Editor's Bookmarks - January 2008

Each month RECORD reviews building product related web sites and blogs that might be of interest to our readership. We visit each site, kick the tires a bit, and share what it is about and how it functions. Please let us know if there is a site you've found particularly useful, well-designed, or easy to navigate. — Rita Catinella Orrell

www.wicanderscorkoakblog.com
This blog is an interactive site where users can read Team Wicanders’ latest blog about cork flooring, and can post pictures, videos, and thoughts about their own experiences with Wicanders products. Visitors can select links to cork-related YouTube clips, articles about eco-friendly cork products and the health benefits of cork, and the latest case studies that feature cork flooring.

www.idesigncarpet.com
This new online carpet-design tool comes from Beaulieu Commercial, a carpet manufacturing company operating under the brands Bolyu Contract, Cambridge Commercial, and Aqua Hospitality. The site allows users to select an existing style from the three brands, customize the color, and then place it in a virtual room to test the design. Users can also save or print design samples easily, reducing the need for physical samples.

www.pbc-elevators.com
In response to buildings rising higher, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Canadian Standards Association developed the Performance Based Code for Elevator Safety, a supplement to the 2007 safety code. This user-friendly site enables visitors to explore this supplementary standardization of cutting-edge technology and the uniform safety codes that support it.

www.franklloydwrighttile.com
Motawi Tileworks now offers tiles inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs for decorative motifs and furnishings for his famous houses. The site details the sources for the various available designs and provides historical notes on the architect as well. One design is adapted from a watercolor schematic of a never-completed rug for the Avery Coonley House. The tiles are notched on the back and suitable for hanging or framing.