Get It or Gimmick?

It costs about $400 to motorize a two-panel shutter. Remote controls cost $37 to $115. The panels cost extra.

* * *

When was the last time you received a call from one of your appliances?

Briggs & Stratton of Milwaukee six months ago introduced a small boxlike device that connects to an outdoor generator and will call your phone, using a prerecorded message, to let you know if there's a problem with the system or if it kicked in because of a power failure.

It's a persistent little thing. It will dial up to three numbers and keep calling every few minutes until it gets a real person, according to David Flowers, a sales manager for home generators at Briggs & Stratton.

As an added feature, when you're away from home, you can call the system and set your home thermostat, even if you're not using the generator.

The Briggs & Stratton Gen Alert Plus box costs $499.

* * *

You may want to tell your friends you don't deliver.

For years, Wood Stone of Bellingham, Wash., has been manufacturing commercial stone-hearth ovens that run on gas or wood. Local customers include 2 Amys pizzeria of the District and Mia's Pizzas of Bethesda.

The company has begun making similar ovens for homes, with some modifications: The home ovens have glass doors and timers.

The ovens can be installed indoors or in the back yard. They cook not only pizza but also flatbreads and more.

Even though these stone ovens aren't brand-new, they grabbed attention at the trade show, where there were plenty of other products vying for the business of luxury-home builders.

Phil Eaton, a regional sales manager, said residential sales continue to rise each year, with the target customer living in a million-dollar-plus home.

"That segment of the population always seems to have money and is willing to spend it," he said.

He said he'd like to get into more Washington area homes, including one notable one.

"We're aiming for the White House," he said.

Wood Stone Home Ovens cost from $14,400 to $17,700.

* * *

Nuheat may not be able to give you courage, but it can keep you from getting cold feet.

The Canadian company, which makes a heating system to warm up stone, tile and wood floors, is now offering a "wet application" that heats tiled shower floors and tiled shower benches.

Suzie Cho, Nuheat's marketing manager, said the product, which consists of insulated wires installed below the surface, is particularly good for spots that hot water may not reach on bigger shower floors and tiled shower benches.

Most buyers already have heated bathroom floors, she said, and want to step onto a warm shower floor. The product has been on the market since November.

The Nuheat Cable System for showers costs $275 for an eight-square-foot floor, plus installation. A thermostat is $175.

* * *

Tired of standing in a chilly basement while you do the laundry or putter at your workbench?

Hunter Fan, maker of ceiling fans and lighting fixtures, last month introduced the Illumi-Heat, a bowl-shaped, metal-trimmed overhead light fixture that doubles as a heater. Both the light and the heater can be separately adjusted by remote control.

The Illumi-Heat sells for $119.