Three Categories to Watch in Home Improvement

1ODORLESS PAINT

Everyone knows paint fumes aren’t healthy, but now a main source of those fumes has been identified: volatile organic compounds, or VOC. That’s the reason paint suppliers are coming out with indoor paint brands that tout its low VOC content, which means they emit less toxins and less odor. Suppliers like Glidden have entered the low VOC market with paints that contain as little as 50 grams of VOC per liter compared to the average of 380 grams per liter in most paints. And low VOC paints also reduce the turnaround time for re-entering a painted room.

2DIY HOME SECURITY

Home security systems are a fixture in more homes now that they’ve become less expensive and easy to install, and the GE Intellicorder from JASCO is a prime example.

The surveillance camera installs in any standard peephole and records what’s happening on the other side of the door to its internal memory or a removable SD card. And the system saves energy by only switching on when its built-in motion detector senses movement on the other side of the door. The GE Intellicorder is available at The Home Depot and other retailers at a suggested retail price of $299.

3HIGH-PERFORMANCE GLUE

Gorilla Glue was an instant hit last year with home repair enthusiasts but the venerable Elmer’s glue company responded in kind with Elmer’s Ultimate.

The new glue is polyurethane-based and expands as its cures, just like Gorilla Glue, and can be used on multiple surfaces including wood, brick and metal. And in a nod to its new competitor, Elmer’s is using a snorting bull on its packaging to project a tough image for a glue it claims can “Bond Anything to Anything.”