros

Kitchen and Bath Laminate Countertops DVD $19.95
This 45-minute video provides installation shortcuts for a professional countertop job. Learn more.

Glass Tile Inspirations For Kitchens And Baths $29.95
View 205 color photos showing high-performance glass tiles both close-up and installed for walls, countertops and floor coverings in kitchens and baths. Read more.

College of Product Knowledge CD - NOW $89.85
This highly acclaimed product training series is ideal for wholesalers, manufacturers, agents, designers, contractors, technicians, engineers, architects and other pros.

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Granite Countertop Fabrication & Installation DVD $42.99
Alpha Professional Tools offers a step-by-step DVD that covers all phases of production including purchasing materials, fabrication techniques, installation and presentation to your client. Read more.

Visit AECStore.com to view all of our technical resources, CDs and DVDs.