Aurora Natural Series

Homecrest Outdoor Living features the Aurora Natural Series available in the Stonegate and Timber Table Series. Aurora comes in 19 in. coffee and

24 ½ in. chat table heights; with a powerful 65,000 Btu burner, the heat will extend the outdoor season. Call (218) 631-1000 or visit www.homecrest.com.

EZ Outdoor Kitchen

Saber offers a new line of ready-to-assemble kitchen islands made of heavy-duty, powder-coated aluminum and stainless-steel components. Islands come in two configurations: the Outdoor Kitchen I Series features a built-in, three-burner infrared gas grill, 18,000 Btu dual-burner sideburner, a drop-in ice chest and a double access door under the grill.

The EZ Outdoor Kitchen R Series includes a built-in, three-burner infrared gas grill, an 18,000 Btu dual-burner sideburner, a 4.1 cu ft. outdoor rated stainless refrigerator, double drawer/door combination and an enclosed paper towel holder. Call (888) 947-2237 or visit www.sabergrills.com.

The First Wood Stove with a Programmable Thermostat

In not one, but two industry firsts, Quadra-Fire, a brand of Hearth and Home Technologies, introduces the only wood stove equipped with a programmable wall thermostat, along with a single-button control system for ultimate convenience. The new Adventure Series wood stove collection makes heating controllable, more cost efficient, and as simple to operate as a typical wall thermostat control.

The smartest wood stove ever

The Quadra-Fire Adventure Series stoves are built for performance and easy operation. The key to the advanced system is Quadra-Fire’s exclusive Smart Burn Technology (SBT). SBT is a patented technology that automatically controls the heat output of the stove.

Programmable wall thermostat – Input up to four different temperature schedules to operate during weekdays and weekends.

SBT Activation button – Eliminates all manual air controls and tells you when to add more wood.

Control board – The “brains” of the stove, this advanced control board gathers input and information, and automatically tells the stove what to do, and when to do it.

Two thermocouples – Located inside the firebox, they provide combustion temperature readings automatically.

“Gone are the days when homeowners are constantly required to tend to their stove to achieve a desired temperature,” said Chad Hendrickson, Brand Marketing director for Quadra-Fire. “Our new industry-first Adventure wood stove collection transforms the consumer experience with Smart Burn Technology, which automatically controls the heat and allows homeowners to achieve their desired room temperature, at any time, day or night. This technology will change how consumers think about and interact with wood stoves.”

Saves time and worry, reduces heating costs

With Smart Burn Technology, Quadra-Fire has eliminated the need for manual air controls. There’s no need to worry about coming back and readjusting the air control setting after loading wood, finding the right spot on the air controls to maintain the temperature, or constantly making adjustments as the fire goes through its different stages. Additionally, since the stoves burn fuel only when needed, consumers may be able to reduce their heating costs by up to 50 percent.

The new Adventure stove collection is also equipped with the exclusive Quadra-Fire Four-Point Burn Technology. This patented system utilizes four combustion cycles to extend the heat, enhance the fire to produce intense rolling flames, and increase efficiency for long-lasting, proven performance. Additionally, the stoves come outfitted with a battery backup system, so in the event of a power outage, they can run on eight “D” cell batteries for up to 30 days.

Quadra-Fire Adventure Series wood stoves were available at authorized Quadra-Fire dealers beginning in October, in a choice of two sizes: the Adventure II features a 2.5 cu. ft. firebox, available at $2,999, and the Adventure III has a 4.5 cu. ft. firebox, available at $3,499, for heating larger spaces over a longer period of time. Both include a pedestal for the firebox and a programmable thermostat that is ready to mount on a wall. An optional 350 cfm fan kit is also available. Call (800) 926-4356 or visit www.quadrafire.com.

Number – and Percentage – of Outdoor Features in New Single-Family Houses Completed

In the U.S. in 2014, only 11 percent of new single-family houses constructed were built without a Patio, Porch or Deck; that’s a whopping 89 percent, or 554,000, of new single-family homes that were built with at least one of those three outdoor amenities. Virtually all of those areas are in need of chairs, perhaps a sofa or two, and most likely a dining table.

In the U.S., the most popular of those venues was a combination of a Patio and a Porch; that was the case in 28 percent of new single-family homes constructed. In both the South and the West, the combination of Porch and Patio was the choice in 33 percent of single-family homes.

The South also had the fewest homes (7%) constructed without a Patio, Porch or Deck; in the West, it was 10 percent.

Decks are big in the Northeast, with 17 percent of new single-family homes constructed with one, and another 19 percent with both a Porch and a Deck. At 24 percent of single-family homes, a Porch Only was the favorite option in the Midwest.