Taking a Look at the Trends and Takeaways from IBS 2022

The NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) 2022 just wrapped up and proved to be another successful week of collaboration and networking with fellow building industry leaders. The LP team enjoyed sharing time and space with others who share the goal of advancing the industry. This marked the first in-person IBS since 2020, so it was a celebration of the strength of the building industry despite the challenges presented by the pandemic.

This year, LP came back to IBS with interactive demonstrations, a live podcast taping, new products and more. Let's take a look at the highlights and takeaways from the show.

The LP Proving Ground

LP knows that it’s not enough to talk the talk—we walk the walk. Builders want to see the proof that the products they are using perform as promised. In response, LP built the LP Proving Ground, a playground of proof points to give builders more confidence in our portfolio. The LP Proving Ground included several exhibits that showcased the proof of the resilience of LP Structural Solutions and LP^® SmartSide^® Trim & Siding products. Visitors saw data and demonstrations on the durability of our solutions. We even sent baseballs flying 70 mph at LP SmartSide siding to showcase the strength of our engineered wood strand technology vs. traditional fiber cement siding.

Live Podcast Recording at the LP Booth

For the first time, a podcast was recorded live at the LP IBS booth. Brad Leavitt of AFT Construction recorded a live segment of “A Finer Touch Construction Podcast” with guest Kyle Stumpenhorst of RR Buildings. The two discussed finding your niche in the industry, marketing yourself and business ethics. Recording the episode at the LP Proving Ground allowed Leavitt and Stumpenhorst to capture the spirit of IBS and speak to the happenings of the show.

Check out the full episode: “Finding a Niche in Post Frame Construction with RR Buildings, Kyle Stumpenhorst.”

Solutions Highlighted at IBS

LP NovaCore^™ Thermal Insulated Sheathing: Coming this summer, LP NovaCore^™ Thermal Insulated Sheathing is dual-layered and designed to protect structures against heat loss and gain.    

LP Legacy^® Premium Sub-Floor Adhesive: A construction sub-floor adhesive designed to create tight seals in small gaps between panels, LP Legacy^® Premium Sub-Floor Adhesive is suitable for both interior and exterior use. It establishes a stable and strong sub-flooring system while preventing squeaks. 

LP^® SmartSide^® Outside Corners: Offered in both primed and ExpertFinish^® colors, the LP^® SmartSide^® Outside Corners create a sleek, polished corner look and eliminate the need to build corners during construction, which helps contribute to jobsite efficiency.

LP^® SmartSide^® J-Blocks & Mini-Splits: Designed to help contribute to an efficient installation process, LP^® SmartSide^® J-Blocks and Mini-Splits (available primed and in ExpertFinish^® colors) are used when siding around light fixtures, water faucets and more.

Main Takeaways From IBS 2022

One of the most anticipated parts of IBS is attending any of the 120+ education sessions where the best and brightest of the building industry gather to share their insights from the past year. We've highlighted a few here:

DE&I advances the building industry: In a session called “We Rise Together: Why Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Matter in Residential Construction,” three panelists discussed how to build a more inclusive culture that welcomes diversity. Panelists Angelica Rivera of Colmex Construction, Kerry White of Home Quest Properties & Paran Homes, and Charner Rodgers of NAHB & Tuskegee University spoke to how the building industry is elevated when it embraces diverse peoples.

"Diversity matters because the world is diverse. The homebuying industry is diverse. People want to see themselves represented in the products that they buy-that includes the sales team, the management team, the executive team," said White.

Construction growth will continue: In the 2022 Housing & Economic Outlook press conference Robert Dietz, chief economist of the National Association of Home Builders, predicted that single-family home construction will grow 1% in 2022. While growth is not predicted to be as high as the past year, it is still projected to be 26% higher than 2019. Additionally, multifamily buildings are expected to grow by 2.5% in 2022.

Sustainability remains a paramount issue: Sustainability is an important  issue not only  for the building industry, but the world at large. In an education session, Annie Perkins of the Sustainable Forestry Initiative spoke to how responsibly sourced lumber can play an important role in advancing climate-friendly practices. Perkins said, “The trees sequester and capture carbon as they grow, and when we harvest the tree that carbon is stored within the building for the life of that building.”

LP Optimistic for the Coming Year

At IBS 2022, the atmosphere was filled with optimism for the year to come. The building industry continues to face economic adversity brought on by the pandemic, but gathering with colleagues to celebrate and discuss the industry's largest accomplishments and challenges is what this show is all about.

To discover more about LP’s innovative solutions, visit our showcase here.