Roving reporter Michael Springer here with coverage of the 2019 International Builders’ Show (IBS), held in snowy Las Vegas, Nevada. The weather was unusual, but it was still warmer than where many of us were visiting from so no biggie. The 2019 IBS marks the 75th anniversary of this trade show, and this year the show featured more than 1,500 exhibitors sprawled out over 600,000 square feet. Now combined with the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS), every hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center was filled, and the attendee count broke the 100,000 people mark. I wandered as much of the acreage as I could (including the outdoor exhibits), and I encountered cool tools and gear, building materials and fasteners, and everything else that goes into a house. Read More
Building Materials
Spanish Tiles Walkway Makeover – Transforming a Front Entry with Tile and Style
A number of months ago, you might recall our epic battle to re-landscape our front yard. This battle not only pitted me against tons of dirt, stone, boulders and sod, but also against two other online media types foolhardy enough to undertake such endeavors. This was all featured in a “Yard Wars” competition on Family Handyman, and was sponsored by our friends at Husqvarna. In this war against nature and fellow online media, despite heroic efforts, we came in second place. I’m not bitter, but I have my eye on you Ron Hazelton! (Shakes fist at sky). Our yard transformation was under a tight deadline, and one portion we couldn’t finish was our front entry walkway makeover incorporating Spanish tiles. Join us as we walk through the involved process of transforming a boring, ugly and slippery entry path into a architectural feature congruent with the home, all while melding form and function. Read More
