As flu season continues to wreak havoc and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issuing dire predictions about the number of flu-related deaths likely before the outbreak is over, national homebuilder KB Home has decided to keep up with the times by announcing its standard interior door hardware selections will now be “germ-free,” or at least antimicrobial. Kwikset®, the manufacturer of the hardware, incorporates a lifelong antimicrobial coating on its “Healthy Home Features,” which include door hardware. The technology “is designed to provide antimicrobial protection for the lifetime of the products, including those used in high-traffic areas like bedrooms and bathrooms,” boasted KB Home in a recent press release.
Say “NO” to Germs
KB Home designated the new hardware as part of the “healthy home” prong of its four-pronged eDifference platform, which also promotes energy efficiency, water conservation, and smart homes. According to Kwikset, the door hardware can dramatically slow the population of bacteria on unprotected surfaces. Normally, that population might double as frequently as every 20 minutes in a high-traffic area.
Although KB is among the first to debut the germ-free door as a standard offering in its homes, the idea of self-sterilizing surfaces is not new. Last fall, scientists announced a new textile that would “disinfect itself” to be used on hospital doors, counters, and other surfaces and replaced roughly once a week. “It takes just one person with dirty hands to pass through a door to put everyone who follows at risk of cross-contamination, the inventors of the textile, researchers at the University of Leeds, observed.
It remains to be seen how attractive homeowners will find KB’s healthy alternative to hospital-grade disinfecting and how much they will pay for it. In 2016, Builder Online reported homeowners and homebuyers cited the health-based benefits of their homes, specifically concerning allergies and air quality, to be a top concern. However, warned vice president of efficiency and sustainability for Meritage Homes C.R. Herro, “A family’s long-term health can’t be quantified in dollars and cents,” which makes it difficult to sell homes with these features or identify a solid return on their installation. Reporter Robyn Lawrence predicted at the time that healthy homes will only become more popular as more Millennials start purchasing properties.
Investor Insight:
Health-conscious offerings in your renovations and rentals might make your listings pop along with your sales prices, but don’t get caught up in every trend.
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