2016 International Builder Show – What’s Hot in Vegas

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Written by: Marc Lyman

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We are kicking off our trade show and media event schedule early this year with coverage of the 2016 International Builder’s Show and the Kitchen and Bath Show. It’s all part of Design and Construction week, or, at least that’s what attendees tell their significant others as they try to hide their glee departing for Las Vegas. If you’d like to see what’s hot, new and trending in the world of residential construction, read on! Fair warning, there is a ton of photo and video content, so the page may take a little longer to load. Check out all the IBS / KBIS Las Vegas action that’s fit to “print” here!

Like everything in Vegas, IBS and KBIS are huge. Occupying hundreds of thousands of show floor square feet, it can be a bit daunting to parse all that information. Even so, after relentlessly speed-walking the show, I walked away with some key takeaways.

Flooring trends continue to be dominated by grays. That was true last year a well. What’s really interesting is how wood-look tile flooring is really gaining traction. With the longevity and durability of tile while convincingly mimicking the look of hardwood, this flooring material makes a lot of sense in a lot of places. It also opens up a world of possibilities in kitchens and baths.

Speaking of baths. . . another great trend is the use of ever more creative tile options. Various brands are doing an amazing job with creating truly unique and eye-catching tile styles. From convex glass shapes to copper-clad tiles, builders, homeowners and designers can get very creative in kitchens and bath.

Technology also continues to make inroads into the home, even in the bathroom! More and more products offer connectivity and control through switches, remotes and through your smartphone or tablet. While interconnectedness improves, the lack of standards make turning your home smart a sometimes confusing array of technologies that may or may not play well together.

Despite not being a “tool” show, I managed to check-out some interesting developments in the world of tools. Skill was there sporting their new and beefy-looking worm drive saw.

I also had the opportunity to visit with Ridgid and Ryobi. I was able to try out their new Stealth Drive impact driver which is not only powerful and wicked-fast, but also amazingly quiet. While I love impact drivers, I also hate the noise they make. The Stealth Drive takes the typical anvil impact mechanism and immerses it in an oil-bath housing. While this driver doesn’t sport the highest torque rating, you wouldn’t know it in action. And, it’s so quiet, you might not even realize you’re using an impact driver.

On my way home I managed to intercept world-famous comedian and media-personality Adam Carolla. Despite the fact that my carry-on was receiving some additional scrutiny from the TSA (I swear they didn’t find anything!), he and his co-conspirator Ray Oldhafer graciously waited for me long enough for the photo-op and some discussion about power tools! Check out Adam and his latest home-related exploits on his website.

For a glimpse into what else I found that was notable, check out my remaining tweets (both photo and video) below!

2016 IBS and KBIS Show Coverage

Bath, Building Materials, Flooring, Kitchen, Ridgid, Ryobi, Skil, Tools, Windows & Doors

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About Marc Lyman

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Marc grew up under a brave single mom who "encouraged" home improvement on the family home. Early toddler gifts included a tool set, and even a cordless Bosch drill when cordless drills first came out. In grade school (give or take a few years), Marc's mom said, "We need to cut down some trees. . . . here's a chainsaw." A father figure also involved Marc in many home improvement projects, including a summer of home remodeling in Palo Alto, CA. Toss in some Obsessive Compulsive personality traits researching everything home improvement related. The end result: a genetically pre-disposed, socially sculpted home improvement machine! For his complete profile, please visit our About page. Really, it's worth it.

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