I was told the Builders’ Show wouldn’t be as big or exciting as it was in 2008 when I was last here. It’s true that the show has half as many exhibits, but it is just as exciting. I covered much of the show floor yesterday, but there’s still a lot to see, and I haven’t made it to the outdoor exhibits or the New American Home.
I’ve already found some notable products. Huber, maker of the much-lauded AdvanTech subflooring and Zip roof- and wall-sheathing systems, has introduced a new sheathing panel with a layer of polyiso on the back. The R Sheathing panel is meant to help builders achieve the new energy-code requirements without switching to deeper studs or dealing with the complications of attaching siding over foam sheathing.
There aren’t many tool companies at the Builders’ Show, but one very cool tool caught my eye right away. Bullet Tools’ EZ Shear cut fiber cement, vinyl siding, VCT, laminate flooring–even 3/4-in. oak strip flooring. The tool is dust free and very fast. It seems solidly built, and prices seem in line with other dust-free methods for cutting fiber cement. Bullet Tools has some other cool stuff on its website too.
Having done a pair of tile showers in my life, I was really excited by Tile Redi’s Tile Ready shower base. The molded plastic one-piece shower pan is waterproof and ready for tile. It’s available in dozens of configurations with left, right, and center drains. The upturned sides of the pan are 1/2-in. thick, so they line up with traditional tile backers on the shower walls.
You can see some of DeWalt’s new product introductions timed to coincide with the Builders’ Show here.
| HEADLINES FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BUILDERS’ SHOW 2012 | |
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New sheathing panel with a layer of polyiso on the back is meant to help builders achieve the new energy-code requirements without switching. Read more… |
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Crawlspace Depot’s Bora-Foam is an expanded polystyrene insulation that’s code approved for crawlspace use without further fire protection. Read more… |
Fine Homebuilding Recommended Products
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Reliable Crimp Connectors
8067 All-Weather Flashing Tape
Handy Heat Gun
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Huber's new R Sheathing is an OSB-covered, insulated sheathing with a built-in WRB. Available in two thicknesses, it's designed to help builders meet new energy-code requirements without the complications of foam sheathing or switching to 2x6 studs.
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Bullet Tools has some really cool lever-actuated shears designed for cutting fiber cement, vinyl siding, and laminate flooring. The tools seem well made and thoughtfully designed.
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Tile Redi claims you can install one of its shower bases and be ready for tiling in about an hour. They're sold in dozens of sizes in left-, right-, and center-drain configurations.
View Comments
What Builders Show? Were is it? How do I get there?
There's more here, Intlenus:
https://www.finehomebuilding.com/item/21984/its-show-time
The next International Builders' Show is in Vegas:
http://buildershow.com/Home/Page.aspx?pageID=762