The 2008 International Builders’ Show is rapidly approaching (February 13-16). With so much to do and so much to see at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, it may be difficult to decide what to do.
So to help you figure it all out, PATH offers some recommendations.
1.) Walk the show floor (in your most comfortable shoes). While the major manufacturers will be easy to find in the prime spaces, try to set aside some time for perusing the exhibits on the outskirts, too. Often you’ll find truly innovative small manufacturers there. Be sure to stop by the PATH booth at the Federal “Ask the Experts” exhibit, booth no. W3659. We’ll tell you about PATH’s new Guide to Green Building and the latest news about the PATH Concept Home Charleston.
International Builders’ Show 2008 is rapidly approaching. PATH offers some guidance on things to do. IBS logo courtesy www.buildershow.com.2.) Check out some of the great educational seminars, particularly the wide variety of green building session available. Of special note:
Green Building 101 , 8 a.m., Feb. 13 in West 308. This session takes you inside the house and out to demonstrate advanced techniques to ensure energy and resource efficiency, better water conservation and indoor air quality and environmentally sensitive site design.
Quality Idols: Best Practices of National Housing Quality Award Winners , 8 a.m. Feb 13 in West 311 E-H. PATH Builder Partner Mercedes Home, represented by Stuart McDonald, joins other NHQ Award winners to discuss the increases in profitability and reductions in callbacks as a result of their award-winning practices.
Weather-Proof “Fortified” Homes , 10:30 a.m., Feb. 13 in West 307. Chuck Vance, Fortified Program Manager of the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS), Anne Elliott if the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, and Brian Bock of Dukane Precast, the focus of a PATH builder case study, review efforts to develop an affordable weather-tight home.
Market Differentiation and Increased Sales through Energy Efficiency , 3:30 p.m., Feb. 13 in West 314. PATH Builder Partner John Wesley Miller joins a panel of housing industry leaders to discuss the incorporation of cost-neutral energy efficiency tools and tactics to gain a competitive advantage.
Can I Panelize This Project? , 3:30 p.m., Feb. 13 in West 307. Panel systems provide large benefits on residential and light commercial jobsites. The session is an overview of the relationship between the panelizer and the builder, with a focus on design, engineering, code compliance, scheduling and on-site assembly.
Introduction to Insulating Concrete Form Technology , 3:30 p.m., Feb. 14 in South 330 E-H. Explore the basics of ICF technology, variations between products, integration of other trades and acceptance by codes. Resources for more information about manufacturers, design tools and research are discussed.
Modular Housing: A Complete Business System , 10:30 a.m., Feb. 15, in West 304 E-H. Explores the benefits modular home companies offer in design, sales, marketing, lead generation, and a complete business system.
Designing the Concrete Home , 3:30 p.m., Feb 15 in West 304 E-H. Listen to an in-depth analysis of design strategies for RCF (Removable Concrete Form) and ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) homes from leaders of the Concrete Foundations Association.
Managing Moisture in Residential Building Envelopes , 3:30 p.m., Feb. 15 in South 330 E-H. Increasingly, home builders, contractors and architects face the need to incorporate good moisture management solutions when designing and building homes to ward off problems such as mold and mildew damage and to help increase energy efficiency. Kate Johnson of PATH Partner Dow Chemical joins a panel to discuss methods to accomplish this.
SIP Basics: How to Design and Build with Structural Insulated Panels , 10:30 a.m., Feb. 16 in South 330 E-H. Bill Wachtler, executive director of the Structural Insulated Panel Association, leads a panel discussion on the latest and greatest in SIP planning, design, installation techniques, system compatibility, on-site fabrication, HVAC design, and cost comparisons vs. stick construction.
3.) Make time to visit a couple of the show homes. Viewing the latest technologies in the exhibit booths is one thing; seeing them integrated into a home is quite another. While visiting an offsite home will represent a significant time investment for a round-trip bus ride, these homes are sometimes worth the trip. Consider the New American Home or the 2007 New Southern Home, a PATH Partner Project. If your schedule won’t allow it, make a point of stopping at one or two of the show homes located in the Convention Center parking lot, such as the Green Building Home in the Professional Builder Show Village 2008 or the NextGen “Ultimate Value” Home.
To ask your burning questions about housing technology or just to say hello, be sure to stop by the PATH booth at the Federal “Ask the Experts” exhibit (no. W3659). We look forward to seeing you there!
