PRODUCTS ON A MISSION: PROBLEMS SOLVED

The building industry’s biggest show was full of problem solvers. Here are some of them.

By HBSDealer Staff

In one corner of the Las Vegas Convention Center parking lot during the 2023 International Builders’ Show, a boxy, two-story house rose above the pavement. It was a shining symbol of a potential solution to a major industry and societal problem.

“That is how we solve the national housing crisis,” Palo Tiramani, CEO of Las Vegas-based Boxabl, told the local Fox 5 news crew shooting on location from the Builders’ show.

Solving problems was a common practice throughout the combined IBS and KBIS (also known as Design & Construction Week), which celebrated their 10th year of co-location while attracting nearly 110,000 attendees, and nearly 2,000 exhibitors.

Simultaneously, the National Hardware Show had a strong showing in the South Hall, where an estimated 17,000 industry attendees connected, demonstrated and experienced what’s new in home improvement.

Back out in the parking lot, the Boxabl prototype home featured 3 bedrooms, 2 ½ baths, a sun deck, and a price tag of a mere $150,000. Plus, the steel, concrete and EPS foam dwelling, can be built in a few days. The company’s 375-sq.ft. Casita model — described as an ‘accessory dwelling unit’— is even faster and cheaper. It’s factory-made, delivered to the site and unpacks in an hour.

Whether or not Boxabl succeeds in disrupting the building industry (who remembers Katerra?), its ambition and innovation are to be commended. Around the Lass Vegas Convention Center, the vast majority of the booths and exhibits were tackling what might be considered more realistic and specific problems faced by homebuilders and homeowners.

One of the chief challenges is the labor shortage — an issue addressed by the show hosts, the National Association of Home Builders, throughout the event in Las Vegas.

During a press conference that anticipated a 25 percent decline in single housing starts in 2023, NAHB Chief Economist Robert Dietz alluded to a massive shortage of construction workers. “Getting American high school students to come into the industry is the challenge,” he said.

Manufacturers are rallying. The race is on to build products that require less time on the job site, or fewer hands to execute. Durability and versatility are common attributes of new products. And suppliers have never been more important.

“After supply chain issues and pricing/ inflation have taken a lot of focus and attention in the past year or two, we can see a return to focusing on product mix and inventory right-sizing,” said Eric Rohrschneider, VP of marketing for Midwest Fastener. “We partner with our customers in developing comprehensive and complete category solutions to offer the right mix at the appropriate inventory position.”

That’s one solution. Here on the following pages are several others gathered from around the busy convention center.

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Problem: Random drywall damage

Solution: Eclipse Rapid Wall Repair Patches

Tired of repairing holes in drywall and having to wait hours, or even days, to complete the job? It’s such a hassle, oftentimes homeowners simply rearrange home décor items to hide drywall damage due to the time and mess required to complete the project. Whether the damage is small from a picture frame nail or anchor or as large as doorknob damage, DAP’s new innovative Eclipse Rapid Wall Repair Patches make completing repairs so easy and fast, anyone can repair drywall damage in minutes.

Developed to solve the most frequent drywall repair frustrations faced by professionals and do-it-yourselfers, Eclipse is a specially formulated all-in-one drywall repair solution that requires no spackling, sanding or additional tools for a completely mess-free repair — simply patch the damage and it’s ready to paint immediately. Dap.com

Problem: ‘Fishmouths’ and the ‘reverse overlap’ problem.

Solution: Benjamin Obdyke’s HydroTape DS Sealing Tape

This new product is an acrylic-based double-sided sealing tape for use with mechanically fastened housewrap. Opting to use a double-sided tape for housewrap seams helps eliminate many of the issues and failure points of conventional seam tapes. In standard applications, traditional seam tapes that adhere to the surface of housewrap or to sheathing with integrated weather barriers can create a reverse overlap; in these cases, if the tape wrinkles or lacks sealing pressure, it can impede water drainage and create “fishmouths” that trap moisture.

This new double-sided tape installs between the housewrap layers, adhering to the undersides of each layer where they overlap. The result is a tape that helps prevent blow-off during installation yet doesn’t interrupt moisture drainage. The tape’s acrylic adhesive is vapor permeable, ensuring any trapped moisture dries to the exterior. The adhesive also seals around fasteners to reduce air infiltration at penetration points. BenjaminObdyke.com

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Problems: Heavy materials; fire, hail and hurricanes

Solution: Westlake Royal Building Products’ Unified Steel Stone Coated Roofing

Energy efficiency and a class-A fire rating are among the benefits of Unified Steel Stone Coated Roofing (formerly known as Boral Steel), which offers a lightweight retrofit roofing solution. The structural strength of steel provides durability, performance and weather resistance. The stone coated roofing line weighs in at an ultra-lightweight 1.5 pounds-per-square-foot.

The line offers five distinct profiles, emulating the look of traditional shingle, clay tile, cedar shake or slate, to enhance the curb appeal and value of any home.

When paired with Above Sheathing Ventilation (ASV), Unified Steel provides enhanced energy efficiency performance, ultimately lowering long-term energy bills.

All Unified Steel products are Class 4 rated for Hail Impact Resistance, offer a Class A Fire Rating and are Hurricane Performance Rated with Miami- Dade County HVHZ Approval — the most stringent hurricane resistance standard in the country.

WestlakeRoyalBuildingProducts.com