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

 
Shaw Hospitality Group

shawhospitalitygroup.com
Shaw Hospitality Group offers hardwood floor, modular tile, and an extensive selection of commercial carpeting in a wide range of colors, patterns, and piles through its website, www.shawhospitalitygroup.com. Now, the site also offers the Dash Online Custom Tool, an easily navigable system that affords architects and interior designers the opportunity to produce carpet to their own size and design specifications. Paper and carpet strikes of these designs are available to the site’s registered users. Shaw Hospitality Group also offers a line of products aimed at helping architects achieve LEED status, including products manufactured with reclaimed hardwood and re-used nylon fibers.

 
 
Thyssenkruppelecator.com

kolbe-kolbe.com
The newest feature of kolbe-kolbe.com, the online home of Kolbe Windows and Doors, is the Architect Library. This database aims to aid architects seek out the manufacturer’s ENERGY STAR rated products, understand the LEED rating system and USGBC Green Building standards, and access performance data for Kolbe products. Architects can also gain AIA Continuing Education credits through the Architect Library. While the site is not the most visually engaging, its centralization of important product and performance information can be an excellent resource for an architect in need.