Interesting Insights from the International Builders’ Show

The International Builders’ Show was once again a hotbed of building industry activity and thought-provoking discussion. Here are a few memorable tidbits and revelations to recap the day:
Weather-related events are driving heightened awareness of home performance. The devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina and Super Storm Sandy continues to influence new building codes and product innovations. Case in point — there’s a new publication, Storm & Security Protection, dedicated specifically to these issues.
Convenience, functionality and performance are deeply intertwined. For example, centrally located laundry rooms might make household chores less tedious, but can generate extra noise — compromising the overall enjoyment and comfort in living spaces. As a result, products such as SilentFXTM noise-reducing gypsum board, which are commonly used in home theaters, are being installed in new areas of a home.
Certain building-related tools are facing extinction, maybe. Ok, this might be a stretch, however, the team at Professional Remodeler introduced us to a new iPad app that can calculate the dimensions of a room sans measuring tape.