HACKETTSTOWN, NJ A revised set of health and safety protocols, including COVID-19 vaccination requirements and/or proof of a negative coronavirus test result, have been issued for the 2022 Design & Construction Week (DCW), the annual three-day event that encompasses the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) and the International Builders’ Show (IBS).

The National Kitchen & Bath Association, which owns KBIS, and the National Association of Home Builders, owner of IBS, this week released the revised protocols for DCW, set for Feb. 8-10 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The guidelines, effective as of Oct. 11, apply to all attendee and exhibitor registrants for both KBIS and IBS, and are subject to revision, event sponsors noted.

“The safety and wellbeing of our attendees, partners, exhibitors, site workers and staff remains our top priority, said DCW organizers, adding that they are “working with our vendors, partners and the Orange County Convention Center to…deliver a safe and productive environment in which to conduct business.”

“As we get closer to returning to an in-person event, we continue to update our health and safety policies based upon current recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state of Florida and local Orlando health authorities, event organizers added. “We will continue to monitor their recommendations and will update relevant information as needed.”

Among the following health and safety protocols to be adhered to are the following:

n All registered attendees and exhibitors will be required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result within five days of attending the show. Two types of negative tests are acceptable: polymerase chain reaction, referred to as “PCR” (also called diagnostic or molecular), or rapid antigen test (also referred to as a “rapid test”).

n Any one of the following will be accepted for entry (when accompanied by a valid government issued photo ID): electronic proof of a negative test result through a show-management approved app, or a printed or digital copy of negative COVID-19 test results, written in English, that indicates the type of test administered and includes the name of the person in question and the date the test was administered. Per CDC guidelines, negative COVID-19 test results are valid for five days, meaning that the negative test must have been completed no earlier than Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022, in order to be accepted for entry for all three show days. If an individual is unable or unwilling to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test result, proof of full COVID-19 vaccination prior to entry will suffice.

n Show attendees, exhibitors and others will be required to wear a face mask regardless of vaccination status when riding on an official show hotel shuttle and when indoors at the OCCC from move-in through move-out and at other show related venues.

n U.S. domestic residents will be considered fully vaccinated if they have completed two doses of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or one dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. International travelers who have completed full regimens of vaccines approved for emergency use by the World Health Organization (WHO) will be considered fully vaccinated.

Show management said it is “continuously monitoring guidance from the CDC and state/local health authorities” and reserves the right to adjust the shows’ health & safety protocols “as relevant recommendations and tradeshow industry standards evolve.”

“Guidance related to large gatherings relative to COVID-19 and associated variants continues to change,” DCW organizers said. “What will remain constant is the commitment of the NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) and NKBA’s Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) and to the health and safety of attendees, exhibitors, partners and staff at our shows.”

Additional details regarding the health and safety Policies for Design and Construction Week can be found at: http://www.designandconstructionweek.com/healthsafety.html.

 

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CAMBRIDGE, MA “Strong growth” in home improvement and maintenance expenditures is expected to continue over the coming year, according to the Leading Indicator of Remodeling Activity (LIRA), released last month by the Remodeling Futures Program at the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University.

The LIRA projects year-over-year gains in annual improvement and repair spending will reach 9% in the fourth quarter of this year and maintain that pace into 2022. Annual improvement and repair expenditures by homeowners could reach $400 billion by the third quarter of 2022, according to the Joint Center, which warned that “several headwinds” – including the rising costs of labor and building materials, as well as increasing interest rates – “could still taper expected growth.”

“Residential remodeling continues to benefit from a strong housing market with elevated home construction and sales activity and immense house price appreciation in markets across the country,” said Carlos Martín, project director of the Remodeling Futures Program at the Cambridge, MA-based Joint Center. “The rapid expansion of owners’ equity is likely to fuel demand for more and larger remodeling projects into next year.”

In related remodeling market news:

n The U.S. building products market will continue building on its “exponential growth” of the past two years, gaining an additional 2.9% from 2023 through 2025, with the professional sector increasing by 4.6%, according to a newly released forecast by the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI). The Indianapolis-based HIRI predicted that the total U.S. building products market will increase by 13% in 2021 over the previous year, with the professional sector growing by 18.2%. The total building products market is forecast to grow an additional 2.3% in 2022, with the professional sector growing by 7.1%, HIRI added.

n Businesses in the residential construction and remodeling sectors anticipate “strong activity” through the balance of 2021, although many companies report steady increases in backlogs since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with wait times of nearly three months before new projects can begin, according to the Q4 2021 Houzz Renovation Barometer, a quarterly gauge that tracks market expectations, project backlogs and recent activity among U.S businesses in the construction and architectural/design services sectors. Results of the survey were released last month by Houzz Inc., the Palo Alto, CA-based online platform for home remodeling and design.

“Confidence prevails across the industry through year-end,” said Marine Sargsyan, Houzz senior economist. “We’ve seen some settling of home renovation and design activity following record high performance earlier in the year, yet many businesses are struggling to catch up with heightened demand as they navigate supply chain challenges and labor availability, leading to record-long backlogs.”

n Demand for remodeling remains strong, and remodelers “are doing quite well as long as they can adequately deal with material and labor shortages,” according to the latest Remodeling Market Index (RMI) compiled by the National Association of Home Builders. The NAHB last month released its NAHB/Royal Building Products Remodeling Market Index (RMI) for the third quarter of 2020, posting a reading of 87, up five points from the third quarter of 2020. The finding “is a signal of residential remodelers’ confidence in their markets, for projects of all sizes,” the NAHB said.

“We are seeing strong demand and continued optimism in the residential remodeling market, despite the fact that supply constraints are severe and widespread,” said NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz.

 

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PALO ALTO, CA — Businesses in the residential construction and remodeling sectors anticipate “strong activity” through the balance of 2021, although many companies report steady increases in backlogs since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, along with wait times of nearly three months before new projects can begin.

That is the key finding of the Q4 2021 Houzz Renovation Barometer, a quarterly gauge that tracks market expectations, project backlogs and recent activity among U.S businesses in the construction and architectural/design services sectors. Results of the survey were released this week by Houzz Inc., the Palo Alto, CA-based online platform for home remodeling and design. The survey was fielded Sept. 28 through Oct. 8th, the company added.

“Confidence prevails across the industry through year-end, despite the ‘Expected Business Activity Indicator’ dipping slightly compared with the very high level posted last quarter,” said Marine Sargsyan, Houzz senior economist.

“We’ve seen some settling of home renovation and design activity following record high performance earlier in the year,” Sargsyan observed. “Yet many businesses are struggling to catch up with heightened demand as they navigate supply chain challenges and labor availability, leading to record-long backlogs.”

More than half of surveyed firms in both the construction and architectural and design services sectors report challenges with product and material shortages and increased costs as of the beginning of Q4, Houzz said.

While only half of businesses anticipated heightened costs for raw materials – such as lumber, copper, steel, plastic, and aluminum – more than two-thirds reported that these materials actually increased in cost over the past quarter. More than nine in 10 construction businesses reported moderate to severe skilled labor shortages, Houzz added.

 

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HACKETTSTOWN, NJ Entries are being accepted through Dec. 1 for the 2022 “Best of KBIS” Awards, an annual awards program that recognizes the most innovative new kitchen and bath products of the year, the National Kitchen & Bath Association announced.

According to the NKBA, owner of the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), products must have been introduced after Feb. 9, 2021 in order to be eligible for consideration. Categories include Kitchen–Gold; Kitchen–Silver; Bath–Gold; Bath–Silver; Connected Home Technology–Gold; Connected Home Technology–Silver; Best in Show, and Impact Award (Judge’s Choice).

The “Best of KBIS” awards ceremony will take place at the KBIS NeXT Stage in the South Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022, at the Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla.

Information can be obtained by visiting the NKBA’s website, www.nkba.org.

 

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How to Clean Silver with Frugal Silver Cleaner

Cleaning your antique and silver jewelry is very simple and easy. But only if you use the right products. The best way to ensure your pieces’ longevity is to use a frugal recipe for cleaning silver.

Instead of using harsh chemicals that might damage the finish or cause it to darken, this frugal silver cleaner uses common household ingredients like baking soda and vinegar.  This method of cleaning sterling silver is simple, cheap, and doesn’t use any heavy chemicals.

But how do you do it? This article will teach you how to clean sterling silver with a simple method that’s easy on your hands, as well as saving you money.

What You’ll Need

Aluminum foilGlass baking panBaking sodaSoft, clean white ragHot waterTwo tablespoon saltTea kettle or coffee pot for boiling water

Instructions

Line the Baking Pan with the Aluminum Foil in the Washtub

Lay down a layer of aluminum foil in the bottom of a large wash-tub for easy cleanup later. Fill your container with hot water, especially the boiling water from a coffee pot or any other container from which you can pour it safely. After that, place your jewelry on top of the aluminum foil.

Don’t worry if you don’t have aluminum foil, instead, use a clean aluminum lasagna-style baking dish. Make sure you throw away your dish after using it to clean the silver.

Cover Baking Pan with Boiling Water

Pour some boiling water into the baking pan that’s large enough to hold your silverware, until it’s more than halfway full. You will need more water if you’re cleaning heavily tarnished silver. This will help restore the shine to your silver, and it will also help the boiling water dissolve the grime.

dd Salt and Baking Soda

Sprinkle in two tablespoons of salt and two tablespoons of baking soda. After sprinkling baking soda, pour some boiling water to cover the jewelry in the pan and allow it to sit for a few minutes. 

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Your solution will bubble and smell. The chemical reaction will cause a sulfur smell, but will not be too strong as it will go away quickly once it’s done. You can also achieve a great silver polish by adding washing soda to hot water.

dd the Silver

Place your silver into the water and ensure they are touching the aluminum foil. However, the silver pieces should not touch each other. Add the dishwashing soap and let the silver set for about 12 hours. Use wooden or plastic utensils to turn over your solver pieces.

Do not use metal and avoid using your fingers in hot water to allow as many surfaces of the item to touch the aluminum foil. The chemical reaction taking place in the container should be able to eliminate dirt and stains.

Soak the Silver

Allow your silver to soak for about two to three minutes on each side. For lightly tarnished silver, you’ll require several minutes for it to be restored. But for heavily tarnished silver, you may require a few treatments. So, soak heavily tarnished items for as long as five minutes and if the water cools down, don’t hesitate to add more hot water, plus salt and baking soda.

Remove the Silver

Take your silver items out of the water. The tarnish should have already started to peel off, which means it’s time to clean the item with a gentle brush or towel. You can use a soft cloth or paper towel for this task in case you prefer not to use your hands in hot water. 

Once your silver is clean, remove it from the pan then rinse it with clean water. Let it air dry before storing away. Never use gloves when you’re cleaning silver as this may cause the items to become scratched. 

Tips for Keeping Your Silver Clean for Long

Shine and Polish

You need to keep your silver jewelry shiny all the time with a quick and routine washing using warm water and mild dishwashing soap. Swish your jewelry around in the water for some minutes, rinse, and then buff dry.

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void Bleach and Harsh Chemicals

You must not use your silver jewelry with cleaning detergent and bleach that can ruin their surface. Some jewelers suggest using vinegar and baking soda for brightening the silver’s finish when cleaned at home. Vinegar is also safe for all metals, including sterling silver, but if you do not feel comfortable using it, commercial silver cleaners are also good.

Store Your Silver Jewelry in a Dry Location

Never expose your jewelry to direct sunlight or heat because it can cause tarnishing when the metal reacts with sulfur and other chemicals in the air. Store your items in a dry location if you are not wearing them regularly to stop tarnishing too. 

Also, do not put your silver pieces away when they are still damp. Moisture causes silver to tarnish faster, so make sure your pieces are completely dry before storing them.

Soak the Naturally in Sea Salt

Leave the metal pieces in sea salt overnight, especially if you have already tried all-purpose cleaning products and have not noticed any improvements. Seawater is known for its high volume of natural salts that can help remove tarnish very easily. This helps clean silver naturally without damaging it.

Salt and baking soda are great cleaning products to use when you want to make your own silver polish. Combine one part salt with two parts baking soda, put them on a cloth or paper towel, and apply the mixture directly onto tarnished silver pieces. 

Rub the piece gently to remove any signs of tarnishing, rinse off all the mixture, and dry the piece with a clean cloth. This homemade silver cleaner will remove tarnish without harming your silver plating.

Use Toothpaste

Toothpaste also can be used in a pinch when a silver cleaner is not available. Apply a small amount of toothpaste onto a dry cloth or paper towel and apply it directly to the piece that you would like to clean. Gently rub the silver in a circular motion, rinse with water, and dry with a clean cloth. This method will remove tarnish from the silver piece without scratching it.

After you are finished cleaning your silver, make sure to properly store them so they do not tarnish again. Keep the pieces in air-tight containers and place a piece of tissue paper on top of the container before sealing it. This will help absorb any moisture that may seep into the container and cause tarnish.

Use Your Silver Jewelry

It’s recommended to use silver jewelry and silverware more often as this will prevent them from tarnishing. Be sure to wipe each piece before you put it away and seal it properly in a container. If your silver is already tarnished, it may be too late for simple cleaning.  If this is the case, consider taking a trip to see a professional who can remove the tarnish from your silver effectively.

FAQs on How to Clean Silver with Frugal Silver Cleaner

Can you use silver cleaner on sterling silver?

 Yes, you can use silver cleaner on sterling silver. This silver cleaner quickly removes tarnish and restores shine and brilliance to your silverware.

How often do you clean your silverware?

You should be cleaning your silverware at least once per week in order to prevent tarnish. This is not only for aesthetic reasons, but because the chemicals used in most silverware can actually eat away at your skin and cause reactions that will be costly to treat.

Final Thought on How to Clean Silver with Frugal Silver Cleaner

Improper cleaning of your antique silver plate and good-quality silver jewelry can make it lose value. Therefore, it’s important to know how to clean silver and the correct way of cleaning it. If you’re in doubt about how to clean your valuable silver, it may be best to call in professional help.

 

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CHARLOTTE — SEN Design Group, the Charlotte, NC-based buying group and business education resource, has begun accepting registrations for its industry-specific Business School, to be held in-person Nov. 8-11 at theMART in Chicago.

The four-day event, sponsored by Custom Wood Products and Bridgewood Cabinetry, is aimed at empowering owners and executives in the kitchen and bath industry with business management tools aimed at growing their businesses, according to SEN.

“The Business School is the kitchen and bath firm owner’s opportunity to move the needle in their organizations. It’s a truly transformational, poignant program that brings industry owners and partners to the next level,” said Dan Luck, SEN Design Group’s senior v.p.

“The program covers critical topics to maximize returns, master financials, leverage marketing strategies, improve personnel relations and implement proven methods to quickly and profitably grow kitchen and bath businesses,” Luck said.

According to SEN Business School, attendees “will develop strong strategic planning skills and learn how to manage business financials, build a successful commission system, learn how to forecast sales, create an effective pricing formula, increase profits, build a powerful sales team, win bank financing requests, develop a three-year budget and more.

Additional information can be obtained by visiting www.SENDesignGroup.com.

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INDIANAPOLIS — The U.S. building products market will continue building on its “exponential growth” of the past two years, gaining an additional 2.9% from 2023 through 2025, with the professional sector increasing by 4.6%, according to a newly released forecast by the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI).

The Indianapolis-based HIRI predicted that the total U.S. building products market will increase by 13% in 2021 over the previous year, with the professional sector growing by 18.2%. The total building products market is forecast to grow an additional 2.3% in 2022, with the professional sector growing by 7.1%, HIRI added.

“The home improvement industry had explosive growth during the coronavirus pandemic, due primarily to DIY projects, but that may now be driven by pros,” said HIRI Research Director Matthew Craig, adding that growth in the DIY sector is expected to decline as an overall share of home improvement product sales in 2022, since “many homeowners completed planned projects throughout this year and the last.”

However, growth “will continue further in the professional products market as COVID-19 restrictions ease and projects put on hold resume, HIRI said.

“The strong home improvement outlook provided by pandemic behavior has been given new life by improved employment gains, increased access to vaccinations and additional stimulus measures,” said HIRI. “A continuing strong economy suggests that spending (in the professional sector) will improve, as households feel more comfortable with contractors in their home.”

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CHICAGO – LX Hausys America Inc. unveiled new brand identities for its  HIMACS Solid Surface and Viatera Quartz Surface brands, and a new brand identity for its resilient floorcovering line of products, HFLOR, at NeoCon last week. The new brand identities reflect the company’s name change this summer from LG Hausys America to LX Hausys America.

The new name is a result of the company’s position within the recently established LX Holdings Corp. The holding company is a globally diversified organization recently spun off from LG Group, the South Korean multinational conglomerate best known for its advanced consumer electronics.

Concurrent with the name change, the company introduced a new logo. It pays homage to the company’s roots, looks to the future and embodies the organization’s management philosophy: “Link to a sustainable future.” Of significance, the “X” within the LX Hausys logo is intersected with an ascending diagonal line, which is a visual representation of the company accelerating into the future, notes the firm.

An ascending diagonal line is now found within each brand logo. This subtle design treatment creates a unified look between the company and its three brands, the company continues. It also ensures the company’s mission for creating a more sustainable future is consistently visually represented across its portfolio of brands.

 

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