From entry-level to luxury and everything in between, home buyers overwhelmingly favor popular casual lifestyle floor plans, which highlights the living spaces used most daily such as the kitchen and family room. CAD Pro has helped thousands of architects, designers and builders streamline their workflow while producing professional floor plan designs for clients and colleagues.

Popular Casual Lifestyle Floor Plans Eliminate Formal Spaces

Builders and Architects now eliminate redundant formal spaces in the home and instead focus the square footage and finishes on spaces that get used in these popular casual lifestyle floor plans. Sounds simple enough, however, the last thing we want home buyers to think is that all of our floor plans are identical. There are two major layouts for these popular casual lifestyle floor plans, which designate more open and casual floor plan layout.

Three Space Popular Casual Lifestyle Floor Plans

The Lifestyle Triangle is the more common layout in these new popular casual lifestyle floor plans. There are many ways to arrange the three spaces to create the triangle, which influences how the spaces interact with each other. It’s important to explore a variety of room arrangements when developing a line of housing so your houses don’t all look and feel the same. Just as buyers appreciate a diverse streetscape, they also love to see diversity in floor plans and elevations.

Popular Casual Lifestyle Floor Plans with Big Rooms

The Big Room floor plan features the kitchen, café, and family room lined up in a row, with the kitchen island acting as the anchor. In wider floor plans (50’ or greater) this is a great way to accentuate that width. But even in a 30′ and 40’ product, the Big Room makes a statement when it lives front-to-back. That way, we “arrive sooner” in a floor plan, allowing a shorter travel distance from the foyer into the kitchen, as opposed to 25’ or 30’ down a long entry corridor.

So, which plan is “right?” Both! Home buyers do not want to live in a community where if you’ve seen one floor plan, you’ve seen them all. A successful community embraces a variety of floor plans that offer a unique and memorable feel with these new popular casual lifestyle floor plans.

Embracing these casual lifestyle plans will pave the way to a maximum amount of diversity in your product line and give your buyers the opportunity to buy a plan that best fits how they live.

CAD Software for Popular Casual Lifestyle Floor Plans

CAD Pro helps you plan and complete any type of popular casual lifestyle design plan ideas with intuitive smart floor plan tools and floor plan symbols that will help you implement these popular design ideas.

Share your popular casual lifestyle floor plans with clients or contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

Cad Pro’s floor plan software is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive CAD software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

Click Here to Get Started

Changes in popular bathroom design trends are driven by innovations in technology and the desire for low-maintenance and functional bathroom designs. CAD Pro has helped homeowners and builders design and build these flexible and customized bathrooms for new home construction and remodeling.

Smart and Popular Bathroom Design Trends

Smart toilets: Technology has improved one of the most basic fixtures in the house: your toilet. New models have built-in bidets, cleaning functions and night lights for safety. Smart toilets are one of the most popular bathroom design trends. These new smart toilets have features to minimize maintenance with self-cleaning features, including one that mists the bowl before and after each use to cut cleaning time in half. Wall-hung toilets also make it easier to clean under and around the toilet.

Rustic Popular Bathroom Design Trends

Barn doors: Barn doors have been part of the rustic and industrial-chic design style for a few years, sometimes as a closet door or a decorative element in homes. Now they’ve become a highly functional element of bathroom designs. Barn doors are efficient and provide easy access to the room and, since they don’t swing out or in, they use less space and don’t trap anyone behind the door.

Low Maintenance Popular Bathroom Design Trends

Low maintenance materials: Quartz is the most popular material for bathroom counters and showers, identified as trendy by 94 percent of bathroom designers in a NKBA study. Quartz is easy to clean, durable and available in a lot of color palettes.

Consumers today, especially millennial’s, have less tolerance for high-maintenance materials. They don’t want moldings on their cabinets that catch dust, and they’ve realized that quartz requires less maintenance than marble or granite, making it one of the best popular bathroom design trends.

A Houzz survey found that consumers prefer simple Shaker cabinets (57 percent) or flat-panel cabinets (18 percent) when remodeling.

Color for Popular Bathroom Design Trends

A little color and darkness: Although white and gray are still on-trend for bathrooms and kitchens, colorful appliances and new metallic finishes could be found in abundance at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in 2018.

This is more of an emerging trend, but a survey of designers found that people are starting to integrate a little more color into their bathrooms. Appliances and fixtures in brass, copper and gold finishes look elegant and not outdated. We’re even seeing some bold colors like cobalt blue or orange.

Younger buyers are more concerned about resale and less confident of their design choices, so they’re more likely to stay with white and gray bathroom colors.

Older buyers often plan to stay in their homes longer, so they’re more willing to play around with color for a unique look, especially with a shower or wall color.

CAD Software for Popular Bathroom Design Trends

CAD Pro helps you plan and complete any type of popular bathroom designs with intuitive smart floor plan tools and bathroom design symbols.

Share your popular bathroom designs and plans with clients or contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

Cad Pro’s bathroom design plan software is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive CAD software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

Click Here to Get Started

Five popular kitchen design trends to watch for in new home construction and remodeling. Although colorful appliances and high-tech gadgets were on display at the 2018 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS) in January, not all items demonstrated on the showroom floor made it into people’s homes.

Popular Kitchen Design Trends

Connected kitchens: Technology can be used to improve safety in kitchens, such as appliances with an automatic shut-off or an alert system, which will become increasingly important for elderly people adjusting their homes to better meet their physical needs. Some exciting technology, such as smart appliances, are enticing but yet to be widely embraced by homeowners.

Popular kitchen design trends and options for smart appliances are refrigerators with a camera and an app so you can look at the contents when you’re at the grocery store, and a refrigerator with an LCD panel with a menu of apps that can function as a command control for family messages.

Voice-activated controls to adjust lights or play music or look for a recipe are the most popular tech trends in the kitchen for new home construction and remodeling.

The 2018 Houzz Kitchen Trends survey found that 22 percent of homeowners add voice-controlled home assistants such as Google Home or Amazon Echo when remodeling their kitchens.

Declutter Your Kitchen
New ways to declutter: Neatness counts in today’s kitchens, perhaps because most of the newer kitchens have an open floor plan that makes them more visible to guests and family.

The biggest motivation behind a kitchen design remodeling is reorganizing and increasing storage.

Decluttering their counters was the biggest motivator for 75 percent of remodelers, according to the Houzz survey, followed by putting things away (66 percent).

Popular kitchen design trends and homeowners are updating their cabinets with things like pullout recycling baskets, cookie sheet organizers, revolving corner trays, and pullout trays and shelves.

Two of five homeowners add kitchen islands when remodeling for extra storage and counter space, according to a Houzz survey.

Low Maintenance Materials for Kitchen Designs
Low maintenance materials: Quartz is the most popular material for kitchen counters, identified as trendy by 94 percent of kitchen designers in a NKBA study. Quartz is easy to clean, durable and available in a lot of color palettes.

Consumers today, especially millennials, have less tolerance for high-maintenance materials. They don’t want moldings on their cabinets that catch dust, and they’ve realized that quartz requires less maintenance than marble or granite.

A Houzz survey found that consumers prefer simple Shaker cabinets (57 percent) or flat-panel cabinets (18 percent) when remodeling.

Add Color for Popular Kitchen Designs
A little color and darkness: Although white and gray are still on-trend for kitchens, colorful appliances and new metallic finishes could be found in abundance at the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show in 2018.

This is more of an emerging trend, but a survey of designers found that people are starting to integrate a little more color into their kitchens. Appliances and fixtures in brass, copper and gold finishes look elegant and not outdated. We’re even seeing some bold appliance colors like cobalt blue or orange. The good thing about those is that they have a simple panel to exchange the front for a different color in the future.

Black stainless-steel with a matte finish was a major trend at KBIS this year and it’s a true challenge to the popularity of traditional stainless steel.

It’s smudge-resistant, which makes it really appealing to younger buyers with kids making it one of the most popular kitchen design trends.

Younger buyers are more concerned about resale and less confident of their design choices, so they’re more likely to stay with white and gray kitchens.

Older buyers often plan to stay in their homes longer, so they’re more willing to play around with color for a unique look, especially with a back splash or wall color.

CAD Software for Kitchen Designs
CAD Pro helps you plan and complete any type of popular kitchen designs with intuitive smart floor plan tools and kitchen design symbols.

Share your popular kitchen designs and plans with clients or contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

Cad Pro’s kitchen design plan software is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive CAD software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

Click Here to Get Started

High-Tech Smart Kitchens

Smart home technology is today’s must-have feature that buyers are demanding, and builders across the country are creating a smart home building technology package. These smart home technologies include products that incorporate automated devices into the home as a standard.

In 2017, Bellevue, Wash.-based Quadrant Homes launched its smart home building technology package, a package that offers a turnkey smart home to new buyers. The company announced this week that it would expand the offering by adding Amazon Alexa-enabled devices for voice control capability of the products. Homeowners will be able to play music, turn down the heat, dim lights and more with a voice command.

Ultimate Smart Home Building Technology Package

These new smart home building technology package includes a Ring Pro Doorbell, Schlage Connect Front Door Hardware, Nest 3 Thermostat, Caseta Lighting Control, Liftmaster Wi-Fi Garage Door Opener, and a Samsung SmartThings Hub to power the home, plus the homes are pre-wired for a WiFi router. The Amazon partnership will introduce an Echo Show, Echo Dot, and Echo Spot to the home, and will connect the existing devices for control through voice commands, a smartphone app, or through the Echo Show’s 7-inch screen.

Today’s smart home builders believe your home is your haven. That’s why they strive to include forward-thinking designs to create an intuitive home that responds to the buyer’s individual needs. Builders continue to build upon the smart home building technology package to ensure homeowners receive the latest and most innovative technology offerings in their homes.

Professional Smart Home Building Technology Package

Some of the high-end builders offer an Amazon expert. These experts come to the home after move-in to active and help buyers customize the devices at no extra charge.

CAD Software for Smart Home Building Technology Package

Custom smart home building and design software from CAD Pro has helped thousands of contractors and custom home builders streamline their workflow while producing professional designs for clients and colleagues. CAD software benefits the smart home design process.

Cad Pro’s custom home builder design software is an affordable and easy alternative to other CAD software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

Share your custom smart home plans and designs with clients or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

Click Here to Get Started

An excellent example of how innovative new construction technology is evolving, emerging artificial intelligence is already used commercially for automated earned value tracking in concrete and steel construction.

BIM Innovative New Construction Technology

For mechanical, electrical and plumbing processes scan-to-BIM (building information modeling) and scan versus BIM technologies ensure that everything is routed where it is supposed to be making BIM a popular innovative new construction technology.

3D Innovative New Construction Technology
Automated building to 3-D is the “next big thing,” showing that a building is constructed first in virtual reality and then built the way it was designed.

Motion sensor suits that track worker movements are another innovation that can help improve production output and reduce injury. Recently, a study of 50 masons with various skill levels wearing motion suits while building walls. Showed experienced masons are 2.5 times more productive than novices and third-year apprentices are the most injury prone group, possibly because they are under pressure to keep up.

Other examples of new materials and innovative new construction technology raising productivity levels include sustainable warm-mix asphalt and organic bricks and automated business process workflows for change requests.

Wearable Innovative New Construction Technology
Wearable bioengineered exoskeleton devices that reduce physical stress during work are coming to the construction industry. They are already accepted in industries ranging from automobile manufacturing to shipbuilding.

While exoskeleton technology can be expensive ($20,000 or more). For a “really skilled worker with physical issues” who is, otherwise, two to three times more productive than an average worker, the suit might be a smart investment.

Custom innovative building design software for any construction project.

• Make more informed design decisions with an industry leader.
• Work more efficiently with tools designed for builders and contractors.
• Develop higher-quality, more accurate designs while saving money.

Visualize and improve collaboration while exploring all design options

• Use detailed drawings to help communicate design intent while improving workflow.
• Explore and present design options quickly with interactive design tools.
• Quickly evaluate designs before they are built.

Interactive Innovative New Construction Technology Features
Share your design ideas on the web with linked photos, detailed notes, or voice instructions.
CAD Pro is the only home builder software that allows you to:

• Record your ideas and incorporate voice instructions.
• Add pop-up text memos to support construction details.
• Pop-up photos will transform your ideas into designs you can visualize.

CAD Pro is a leading developer and publisher of easy computer aided design software for builders, remodelers, architects and DIY home enthusiasts. Create professional quality designs and remodeling plans with the ultimate computer aided design software for remodelers, architects, contractors, and builders.

CAD Pro software will assist you in drafting diagrams without difficult CAD technology experience. It provides lots of drawing tools, including dimensioning, wall, door, window and structure, appliances, furniture, cabinets, and the creation of custom symbols. It offers users maximum drawing control for their easy computer-aided design software program.

Click Here to Get Started

Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive construction design software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating kitchen design plans, innovative smart home designs, custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, deck plans and much more.

CAD Pro allows anyone to share their ideas and innovative new construction technology with clients, colleagues or professional remodeling contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

CAD Pro has helped thousands of homeowners, professional designers, builders, and contractors plan and design all types of construction plans and designs. CAD Pro is used by NARI professional remodelers and contractors and the NRCA roofing contractors. CAD Pro is also used by NHBA home builders and contractors, the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA). as well as the (NALP) National Association of Landscape Professionals.

Different Types of Concrete

An up-to-the-minute look at the direction of new home floor plan design trends. It’s tricky to forecast what’s on the horizon for new home floor plan design trends. While trends come and go with the seasons in fashion and other areas of design, a home is more permanent, which means floor plans are a little slower to reflect changes in style and function. Designers and architects must strike a balance between creating versions of tried-and-true plans and pushing the envelope with a design that might not immediately resonate with consumers.

Formal dining rooms have become less popular in new homes over the past decade, while home offices are still sought after as telecommuting continues to flourish (2.9% of the total U.S. workforce work from home at least half of the time, a 115% increase since 2005, according to FlexJobs and Global Workplace Analytics).

Sometimes trends emerge in response to economic realities. Land scarcity can make smaller footprints more desirable in many markets, and the changing makeup of families has made flexible layouts more relevant than ever for new home floor plan design trends. Plans increasingly are geared toward multi-generational households, offering main-level bedroom suites or in-law units that provide privacy to relatives.

Modern Farmhouse New Home Floor Plan Design Trends

To understand the immense popularity of this architectural style, look no further than how much American consumers love home renovation shows like those on HGTV, one of cable’s top-rated networks for new home floor plan design trends. It’s hard to overstate the impact of Chip and Joanna Gaines and their farmhouse aesthetic on what’s popular in both interior and exterior designs. A relaxed yet streamlined, modern look now reigns supreme among new-home designs. White farmhouses sell at a steady clip. Accordingly, many designers are taking advantage of this trend by creating their own take on it.

Social Kitchens & New Home Floor Plan Design Trends

Open floor plans have for years been the standard among layouts, but now they’re being taken one step further by combining the formal dining room with the breakfast nook as one of the new home floor plan design trends. While a luxury plan may still include a set-apart dining room (perhaps with a decorative ceiling treatment), mid-size plans increasingly include only one dedicated eating space: an enlarged breakfast nook adjacent to the kitchen.

Innovative Storage in New Home Floor Plan Design Trends

A move toward practicality but making the most of what you do have—is evident when looking at the amenities in today’s newest home plans and new home floor plan design trends. Storage has become more than just a walk-in closet (though you’ll find plenty of them, increasingly in secondary bedrooms as well as in master suites). Greater emphasis is placed on the thoughtful placement of such features.

Mudrooms and laundry areas are growing in new home floor plan design trends and often showing up in plans as separate spaces rather than combined—provide Pinterest-worthy spots to keep the clutter of everyday living organized. This is especially important in a home with an open layout, where there’s little room to hide footwear, backpacks, and coats. Mudrooms with hooks, lockers, and benches greet homeowners with a place to sit down, take off shoes, and store gym bags and schoolbooks. Meanwhile, smarter storage for laundry necessities—such as detergents and drying racks—is also sometimes accompanied by smarter placement in the home.

CAD Software for New Home Floor Plan Design Trends

Custom home builder design software from CAD Pro has helped thousands of contractors and custom home builders streamline their workflow while producing professional designs for clients and colleagues.

Cad Pro’s custom home builder design software is an affordable and easy alternative to other CAD software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

Share your custom home plans and designs with clients or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

Click Here to Get Started

Below is a list of Q1 2018 best home construction remodeling products that will help remodeling companies, new home builders, and commercial construction companies.

Software for Best Home Construction Remodeling Products

CAD Pro is a leading developer and publisher of easy computer aided design software for builders, remodelers, architects and DIY home enthusiasts and is one of the best home construction remodeling products. Create professional quality home designs and remodeling plans with the ultimate computer aided design software for remodelers, architects, contractors, and builders.

Cad Pro’s best home construction remodeling products is an affordable and easy alternative to other CAD software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

Share your remodeling plans and designs with clients or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

March 2018 Best Home Construction Remodeling Products

Jenny Products introduced the AM840-4HG-HC4, which it describes as a lightweight and compact hand-carry compressor powered by a 4-horsepower Honda engine.

DEWALT rolled out it first line of Sledge Hammers and Axes, all 10 of which feature carbon fiber composite handles.

Bosch Tools introduced SpeedXtreme SDS-max Rotary Hammer Bits, which it says now last five times longer than before.

Johns Manville has launched The Source, which it describes as an “innovative online resource designed to help professionals in the mechanical, HVAC, and industrial insulation industries stay up to speed on the latest information.”

WORX introduced its 20V 6-1/2 in. Circular Saw with ExacTrack, a feature that takes the guess work out of straight line cutting by incorporating a tracking guide to enable accurate rip cuts.

AZEK unveiled three new deck colors for its Vintage Collection: Coastline, English Walnut, and Weathered Teak. The company also announced TOPLoc for AZEK, a new fastening line for its decking and fascia.

Microcranes, a manufacturer of small, portable lifting equipment, introduced the ISO Certified M1 Global Model Microcrane. It fits through 36-inch doorways but can expand up to 22 feet high. Its crane is rated at 2,000 pounds.

Boral Roofing’s concrete color roof tile now comes in six new colors inspired by the beach landscape.

Kleer Lumber has added a 10-inch post wrap to its line of porch and wrap columns. The line already had posts in 4-, 6-, and 8-inch options.

CertainTeed added four new colors–midnight blue, slate, espresso, and castle stone–to its Monogram, Restoration Classic, Board & Batten, and Northwoods lines of vinyl siding. Making this a great choice for one of the 20018 best home construction remodeling products.

Festool will begin offering new Bluetooth 18-volt lithium-ion battery packs starting in April.

Omega Cabinetry introduced two new door styles and two new woodgrain finishes.

The Trim-Tex corner Guard is now available in 1-, 1.5-, and 2-inch widths. The company also announced that its Architectural Z Shadow & Reveal brand will come in silver as well as white.

Federal Brace announced its Arrowood and Brunswick low-profile countertop supports now come in a matte black powder coat.

Milwaukee Tool will launch its M18 Random Orbit Sander in April.

MFM Building Products’ Peel & Seal waterproofing membrane for low-slope roofing and general flashing is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year.

Hitachi Power Tools has changed its name to Metabo HPT. The first branded product to get the name change will be MultiVolt, starting in September. The rest will change over after December.

Western Window Systems added a hinged door and hopper window to its Series 7000 collection of aluminum moving glass windows and walls.

Pella introduced anodized aluminum finishes to its Architect Series Reserve wood windows and patio doors.

Milwaukee Tool has brought to market a set of new wood-cutting circular saw blades as well as products specifically designed for fiber cement. The blades feature anti-friction coating and were cut with lasers. Making this a great choice for one of the 20018 best home construction remodeling products.

KNAACK introduced Cart Armour, an interlocking steel paneling system that go around mobile work carts to help secure their contents, and the Compact Rolling Workbench, which features a 12-gauge worktop that can be used for mounting pipe threaders or vices.

CertainTeed has a new profile: Northwoods Single 7-Inch Straight Edge Perfection Shingles that look like cedar shingles but with crisper edges and more uniform sizes.

Derby Building Products now offers samples of its Tando cladding line that come in 11×17-inch high-definition digital scans of the actual product, thus making it easier for customers to envision how the product will look on the home

February 2018 Best Home Construction Remodeling Products

MFM Building Products introduced DeckWrap PowerBond, a self-adhering waterproofing member that protects the surface of treated, untreated, and synthetic wood, thus extending the deck’s life.

Wincore Windows and Doors announced the VIBE collection of fiberglass entry doors. VIBE has 10 door styles and two finishes.

CertainTeed unveiled the WP4 Nickel Gap trim profile as part of its Restoration Millwork cellular PVC trim collection.

MI Windows and Doors will introduce a new brick moulding as an exterior accessory to upgrade its 1556 double-hung, 9660 awning, and 9770 casement windows.

Milwaukee Tool now makes bolt cutters.

Armstrong Flooring introduced the Appalachian Ridge hardwood collection featuring the company’s Diamond 10 stratch-resisting technology.

Haas Door’s specialty glass is now available in both insulated and non-insulated tempered glass formats in most of the company’s product lines.

Henry Company introduced Tropi-Cool Stop Leak 100% Silicone Spray Sealer in white, black, and clear versions.

NanaWall Systems now offers its Kitchen Transition with RemoteSTACK. That system involves the panels to stack anywhere, thus opening more design options.

Willow Creek Paving Stones introduced Tekstone interlocking pavers. The products are 12×12 and 6 centimeters thick and come in four colors.

Apex Tool Group’s Crescent/Lufkin brand introduce a redesigned version of its Self-Centering Tape Measure. Making this a great choice for one of the 20018 best home construction remodeling products.

Overhead Door added four wood-grain finishes–knotty pine, cherry, cherry with flame, and dark walnut–to its Modern Aluminum Model 521 garage door.

Klein Tools introduced the Telescoping Magnetic LED Pickup Tool to find magnetic tools and parts that fall into hard-to-reach places.

Streamlabs has rolled out the SmartHome Water Monitor, which uses ultrasonic technology to monitor a home’s water use in real time and relay that information to a smart phone or tablet.

TAMKO introduced the Perforated Start shingle, designed to provide an easy-to-install starter strip for a shingle project.

CertainTeed has launched Bufftech Brookline, a vinyl privacy fence.

Dialogue Layered Glass, which uses layered glass to create an ever-changing mix of patterns and shadows, has been released by ODL.

Duradek introduced a fourth color, Cedarwood, to its Legacy line of vinyl decking.

Kleer Lumber now offers the Cortext Fastening System for its trim products.

Westech Building Products plans to introduce this month fence profiles in two variegated colors: Rustic Birth and Driftwood.

Chief Architect announced that version X10 of its software is now available in beta format.

DeWalt debuted its newest 20V MAX Bluetooth Enabled Green and Red Rotary Tough Lasers.

Hy-Lite introduced an operable awning window in its Home Designer Collection of decorative glass windows.

MiTek USA added new features and functionality for LBM dealers to its Sapphire Supply software

January 2018 Best Home Construction Remodeling Products

TAMKO introduced Flood Shield. Made of polyester fibers and resin, it’s meant to be used as a temporary floor protection for curing concrete.

Environmental Stone Works introduced stone veneer that looks like barn wood. IN addition, its lean Brick line now is available in Slate Gray and Chalk Clean profiles.

Willow Creek Paving Stones added Slatestone Grande to its product line. The pavers are available in 9×18-inch and 14×18-inch sizes and comes in in four colors.

Willow Creek Paving Stones introduced the Slatestone Grande line. They come in two sizes and four colors.

Makita created the 18V X2 LXT (36V) Cordless 1-9/16 Rotary Hammer with AWS (Autostart Wireless System) and AVT (Anti-Vibration Technology).

Mockett rolled out the DP128 line of drawer pulls. It’s a style that fits both classic and contemporary cabinetry, the company says.

DaVinci Roofscapes released its Nature Crafted Collection, designed to mimic real shake shingles. They come in three colors.

Royal Building Products announced its 2018 Exterior Color Palette of the Year.

LiftMaster introduced the 8500W DC Battery Backup Wall Mount WiFi Residential Garage Door Opener.

FauxWoodBeams rolled out new Custom Reclaimed beams and mantels made from polyurethane.

NanaWall Systems announced the arrival of SL73, a series of glass walls with reinforced structural posts that the company says meets and exceeds Miami-Dade AAM standards.

Cali Bamboo launched GeoWood, an engineered hardwood that layers real timber over the a limestone composite foundation.

Dynaflex Ultra is the newest advanced exterior sealant from DAP Products. It resists dirt and mildew and can be painted within an hour of application, the company says.

Sierra Pacific Windows will roll out this spring a FeelSafe Bi-fold Door, while its FeelSafe Push-Out Casement will be available leter this year.

See Day 1, Day 2, and Day 3 roundups of products introduced at IBS and KBIS.

Kleer Lumber is adding an outside corner to its lineup of trim components with an integrated nailing flange. The system includes a flat trimboard, a J-channel brick, and the new corners.

Kingspan Insulation now makes its GreenGuard extruded polystyrene insulation board product offering in thicknesses of 3 inches and 4 inches in select 25, 40 and 60 psi compressive strength boards. It also introduced and a four-sided routed drainage channel board.

Boral expanded its TruExterior Bevel Siding line with the addition of beaded bevel and rabbeted bevel.

California Faucets premiered a new line of Ultra-Thin Showerheads that measure just 5/16-inch thick.

Oldcastle Architectural debuted Mirage Porcelain Veneers for vertical applications such as outdoor walls and wall coverings. The new line coordinates with several items in Oldcastle’s Belgard porcelain paver collection for mixing and matching.

Derby Building Products’ Tando unit rolled out Signature Stain Shake. Its real semi-transparent wood stain delivers “a look that is identical to actual stained wood shakes without any of the required upkeep,” the company says. In addition, Tando’s Beach House Shake is now available in two additional colors: Hatteras, a mid-tone gray; and Pacifica, which resembles western red cedar.

Kolbe Windows introduced several new products at IBS: 1) A VistaLuxe Collection flush style, custom mull unit has an awning mulled above and below a direct set with performance divided lights. 2) A VistaLuxe Complementary four-wide, sliding patio door features 5-by-8-foot bi-parting panels that are controlled through a Summit Automation electronic operator and integrates with wall switches, keypads, mobile devices or home automation systems. 3) A VistaLuxe Complementary multi-slide door spanning over 15 by 9 feet has an Onyx exterior, a Coal Black interior and Matte Black Madison handle sets. 4) A 6-by-9-foot Heritage Series inswing door with sidelites and custom wrap transom incorporates electronic multi-point hardware that is activated with a fingerprint swipe. Making these a great choice for one of the 20018 best home construction remodeling products.

See 14 Products that our editors saw on the first day of IBS and KBIS 2018.

Yale Locks & Hardware launched the Yale Assure Lock for Andersen hinged patio doors.

Kingspan Insulation expanded its GreenGuard extruded polystyrene insulation board product family with additional thicknesses of 3 inches and 4 inches in select 25, 40 and 60 psi compressive strength boards, and a new 4-sided routed drainage channel board for roofing applications.

Ply Gem rolled out new MaxView, EuroSeries, and 4880 Series doors, which it said “push the boundaries of affordable luxury and advanced fenestration performance with bigger, stronger and more flexible glass walls.”

Jeld-Wen launched Aurora customer fiberglass doors with wind zone 3 certification, prefinishing options, Siteline replacement wood windows, and a new Birkdale interior door with three, equal-sized flat panels.

Chief Architect Software rolled out X10, the new version of its architectural design and drafting software.

Huber Engineered Woods introduced a 28-inch long-barrel, non-stick, spray-foam applicator gun for applying AdvanTech subfloor adhesive application. It also launched a new ZIP System tape roller with a tape marker for rolling accuracy.

Trim-Tex announced fire-rated 093V tape that swells in response to heat, sealing the gap in case of fire.

Boise Cascade unveiled AJS 24 FMJ, a ready-to-install I-Joist for unfinished residential basements that’s certified to provide fire protection for residential floors.

Royal Building Products introduced Conceal Column Wraps, with three pre-assembled sides that surround the existing post for a seamless appearance. The fourth side is applied to enclose the entire column. In addition, Royal unveiled its Cedar Renditions by Royal Design Series, an aluminum profile that offers a modern, streamlined presence for residential and light commercial applications.

Larson Manufacturing recently introduced Scenix porch windows with Screen Away retractable screens.

Tamko Building Products announced its roofing products are now options in Hover’s product library. It also announced a new website, TAMKOWaterproofing.com, to provide contractors with quick, easy access to essential product information.

Starting in early 2018, Weather Shield will offer 34 new handle sets available in a range of styles and finishes for the doors within its Contemporary Collection, Premium Series, and Premium Coastal product lines.

Roxul changed its name in North America to Rockwool.

See also Ten More Products That Will Debut at IBS.

Kolbe Windows & Doors rolled out new folding windows in its Ultra, Heritage, and VistaLuxe Complementary series and quad sliding windows in its Ultra and VistaLuxe Complementary series.

Kohler unveiled Kohler Konnect, a new platform that it says introduces voice-command technology into the bathroom.

At IBS, DuPont Safety & Construction will introduce FlexWrap EZ, an adhesive tape for sealing penetrations in the building envelope.

The Post-it Brand has created Post-it Extreme Notes, specifically designed for the construction industry.

Universal Forest Products expanded its line of UFP-Edge Charred Wood shiplap and trim boards with seven new colors.

Icynene unveiled two new high-performance light density spray foam insulation products: Icynene Classic Ultra and Icynene Classic Ultra Select.

DaVinci Roofscapes will preview at IBS it new Nature Crafted Collection of shake shingle colors as well as its Top Down Color visualizer, an online tool.

James Hardie launched the Aspyre Collection, pairing the profiles of its Artisan siding with the Reveal Panel System.

Haas Doors is premiering a new Decorative Glass collection with three designs, each in bi-directional wood grain steel.

Bosch Home Appliance introduced its first black stainless steel kitchen suite, consisting of nine separate pieces. The first to roll out will be a black stainless steel dishwasher.

Porter-Cable introduced the 20V MAX Table Top Wet Tile Saw and the 7-inch Table Top Wet Tile Saw.

M.K. Morse now sells Morse Metal Devil Diamond Edge Cut-off Wheels for metal cutting.

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FREE Outdoor Living Plans

Simply open any of the do it yourself plans, then customize them to fit your specific needs. Quickly print your plans or email them to your favorite contractor. This is one of the easiest ways to start building your tree house. These projects are great for utilizing the Q1 2018 best home construction remodeling products.

Cad Pro’s best home construction remodeling products design software is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive CAD software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

Appraisal Institute data shows that home improvements focused on the outside of a property are most likely to result in a positive cost-to-value ratio therefore making them cost effective outdoor landscape renovation projects that help homeowner valuation.

The Appraisal Institute, the nation’s largest professional association of real estate appraisers, today encouraged homeowners to prioritize cost effective outdoor landscape renovation projects when seeking to increase their potential return on investment.

Cost Effective Outdoor Landscape Renovation Projects Data

“The latest data shows that home improvements focused on the outside of a property are most likely to result in a positive cost-to-value ratio,” said Appraisal Institute President James L. Murrett, MAI, SRA. “However, spending money on renovations doesn’t necessarily generate a dollar-for-dollar return. Bottom line: cost doesn’t necessarily equal value.” Therefore be sure you perform cost effective outdoor landscape renovation projects.

According to Remodeling magazine’s most recent Cost vs. Value report, the projects with the highest expected return on investment are manufactured stone veneer, steel entry door replacement, wooden deck addition and minor kitchen remodel. Other projects with potential payoffs, according to the report, are siding replacement and universal design bathroom.

The longer a homeowner stays in a property, the greater the opportunity for a return on investment. Murrett advocated that homeowners considering improvement projects compare the planned renovation to what’s typical in the local area and should design cost effective outdoor landscape renovation projects.

“Renovations that elevate a property well in excess of community norms are typically not worth the cost when the owner sells the home,” Murrett said.

CAD Software for Cost Effective Outdoor Landscape Renovation Projects

Common landscape symbols and their proper use can assist you in the creation process of your landscape designs. CAD Pro includes a variety of pre-drawn landscape symbols and landscape auto-shapes which save time and money. You can also create any type of custom landscape symbols you may require and save them as landscape symbols for future use, therefore saving time and money.

DIY Cost Effective Outdoor Landscape Renovation Projects

Simply open any of the CAD Pro do-it-yourself plans, then customize them to fit your specific needs. Quickly print your plans or email them to your favorite contractor. This is one of the easiest ways to start any cost effective outdoor landscape renovation projects!

Cad Pro is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive CAD landscape software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

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Gourmet kitchen design plan ideas for homeowners who actually cook and entertain. Today’s high-end kitchens aren’t just beautiful by design, they’re also efficient in their use. Homeowners that like to cook have some of the best gourmet kitchen design plan ideas.

There are two types of homeowners when it comes to remodeling today’s kitchens with gourmet kitchen design plan ideas: those who cook and those who don’t. While some prefer to have their kitchen be an Instagram-worthy room free of clutter and perfect for entertaining, others want a gourmet, or chef’s, kitchen that is designed with cooking in mind.

Gourmet kitchens aren’t the norm: The 2018 U.S. Houzz Kitchen and Trends Study found cooking from scratch ranked only fourth in homeowner interests. But if your clients like to cook, you have a potentially big project on your hands. The first step to creating that gourmet kitchen will be to find room for a sink area, range center, and refrigerator zone.

Sink Area for Gourmet Kitchen Design Plan Ideas

Although the National Kitchen + Bath Association (NKBA) found in its 2018 design trend report that the three trendiest kitchen sink styles are undermount (92%), single-bowl (81%), and farmhouse (81%), there is another style perfect for gourmet kitchens: a workstation sink. Also known as a prep sink, it’s a longer undermount sink, sometimes with dual faucets, that incorporates areas on the sides for cutting boards, straining, racks, and other accessories. It’s important that gourmet kitchen design plan ideas always include a very functional sink area.

A powerful dishwasher should also be present in the sink area. In certain cases, gourmet kitchens may have dual dishwashers, used for different purposes. Dishwasher third racks have also become popular in recent years, as consumers crave an easier way to load small items like ramekins, spatulas, and whisks.

Range Center for Gourmet Kitchen Design Plan Ideas

Gas ranges with four to eight burners and a griddle are typical in a chef’s kitchen, but chefs and master kitchen designers are now saying that induction cooktops are becoming more popular. For a more professional look, designers will dress up the ventilation hood above. People want a statement range in their gourmet kitchen design plan ideas. With an oversized hood as their focal point.

In a small kitchen, you’ll have to be creative. To add more counter space, a roll-out counter within a nearby cabinet and topped with a butcher block and a pull.

Other appliances, such as ovens, warming drawers, built-in microwaves and coffee machines, will also live in the range center, but the appliance package will differ based on each client.

Refrigerator Zone for Gourmet Kitchen Design Plan Ideas

Homeowners may opt to have a higher-end fridge with an air purification system and vacuum-seal door to help preserve the quality of freshness.

Silver stainless steel remains supreme in finishes, but appliance manufacturers are debuting black and matte-black stainless. Glass door fridges are also an option, to provide visibility into the appliance. Homeowners may choose to integrate or overlay the fridge to streamline the overall look of the kitchen.

Another common appliance in gourmet kitchens is a beverage or wine cooler. These can vary from refrigerator-height to smaller under-counter installations.

Manufacturers will continue to innovate with refrigeration and other appliances. Many have already released smart appliances that connect with the home’s wireless internet, but homeowners haven’t caught on just yet.

CAD Software for Gourmet Kitchen Design Plan Ideas

CAD Pro helps you plan and complete any type of gourmet kitchen design with intuitive smart floor plan tools and kitchen design plans software symbols.

Share your gourmet kitchen remodeling designs and plans with clients or contractors using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

Cad Pro’s gourmet kitchen remodeling software is an affordable and easy alternative to other more expensive CAD software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

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According to data from Metrostudy’s top 10 housing markets, Americans are learning to live with less floor plan space, therefore asking the question are home design floor plans shrinking?

Housing data over the past decade shows that when it comes to home design floor plans, bigger is not necessarily better. The size of the average American home took a big hit during the Great Recession, and the trend toward smaller homes is continuing even though the market has recovered, according to Metrostudy data.

In fact, the average home size in the country’s top 15 housing markets has declined over the past two years, with significant dips in Charlotte, N.C., and Washington, D.C., where home sizes diminished by 246 and 122 square feet, respectively again asking are home design floor plans shrinking. Across the nation’s most desirable residential markets, buyers are opting for less space and not just in major metro areas such as Los Angeles, New York, and D.C.; the trend includes places like Houston and Dallas, where everything’s supposed to bigger and land is more plentiful. In these markets customers usually don’t ask the question, are home design floor plans shrinking?

Smart Designs ask Are Home Design Floor Plans Shrinking

Thanks to smart home design solutions from builders and architects, home buyers don’t have to sacrifice the creature comforts and amenities to right-size. “In Charlotte, we are developing smaller designs as a result of higher land costs and reduced lot size, as well as a perceived need for greater demand by millennial, first-time buyers. Empty-nesters are also driving the question are home design floor plans shrinking, while demanding open floor plans with master-down and ranch designs that deal efficiently with space.”

Are Home Design Floor Plans Shrinking

Average Home Design Floor Plan Sizes in these Top New-Home Markets.

Houston, TX 2,179 sq. ft.
Dallas/Fort Worth, TX 2,165 sq. ft.
Phoenix/Scottsdale, AZ 2,061 sq. ft.
Atlanta, GA 2,294 sq. ft.
District of Columbia/Northern Virginia, 2,429 sq. ft.
Charlotte, NC 2,150 sq. ft.
Orlando, FL 2,056 sq. ft.
Austin, TX 2,148 sq. ft.
Metro Area, NY 1,972 sq. ft.
Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN 1,872 sq. ft.

Custom home builder design software from CAD Pro has helped thousands of contractors and custom home builders streamline their workflow while producing professional designs for clients and colleagues.

Cad Pro’s custom home builder design software is an affordable and easy alternative to other CAD software programs. Cad Pro is great for creating custom home plans, building plans, office plans, construction details, and much more.

Share your custom home plans and designs with clients or team members using Dropbox®, Google Drive™, OneDrive®, and SharePoint®. Export files to Microsoft Word®, Excel®, and PowerPoint® with a single click.

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Tiny Homes Reversing New Housing Crisis