In the building industry — and really in all industries — impartial third-party information is rare and precious. Builders, though, may have a leg up. That’s not to say that the information that will come out of the NAHB Research Center’s new product testing laboratory and market research facility will be infallible … but it’s a good start.

At the recent grand opening of the Upper Marlboro, Md.-based facility, onlookers saw some innovative testing environments. There’s a humidity and hurricane testing station, which weighs products’ ability to stand up to the elements. There’s a surveillance area, which provides a bird’s eye view of exactly how easy or difficult products are to install during construction — if it’s a huge hassle, the struggles will be captured by cameras and recorded on NAHB Research Center DVRs. There’s a sunlight testing area that assesses the wear and tear of outdoor speakers, controls and such. There’s even a state-of-the-art market research area, where consumers feedback is obtained and recorded.

Skeptical builders, however, will always wonder: Is the information trustworthy or is it an elaborate extension of manufacturer partners’ marketing? For builders looking for reliable third-party market research and evaluation of products, Mike Luzier, president of NAHB Research Center, says the lab is a good source. He calls it “an accredited third-party test lab and certification agency,” and adds that it’s “accredited by IAS, NAVLAP and others to ensure we are knowledgeable and proficient in testing for all the test methods we run.”

The NAHB Research Center has an intimate relationship with the building community given its ties with the National Association of Home Builders. The mission of the Research Center, according to Luzier, is to “improve the quality and affordability of housing by promoting innovation in housing technology.” If it wasn’t true to that ideal, he says, the 40-year-old organization would have gone out of business years ago. “Had we not been objective and reliable, our clients would have stopped coming to us a long time ago.”

Builders might wonder how to take advantage of that “objective and reliable” information. One way is by simply noticing third-party product certifications. The NAHB Research Center provides certification to a number of manufacturers of plumbing fixtures, insulation materials, oriented strand board and plastic lumber. If products have an NAHB Research Center stamp, they’re certified.

“Looking for the mark is the best way for a builder or trade contractor to be sure they are getting a product that meets or exceeds the necessary standards,” says Bob Hill, director of laboratory and certification services for NAHB Research Center.

He explains that manufacturers participating in the NAHB Research Center certification program are listed at www.nahbrc.org. “Most of the testing we do for manufacturers is done under contract and the data is proprietary,” he explains. “However, some research testing is conducted with public funding and the result of that work is available in the public arena. The best way to review the public research information is via our technology information site, www.toolbase.org.” TecHome Builder provides a glimpse at some of the more innovative areas in the NAHB Research Center’s product testing laboratory and market research facility.

Stand Clear
Testing building products can be a dangerous business. The NAHB Research Center calls this the Wind Blown Debris Simulator or the Air Cannon. And yes, it simulates hurricane conditions by firing debris at building materials to see how it holds up.

The “missile” most commonly used is an 8-foot long 2x4, according to Hill. “The cannon can shoot the 2x4 with enough force and velocity to penetrate plywood,” he says. “It can also shoot smaller projectiles to simulate smaller debris that might strike taller buildings.” He adds: “Impact resistant windows and doors and storm shutters would typically be tested with the air cannon.”

Rainy Day Activities
If David Blaine really wants to dazzle his audience, he should try spending time inside the NAHB Research Center’s Wind Blown Rain Chamber. He might not come out, though. The chamber can be pressurized to simulate wind loading on a structure in both positive and negative pressures. It’s used to test full-size windows, doors and wall systems for air infiltration, water intrusion and structural performance. Hill explains that the chamber also contains a series of spray nozzles designed to simulate rain on the product being tested.

“The combination of pressure and water spray simulates the performance of the products in a driving rain storm,” he says. “Besides testing windows and doors themselves, the equipment can also test the effectiveness of the installation instructions and auxiliary materials and products, such as flashing.”

Eye in the Sky
The words “easy to install” appear in countless product brochures. Builders and installers no longer have to believe it — they can check to see if it’s true. The NAHB Research Center product testing laboratory includes a gallery from which evaluators can watch products be installed by professionals in simulated construction environments.

“It’s a unique setup because nowhere else can you find a market research facility that combines real-time testing and installation with focus groups and roundtables,” Hill says. “We have six cameras that can be directed from many angles to record the observations in digital video. … The observation video obtained during testing and focus groups can be streamed anywhere in the world, live via the Internet, allowing us to serve clients anywhere. We also have helmet cams that can be angled and focused by observers.”

This feature of the Lab is essential, according to Hill, because it allows interested parties to get beyond what manufacturers say about themselves. He says there are “inherent filters” that manufacturers use when speaking about their products. “This allows us to see it in action — a test drive, if you will, of what would occur once the products are placed in the market for use.”

Flushing Out Problems
To ensure safe and reliable performance of plumbing products, the NAHB Research Center created a procedure for testing the plastics in plumbing fixtures.

“All of the tests are designed to simulate situations that the product might encounter during its life in a home,” Hill explains. “For example, the products are exposed to common household stains and chemicals and checked for the ability to remove the stain. The surface is scrubbed 10,000 times to make sure the product can be repeatedly cleaned up. And products are tested for cracking due to thermal cycling (hot/cold thermal shock) and durability in boiling water.”

Plastics, meanwhile, can also suffer fading when exposed to the sun. So, the NAHB Research Center created a process for testing that, too. “We use a xenon arc machine to simulate exposure to sunlight and check the color before and after 200 hours of exposure to make sure the product color has not faded.”

Typical plumbing-related products that the NAHB Research Center tests are bath tubs, whirlpool tubs, shower stalls, shower pans, vanities and kitchen sinks.