Just in time for the announcement of The Home Depot 2018 Innovation Award winners, the home improvement retailer has introduced an official Innovation Award Seal for best-in-class products.

The Home Depot's 2018 most innovative products were crowned for delivering a unique offering in market, true value and efficiency across multiple home improvement categories.

Overall Winner:

The Makita Sub Compact Program offers customers maximum power with the 18V battery system.  However, these tools are more than 25% lighter and smaller than traditional 18v power tools.  This allows the customer all the power they need to tackle tough jobs with less weight and more maneuverability.  Plus, this line of tools utilizes the same 18V battery that powers the other 200+ Makita LXT 18V tools.

First Runner Up:

The LifeProof Slip Resistant Tile is durable, waterproof, stainproof and scratch resistant. What takes this product over the innovation edge is that it is 50 percent more slip resistant than ordinary tile – making it perfect for families with children and seniors worried about falls.

Second Runner Up:

The Halo Color Selectable LED Downlight Retrofits can create any mood with five different color temperatures from warm white to daylight. And for pros, the flexibility to customize lighting on the job with one product saves time and money.

"At The Home Depot, we pride ourselves in our partnerships with vendors to offer the most innovative home improvement products," says Ted Decker, merchandising executive vice president for The Home Depot. "We appreciate the effort our vendor partners put into innovation each year. Today, we're celebrating their work by recognizing the most innovative products and releasing a Home Depot Innovation seal so that our customers can find those products in-stores and online easily."

In addition to the top three winners, The Home Depot recognized these nominees for their top marks in product innovation:

• Behr Quick Dry Oil-Based Wood Finish, an oil-based finish that dries in just 60 minutes on damp wood.

• Glacier Bay Faucets with ClickInstall and FastMount, a three-click system that reduces the amount of time needed for the drain installation, while a FastMount installation system eliminates the need for specialized tools.

• EGO Carbon Fiber Powerload Trimmer allows users to reload the line hassle-free with a lifetime warranty on the durable carbon fiber shaft.

• Freud Full Range Carbide Reciprocating Blades, which offer up to 50x longer cutting life against the standard bi-metal reciprocating blades.

• Arden CushionGuard whose acrylic fabric stands up to 2500 UV hours and carries a three-year fabric warranty while resisting stains.

• Kidde Red Cross Interconnected Smoke Alarms, a wireless, interconnected smoke alarm that provides a voice and light warning notification with a 10-year battery life.

• B-hyve Smart Indoor Sprinkler Controller, the smart sprinkler controller that connects to your local weather station to automatically determine your watering schedule based on real-time data.

Ron Jarvis, The Home Depot's vice president of environmental innovation, recognized Shaw Industries with the Environmental Partner of the Year Award for its efforts to increase the recycled content of its products. In 2017, Shaw used more than 3.5 billion plastic bottles in the manufacturing of its carpet.

Kevin Hofmann, The Home Depot's president of online and chief marketing officer, recognized Moen with the Marketing Innovation Award for its partnership in developing an engaging social media campaign, and collaborating to create a tiny house which gave customers a relevant, project-oriented experience.

Additionally, the following companies received Home Depot's Supplier Partner of the Year Award:

• Lumber: Great Southern Wood Preserving

• Building Materials: GAF

• Flooring: Custom Building Products

• Paint: PPG

• Hardware: PrimeSource

• Tools: Milwaukee

• Plumbing: Nest

• Electrical: Klein Tools

• Lighting: Nextech

• Indoor Garden: Ryobi

• Outdoor Garden: The Scotts Company

• Appliances: Electrolux

• Kitchen & Bath: Liberty Hardware

• Millworks: Steves & Sons

• Décor/Storage/Organization: Pratt Industries