Top Notch: The Building Products Top 100Part five: The 100 products that attracted the most attention

Our readers know that in a soft housing market, it takes ingenuity and expertise in the latest trends to rise to the top. Luckily, the Building Products Top 100 list always provides great insight into what's hot in dozens of building product categories.

Ranging from fashion-forward design products to innovative technologies, these selections represent the top items that you asked for information about during the past year by mailing us reader service cards found at the back of each issue of Building Products and its sister publications Builder, Remodeling, and Custom Home. The products have to be eye-catching or inventive enough to make you want to learn more.

This year's most popular categories include technologies growing in popularity, such as radiant floor heating and LED lighting, that are sure to please clients; beautiful products, such as fireplaces and sliding doors, that will add design appeal to your next project; and simple problem solvers such as radiant barrier sheathing. We hope you'll find a product you might have missed the first time around that will make your next project top notch.

Click here to see products 81 through 100.

Click here to see products 61 through 80.

Click here to see products 41 through 60.

Click here to see products 21 through 40.

1. Warm Up. The under-laminate carbon heater offers radiant heat for under laminate and engineered wood floors. The heater provides safe, even distribution of heat, the maker says, and the panels are 1 millimeter thick, so they won't raise floor levels. The self-regulating panels are available in 12- and 36-inch widths in both 120 and 240 volts. 888-927-6333. www.warmup.com

2. Quiet Solutions. QuietRock 510 soundproof drywall panels are 1/2 inch thick and come in panel sizes of 4 feet wide by 8, 9, 10, or 12 feet long. Installed, the material delivers solid sound reduction, with STC ratings of 47 to 52 in typical remodel situations, and higher performance depending on construction techniques and combination of materials. 408-541-8000. www.quietsolution.com

3. Fire Stone Home Products. Constructed of Chinese cedar and stained with a fade-resistant coating, the Sonoma pergola is ideal for creating an outdoor great room. The high-arched top measures 9 feet tall, and the pergola encompasses a 14-square-foot area. Cedar privacy panels can be added on up to three sides, and lattice roof panels can be added to the top to create a more enclosed room. A coordinating Sonoma fireplace, gas grill, two gas lanterns, and wicker furniture complete the package. 866-303-4028. www.firestonehp.com

4. Nuheat. Constructed of thin heating wires embedded in a 1/8-inch-thick mat, this electrical radiant floor-warming system is available in 110-volt and 220-volt formats and more than 60 standard mat sizes as well as custom sizes for curves and angles. The MatComfort thermostat has pre-programmed settings and programmable seven-day settings. 800-778-9276. www.nuheat.com

5. Honeywell. The company's prepackaged floor warming kits, sold to new-home builders, are designed for bathrooms with open areas up to 40 square feet. The company also provides a free design service with overnight system drawings and pricing for larger bathrooms, kitchens, and other rooms. The kits include a complementary line of floor-warming thermostats. 866-891-9276. www.honeywellfloorheating.com

6. Stiebel Eltron. At 71/2 inches wide and 61/2 inches tall, the firm's Mini tankless water heaters are designed for installation at the point of use. The tankless water heaters heat water instantly as it flows through the unit, eliminating stand-by heat loss and making hot water continuously available with no recovery time, according to the manufacturer. 800-582-8423. www.stiebel-eltron-usa.com

7. Warmly Yours. The firm's electric floor-warming system is manufactured in roll form for fitting around fixtures and cabinets, and it includes an installation guide, DVD, a system check electronic aid, and warranty registration materials. Homeowners and professionals can request custom floor-warming systems for uniquely shaped rooms. 800-875-5285. www.warmlyyours.com

8. Easy Heat. The Warm Tiles electric floor-warming system is designed for tile, stone, and engineered wood floors. Cables can be installed in any design configuration, while prefabricated mats on a mesh backing are suited for concrete slab or multi-unit applications as well as for square and rectangular rooms. Thermostats include a floor sensor embedded in the mortar below the tile. 800-537-4732. www.warmtiles.com

9. Uponor. A cost-effective method for installing hydronic radiant floor heating, Quick Trak is a system of 7-inch-by-48-inch wood panels attached to aluminum heat transfer sheets that can be installed over a plywood subfloor. A groove down the center of the panel holds the 5/16-inch Wirsbo hePex plus tubing. Return Traks with a U-groove complete tubing returns. 800-321-4739. www.uponor-usa.com

10. Azar. The dry-stacking, mortarless block system requires minimal masonry skill, so contractors can build walls and foundations in less time than with traditional systems, the maker says. The concrete blocks require a concrete fill once stacked and have vertical channels on the face to direct water down and prevent penetration. 519-948-9189. www.azarblock.com

11. Electro Plastics. The Step Warmfloor electroplastic heating element is different from hydronic and cable heating systems because it is made of a thin, homogeneous, semi-conductive polymer that is self-regulating, meaning it draws only the energy required to maintain the ideal temperature, the manufacturer says. The technology also eliminates thermal mass and expansion issues, according to the company. 877-783-7832. www.warmfloor.com

12. Rheem. The maker's second-generation tankless water-heating products include the addition of an intermediate-size 5.3-gpm model, and a 7.4-gpm direct-vent model that alleviates indoor air quality problems by bringing combustion air in from the outside. The EZ-Link feature connects two side-by-side tankless units by a communication cable, letting them operate as a single water heater. A 140-degree thermostat and .66-gpm minimum activation flow are now standard and an auto-on feature automatically restores power after an outage. 334-213-3800. www.rheem.com

13. Thermosoft.ThermoTile radiant flooring (pictured) is suited for tile, marble, stone, or porcelain floors but can be installed under any surface when embedded in thin-set mortar. The UL-listed product is constructed of fiberglass mesh with a factory-mounted 1/8-inch-thick heating cable. A second product, ThermoFloor electric radiant flooring, installs under floating laminate and engineered wood floors without cement. 847-279-3800.www.thermosoft.com

14. United Gilsonite Laboratories. E1, a one-part epoxy floor paint, is made of a new resin that fuses epoxy to the backbone of latex resin, creating a continuously durable coat, according to the manufacturer. The paint is resistant to oil, grease, petroleum products, antifreeze, and chemicals, the maker says, and it creates a semi-gloss finish in slate gray, light platinum, natural sand, or Arctic white. 800-845-5227. www.ugl.com

15. Coverings Etc. Designed for wall and flooring applications where durability and high-texture finishes are called for, the Sierra Negra lava stone collection is available in six dimensional finishes: corduroy, barbed, bush hammered, frisee, tassled, and flamed. The material can be used for interior or exterior surfaces. The tiles come in a 18-inch-by-36-inch size and are 5/8 inch thick. Sierra Negra colors range from a uniform pale gray through solid charcoal to a variegated coloration. 305-757-6000. www.coveringsetc.com

16. Builders' Site Protection. Designed to protect installed bathtubs against damage throughout construction and prevent them from being used as trash receptacles, the TubSkin adheres to tub surfaces without transferring its adhesive. TubSkin can be used as base padding for trades using plywood to stand over the tub, and it also can protect the tub interior from trades standing inside. 760-597-1390. www.buildsitepro.com

17. Heat Transfer Products. The Phoenix gas-fired water heater delivers space heating and domestic hot water in one condensing appliance with 96 percent combustion efficiency. Side tappings in the jacket permit connections to a hydro-air system for space heating. A corrosion-resistant, stainless steel heat exchanger transfers heat from the water to the living space. 508-763-8071. www.htproducts.com

18. CPI. Basic Radiant modular installation kits include a pre-assembled and pre-tested control panel, Dura-Pex or Barrier-Pex, fittings, tools, valves, manifold, and crimp rings. The firm offers five different control panels, which cover anywhere from one to four different zones and up to 5,000 square feet of floor. 800-489-8274. www.durapex.com

19. Ipex. WarmRite Floor radiant heating system components include Kitec XPA pipe or PEX tubing, pre-assembled control panels, supply and return manifolds, and accessories. The system can be installed in slab and basement floors, staple-up applications, or topping pour for tile floors. 800-463-9572. www.ipexinc.com

20. Craft-Art. The company offers four new light-colored wood options: elm, quartersawn sycamore, and spalted maple and sycamore. The spalted woods (shown) are created by applying, then killing, a naturally occurring fungus. 404-352-5625. www.craft-art.com