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Redesign Makes ToolBase Web Site Easier to Use
 Completing a process that was initiated at the end of 2005, the NAHB Research Center announced last week that it has fully redesigned its ToolBase Services Web site to make it easier to use.
Provided by the Research Center with support from the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), ToolBase is aimed at accelerating the awareness of beneficial new home building technologies and updating building professionals on industry issues and research.
Enhancements to the site include repackaged information, color-coded Web pages and graphics, and easy-to-find tools to help users quickly locate what they need.
The site also features search engine optimization that improves navigation and increases the site’s compatibility with popular external search engines. Whether users enter the site on the home page or at any of the popular technology pages, the new design provides relevant information and helpful cross-references with one easy search.
Some of the site’s more specialized resources include:
- The PATH Technology Inventory. With an online listing of more than 150 advanced technologies and practices, the inventory provides a repository of reliable, non-commercial technical information for home builders and consumers. New features introduced early this year include Computer Assisted Design (CAD) drawings for more than 40 technologies that builders and architects can add to plans and online videos that further explain product benefits and demonstrate their installation. New up-and-coming technologies are continuously added to the list. Among the latest are wind power generators, combined heat and power units, attic hatch sealing and insulation, synthetic roof underlayment and advanced lighting controls.
- Field Evaluations. These place new technologies into residential construction projects across the country so that they can be evaluated under real-world conditions. Nearly 40 evaluations have been completed, covering all types of building systems — from electrical and HVAC to foundations.
- PATH TechSets. This new resource helps builders implement innovations in manageable systems-based packages. The sets are designed to take the guesswork out of choosing cost-effective technologies that can improve home quality and deliver a distinct market advantage.
- ToolBase TechNotes. These write-ups offer fundamental narratives on common issues builders want to know more about. Some recently introduced topics include copper pinhole leaks, termite protection, the benefits of structural insulated panels (SIPS), alternative materials and residential building diagnostic tools that can help builders improve the quality of their new homes. Each fact sheet includes a synopsis from experts at the Research Center and additional resources for more detailed information.
While the site is non-commercial and does not contain advertising, multi-level sponsorships are available that include enhanced links to the technical information builders, remodelers and trade contractors want — specification sheets, CAD details and installation videos — connecting them with manufacturers’ literature and product information.
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