• 
  • Carpentry
  • Plumbing & Wiring
  • Energy Efficiency
  • Kitchen & Bath
  • Building Codes
  • Interior Finish
  • Foundations & Masonry
  • Building Plans
  • DVDs
  • Magazine Archives
• 
  • Digital Issues
  • Member Home
• 
  • Subscribe
  • Renew
  • Gift Subscription
  • Current Issue
  • Magazine Extras
  • Magazine Index
  • Advertiser Marketplace

What happens in Vegas

Robyn Doyon-Aitken, producer

3 users recommend

Now that Obama's speech is over, the show can really kick off.

Jean-Paul Vellotti

Stop by our booth to say hello (we'll even give you a spiffy Fine Homebuilding tote). We're N1851.

Jean-Paul Vellotti

BuildingGreen and The Taunton Press teamed up to create the most comprehensive green-building resource available: www.greenbuildingadvisor.com. The site launched today at the show.

Jean-Paul Vellotti

Now that Obama's speech is over, the show can really kick off.

Photo: Jean-Paul Vellotti

Add Comment
Print

If you’ve already read Kevin’s latest blog post, you know we’re gearing up for this year’s International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas, which officially kicks off tomorrow. The tagline for the show is “Brighter Lights. Bigger Ideas.” We’ll see.

Something else we’d like to see: you. If you’ll be attending the show to check out the latest tools, materials, and building technology, or if you’re there to attend a seminar on how to stay afloat in a down market (they’ll be plenty of worthwhile discussions on the topic), stop by to say hello. You can find us at booth number N1851.

If you can't make it to Vegas, we don't mind being your eyes and ears. Add a comment to this posting if you'd like our editors to hit the show floor in search of a specific product you want to know more about. We'll do our best to track it down and report back.

Update: We made it back, and here's a show report: Ten Cool Tools and Materials from IBS 2009

Add Comment Print

Well, at least it's warm here

Point, shoot, post: Your project could be published in Fine Homebuilding

Comments (8)

scavanger writes: I understand that Weyerheauser Lumber has come up with a system to predetermine
the "green value" for each of their products. Have you seen or heard about this at the show?
Sounds like a real benefit to someone who is trying to build a house and
obtain a "green rating".
Bob Brooks
Posted: 7:20 pm on January 23rd

ACKiburis writes: Are there any exhibits regarding "Radon Mitigation" or "Radon Resistant New Construction" (RRNC)techniques at the show this year?

Tony Kiburis
Posted: 1:24 pm on January 22nd

RDA writes: Thanks for your comments to date, everyone. I'll continue posting pics from the show as they come in.

@MHBacklund: I suppose saying we'd "report back" was pretty vague. In the past, our editors have communicated new and noteworthy products with video demonstrations and post-show reports that we feature on our home page and in our eLetter. Coverage for IBS 2009 will be similar, but you can also expect blog updates as the week goes on.
Posted: 2:45 pm on January 20th

sbachman writes: I'm interested in your opinions on any air-to-water heat pump products for domestic hot water. The only product that I'm aware of is called AirTap. I actually tried (unsuccessfully) to buy one of these when the 2007 tax credits applied. The $300 credit went away in 2008, but I think it came back for 2009. This credit makes the net cost quite low.
My concern is that Airtap marketing (web site) has a breathless, magical tone which makes me suspect snake oil. The basic idea seems sound, particularly for use in warm weather: Use basic dehumidifier technology to transfer heat from ambient air directly into HW tank, providing cooler, dryer indoor air; while adding heat to the tank, acting as a pre-heater to improve overall water heating efficiency.
This appears to be a relatively straight-forward low-hanging-fruit type of modification, with potential for wide spread implementation.
An objective, practical review of any available product(s) would be very helpful.
Posted: 10:27 am on January 20th

Mccmission writes: Insulating window openings seems to lag behind other energy technologies; is anything being done in the world of coverings (drapes, blinds, etc) to be a part of a solution? Glass, by itself, would seem to always have some inherent limitations; yet, in the Rocky Mountains where I live, lots of glass is a plus and used extensively.

McMisson
Posted: 9:42 am on January 20th

BobLCB writes: It would be nice to know what the true tax credits are for energy saving items such as: residential wind power, solar power, energy saving windows, star rated appliances, insulation package, all the items that our home buyers can receive tax credits on but don't know where to go or how much they will save up front. We at Lakeside have tried before to figure the amount before hand for our customers but the government does not make it very easy to do this. If we the builders had a table that was even somewhat close to the actual tax credit that the they could apply for it would make selling more energy upgrades easier.

Bob Lundholm
Lakeside custom builders,

Peoria IL.
Posted: 8:42 am on January 20th

MHBacklund writes: Solar roof technology:
1. I'm waiting for "3D photovoltaic cells" to hit the market. They are made with "carbon nano-tube" technology, are many fold times more efficient due to the columns of carbon that trap incident light from about any angle.
Would you look to see if any of the vendors are getting close to marketing these?? (A twelve year old Asian-American student produced some in his home oven recently; got major awards).

2. I want to add root-top fluid tube panels to contribute heat to the in-floor radiant heat we are planning. Your latest "Energy - Smart Homes Special Edition" showed a glycol tube version (in both roof and radiant floor tubes) in Michael McDonaugh's "traditional" home in Asheville, NC, but it didn't mention any manufacturers or particular vendors.
I'd like more information on this particular version and also any comparisons to water based in-floor systems.

Thanks for this great additional service!! How do you communicate the results of your findings??

Mark Backlund
Posted: 8:41 pm on January 19th

sledge writes: I'm very interested in learning it tool manufacturers are doing more to enable new battery tech for old tools that are Ni-Cad instead of Li-Ion. I have a couple of specialized tools that are Li-Ion powered and I'm impressed. I'd like to be able to purchase Li-Ion batteries for my older Ni-Cad powered tools rather than have to buy totally new drills. I'm not suggesting that tool manufacturers should give us a special deal on batteries to power our old tools as I'm willing to pay a reasonable price to get Li-Ion batteries.
In particular I have two very good 14.4Volt Dewalt Drills that i like very much.

Ed Henderson
Posted: 8:19 pm on January 19th

You must be logged in to post comments. Click here to login.