Having seen tremendous growth in homebuilding over the past several years, the flooring, painting, and tiling industries experienced record gains. Innovation in these key processes has allowed better processes, faster production, and great value for both professionals and homeowners.
Innovation and new technologies in wall and flooring tools—from painting products and tiling tools to drywall sanders and more—led to 2022 having more than a few representative award winners. Many of these new products improve productivity or add new ways of accomplishing common tasks. One thing holds true—each year these wall and flooring tools continue to improve and thrive.
Winner – Accessories
Shur-Line Between the Boards Painter
What they said:
The Shur-Line Between the Boards Painter is the easiest and fastest way for painting or staining between deck and fence boards. It features a tear-resistant, 6-inch wide flocked pad that is designed to provide excellent coverage and leaves a smooth finish. In addition, it features a threaded handle that fits most extension poles and is designed for use with all paints and stains.
With the release of the Between the Boards Painter tool, Shur-Line continues to develop new products that are easy to use and offer great results regardless of the skill of the painter or homeowner, making them ideal for homeowners and contractors alike. Since the inception of its first blade edger in the 1950s, Shur-Line has been the leader in designing convenience tools that make painting projects easier, faster, and even fun. The brand offers a full product line of brushes, roller covers, mini rollers, paint trays, poles, frames, surface prep, edging, and convenience tools.
What we say:
Trying to paint or stain between boards is a pain, especially when the gap is tight. Thanks to Shur-Line, there’s a simple and affordable solution. The Between the Boards Painter features a thin applicator that slips between boards and puts paint/stain where ordinary paintbrushes have no hope of reaching. And at just $7, it’s about the same price as a decent paintbrush.
Price: $7.00
For more information, click here.
Winner – Caulk Guns
OX Tools Pro Dual Thrust Caulk Gun OX-P045430
What they said:
The dual thrust caulk gun is designed to relieve RSI when working with caulk guns while still keeping the feel/control of a manual caulk gun. The switch from 12:1 to 24:1 thrust ratios helps compensate for weather, type of sealant, or fatigue. When caulk is colder, it is more difficult to squeeze, with warmer being the opposite, this caulk remains easy to squeeze regardless of the temperature. The mechanism of the caulk gun is also sealed in ABS plastic, keeping caulk, sealant, dust and debris out, allowing the gun to have a longer life span.
What we say:
Most caulk guns are pretty simple and force you to adjust for viscosity and temperature by varying the amount of strength coming from your hands. Ox Tool’s Pro Dual Thrust Caulk Gun offers a better way. With settings for 12:1 and 24:1 thrust ratios, you can dial it up when you more squeezing force or down when you need less. With Ox Tools, one caulk gun has you covered for every sealant all year long.
Price: $48
For more information, click here.
Winner – Cordless Caulk Guns
CRAFTSMAN V20 Cordless Caulk and Adhesive Gun CMCE600B
What they said:
The Craftsman V20 Cordless Caulk and Adhesive Gun provides the performance and feature set needed for an ideal user experience. Optimized power with up to 600 lbs of push force. This power is paired with great control by utilizing an easy-to-use variable speed dial with 6 speed positions. Additional features for ease of use include a rotating cartridge and hang hook.
What we say:
Manually squeezing out caulk and sealants is so last century. Craftsman is making them far easier to apply with the V20 Cordless Caulk and Adhesive Gun. With up to 600 pounds of pushing force and variable speeds to give you control, your hands will thank you. And with a price tag of just $49 for the bare tool, your wallet will, too.
Price: $49.00
For more information, click here.
Winner – Exterior Coatings
Ames Research Laboratories Capstone Granite
What they said:
Capstone Granite is a one-step, interior/exterior, water-based, acrylic coating with a multi-color blend of decorative chips for a “granite like” appearance. This coating is ideal for horizontal and vertical surfaces such as pool decks, porches, patios, decks, walkways, walls, and more.
What we say:
Give your exterior the look of natural stone without the hassle with Ames’ Capstone Granite. Capable of being applied on wood, concrete, or masonry, it’s as easy as loading into a hopper gun and leaves the appearance of solid stone. It’s available in 6 different color combinations, is non-toxic, eco-friendly, has low VOCs, and is a Made in the USA product.
Price: $295.00
For more information, click here.
Finalist
Winner – Interior Coatings
Daich Coatings LuxROCK Solid Surface Granite Countertop Kit
What they said:
The new LuxROCK Solid Surface Granite Countertop Kit adds a smooth, granite surface over countertops, tables, and vanities. Now available nationwide, the kit covers 40 square feet of space and retails for just $299.
“Forget about waiting weeks or months for real granite or stone specialists,” says Peter Daich, president of Daich Coatings. “This easy six-step DIY process totally revolutionizes how contractors can sidestep costly and complicated processes of adding real granite or solid surface slabs to their projects. Using the items in the kit, any existing flat surface can be upgraded in just two days. The result is a luxurious new stone surface that looks and performs just like real granite.”
According to Daich, the high-end appearance of the finished product has a smooth richness that rivals a professional granite countertop installation, at just a fraction of the price. The revolutionary LuxROCK product is available now on the Daich Coatings website with free shipping and will soon be available through major retailers.
Roll On Real Granite Richness
Each LuxROCK Solid Surface Granite Countertop Kit includes a prime coat, StoneSet coats, clear epoxy, and a clear coat finish. Tools needed for the project are included in the kit.
“LuxROCK is a functional and decorative blend of real stone, with stunning mineral highlights,” says Daich. “This project is exceptionally easy and you don’t need any artistic or technical skills to make the resurfacing project a success. “The best thing is that this is an extremely economical way to get authentic granite surface tops without the exorbitant price of installing slabs of granite. There’s no long wait time or messy construction with this kit. This is a fast way to make progress on a project and impress your clients.”
Named after real granite stones, the colors available in the LuxROCK kits include Galaxy Black, Platinum White, Basalt Mist (a dark gray), Crystal Quartz (a light gray), and Carrara (a creamy beige).
Saving Time and Hassles
“LuxROCK is a revolutionary real stone resurfacing system,” says Daich. “If you can use a paintbrush, you can transform surfaces into luxuriously smooth, solid sparkling granite beauty that will simply amaze your clients. Best of all, you’ll save thousands of dollars compared to installing traditional stone slabs. Your customers will appreciate both the savings and the stand-out appearance. Forget the hassles, supply chain problems, and subcontractor labor hassles. In just two days, you can brush on a solid surface granite countertop that will make a positive impact on your project!”
LuxROCK authentic stone surfaces resist stains, heat, and impact. Application of the product has low odor and low VOCs. Sinks, plumbing fixtures, and countertops do not need to be removed before applying this product to laminates, concrete, plywood, MDF, pre-coated, and solid surfaces. The final LuxROCK surface is food safe.
What we say:
Want to offer your clients the look and feel of granite without the cost, hassle, and wait time of ordering slabs? Daich Coatings’ LUXRock is a great alternative. With 6 steps over two days, you can coat existing surfaces with real stone offset with mineral highlights, leaving you with the look and feel of granite. If you’re thinking about tackling your countertops on your own, you don’t have to worry about taking out sinks during the process and everything you need—tools included—comes in the kit.
Price: $299
For more information, click here.
Winner – Spray Guns
PPG Industries HOMAX TEX>>PRO Texture System
What they said:
Meet the spraying power of PPG’s HOMAX TEX>>PRO Texture System. This innovative, proprietary texture sprayer and cartridge system makes the professional builders’ and remodelers’ job of spraying texture on interior walls and ceilings faster, lighter, and more cost-effective.
Hopper guns have changed very little in 40+ years. The creation of the TEX>>PRO system marks a much-needed improvement to the decades-old traditional hopper product and was designed by leveraging the findings of extensive market assessments, focus groups, and field trials. Heavy, unbalanced, and awkward hopper guns feature a top-mounted, funnel-shaped hopper that hold up to 25 pounds of texture which results in a heavy, nonergonomic design. Technological advancements of the TEX>>PRO system design include a sprayer that is 60% lighter when full and a neutral two-handed grip that allows greater ease of use of the sprayer. The TEX>>PRO sprayer weighs less than 10 pounds, while a full traditional hopper gun can weigh up to 27 pounds.
The lighter design replaces the top-heavy hopper funnel of traditional hoppers with a novel, fully-enclosed cartridge system balanced over a comfortable two-hand grip. The new design is easy-to-control and enables the operator to spray texture in any direction, often without climbing a ladder. Users can efficiently achieve consistent, high-quality results by adjusting the air pressure and spray tip from fine to coarse textures with minimal overspray.
Traditional hopper guns also require considerable time for setup and preparation. The user must mix drywall texture materials with water for desired consistency, often with two users required to work on mixing, filling, and spraying. The TEX>>PRO system turns texturing work into a one-person job, ensuring productivity and efficiency.
The system provides a 70% faster setup and clean-up than traditional hoppers, as it only takes 10 minutes to set up. Additionally, the system’s ready-to-use cartridges take the guesswork out of mixing. The TEX>>PRO system requires zero mix time compared to 30 minutes of mix time for traditional hoppers. Reloading the TEX>>PRO sprayer with the quart-sized cartridges is also fast and easy. It can be performed in less than a minute, whereas refilling a hopper gun involves a clumsy process of pouring texture from pails into the unsteady, top-mounted hopper.
Even post-project, the TEX>>PRO system saves time with a recommended dry time of four hours when under proper conditions. Also, the system eliminates much of the cleanup of tools and equipment because the user no longer needs to clean the bucket, mixing equipment, hopper, and gun of traditional methods.
The system saves customers approximately $100 per job. Since launching the product in early 2022, customers have enjoyed how the TEX>>PRO system frees up time and labor for other aspects of remodeling and building projects, which is especially crucial as contractors and builders navigate recent labor shortages.
What we say:
Say goodbye to your old messy hopper gun! PPG’s Homax TEX>>PRO is completely changing the way you texture. Instead of mixing and loading texture into the hopper, you simply pop the pre-mixed cartridge into the TEX>>PRO and spray away. It’s faster, lighter, more ergonomic, and cleanup is easier. The time savings alone will have the TEX>>PRO paying for itself in just a few jobs.
Price: $299.99
For more information, click here.
Winner – Cordless Sprayers
Graco FinishPro Cordless Airless Sprayer GX 19
What they said:
Introducing the new FinishPro GX 19 Cordless, the industry’s fastest and most portable finishing sprayer ever built! Designed to deliver full system performance with the freedom to work anywhere — even where power is not available.
The FinishPro GX 19 Cordless combines multiple patented technologies to deliver maximum power and ultimate portability on every job. The contractor-proven RAC X Fine Finish Low Pressure SwitchTip provides the Perfect Airless Finish at lower pressures and is delivered with Graco’s Contractor PC Compact – the smallest, lightest-weight airless spray gun on the market. Contractors now have the flexibility to spray in the tightest of areas with ease.
High-capacity DeWalt FlexVolt batteries allow contractors the ability to spray anywhere and deliver up to 6 gallons of spraying power with the compact, high-efficiency brushless DC motor. This sprayer includes 2 batteries for consistent, all-day spraying performance while charging in under 60 minutes.
What we say:
Graco is building on the success of its Cordless 390 PC paint sprayer and expanding with the Cordless GX 19. With performance that matches the corded GX 19 exactly, you can enjoy cordless freedom, and the two DeWalt FlexVolt batteries that come in the kit each can spray up to 6 gallons. With a 1-hour charge time, you’ll have one fully charged before the other is fully depleted, giving you continuous runtime all day. It’s another direct corded replacement for Graco that’s making painting more convenient.
Price: $1799.00
For more information, click here.
Winner – Tile Saws
RIDGID Beast 10″ Wet Tile Saw R4093
What they said:
The RIDGID The Beast 10 in. Wet Tile Saw features an innovative drop gate design which delivers unlimited rip cut capacity on plank and large format tile. When not using the drop gate, this saw features a 36 in. rip capacity, 24 in. diagonal cutting capacity, and a 3-1/2 in. depth of cut integrated onto a machined roller system which provides cleaner, more accurate cuts. The versatile overhead blade design can also make plunge cuts for electrical boxes and HVAC registers and can bevel at 0°, 22.5°, or 45°. This tool is backed by the industry’s best Lifetime Service Agreement, simply register within 90 days of purchase for FREE Parts, Free Service, For LIFE.
What we say:
Ridgid is no stranger to tile saws. Thanks to its history of introducing solid improvements and its attractive pricing structure, they’re one of the most popular tile saw brands you’ll see on jobsites around the country. The flagship Ridgid Beast 10-inch wet tile saw is launching its third version and there are some significant improvements. The biggest change comes on the rip capacity side of things. With the fence, you now get 36 inches instead of 34. But it gets better. The fence has a drop gate design and when you drop it down, you have unlimited rip capacity to deal with today’s longest cuts. With the best features of the previous version moving forward, Ridgid is making their best tile saw even better.
Price: $799.00
For more information, click here.