A More Compact Track

This one is more of a tool note than a home upgrade story, but it's worth a quick mention if you're weighing DIY work on your own house. A German toolmaker, Mafell, has released a new track saw guide called the Flexi-Guide FX140. A track saw is a circular saw that rides along a straight guide rail for very clean, precise cuts, useful for trim work, doors, or cabinetry. The usual guide rails are rigid and about 5 feet long, which makes them awkward to store or haul around. This new one is made of flexible steel, so it coils up small enough to fit in a toolbox, then unrolls to give more than 4 feet of straight cutting length.

It only works with two specific Mafell saws, the corded KSS 300 and the cordless KSS 40, and it comes in a single length with no way to extend it or join two together. It costs $251 and is sold through timberwolftools.com.

For most homeowners, this isn't something you'd buy unless you already own one of those two Mafell saws and do a fair amount of precise cutting yourself, on trim, flooring, or built-ins. It has no bearing on rebates, energy upgrades, or home performance work. It's simply a more compact accessory for a niche cutting tool.