More than 100,000 housing professionals are expected to descend on Orlando, FL, for the 2007 International Builders’ Show (IBS) February 7 to 10, and among the record 1,800 exhibitors displaying the latest cutting-edge products, services, designs and technologies available to the home building community these professionals will find many opportunities to learn about the newest storm protection products offered in several building categories.

Hosted by the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), the housing industry’s largest annual light construction trade show and exhibition will be held at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center. Not open to the general public, all visitors are building industry professionals and their affiliates throughout the housing trades, and each year their number grows larger.

“The International Builders’ Show continues to grow because it is the event of the year for builders who want to stay on the cutting edge,” said David Pressly, NAHB president and a homebuilder from Statesville, NC. “With 450 new exhibitors, an impressive lineup of speakers and some truly amazing show homes, we expect this year’s show to be the best yet and certainly not one to miss.”

SHELTER FROM THE STORM
In the building trades, storm protection tends to fall into the categories of opening protection, windows and doors, and building materials. Some of the highlights to look for at the 2007 IBS include:

• Wayne Dalton (Booth W983) will exhibit its range of reinforced garage doors and highlight its Fabric-Shield hurricane storm panels. This PVC-coated fabric blocks wind, rain and storm-driven projectiles.

• Guardian Building Products (Booth S11021) will feature Ashley Aluminum products among its many building materials. Ashley StormLocs panels and its accordion, roll-up, Colonial and Bahama shutters will be featured.

• Hurricane Safe Products (Booth S11701) will introduce four new patent pending products including the Clear-tech Lexan Panel, designed to be strongest in the center of the span; and the Quiet-track Aluminum H-track with rubber cushions to stop panels from “chattering” in high winds.

• Hurricane Armor (Booth S10024) will showcase its protection screens and exterior shutters among its product lines.
Among the window and door manufacturers will be:

• Simonton Windows (Booth W883) offering StormBreaker Plus® impact-resistant windows and patio doors. This line is offered for new construction and replacement and renovation projects.

• PGT® (Booth W6145) has added a double hung window and French door to its line of WinGuard® impact-resistant windows and doors. It will introduce its Architectural Systems windows and doors this year.

• Loewen (Booth W1321) presents its custom window and door line, which includes impact-resistant and maximum protection products in its StormForce™ line.

• Marvin Windows & Doors (Booth W943) offers wood, clad and vinyl windows and doors and its StormPlus line.

• Pella (Booth W501) showcases a wide range of premium quality windows, entry doors and patio doors.

• Sun-Tek Skylights (Booth W7341) will feature residential skylights featuring extreme weather units.
Exterior building products from roofs to siding also are offered in strong, weather-beating products.

• Sto Corp. (Booth S10997) offers a broad range of versatile cladding and coating systems for building construction.

• Crane Performance Siding (Booth W543) will present the new generation of its Solid Core Siding. The company innovated this category, which offers better insulation and a stronger exterior surface to homes.

• Hurricane Proof Roof Systems (Booth S10297) will showcase its patent pending insulated concrete roof able to withstand Category 5 hurricanes.

Builders and contractors from all coastal regions will be interested in stopping by at the International Code Council (ICC) (Booth S11775). ICC develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings that are adopted by most U.S. cities, counties and states.

INSIDE AND OUT
This year the IBS exhibit floor will feature suppliers spanning more than 300 product categories ranging across every aspect of the residential and light commercial construction fields. Attendees would do well to have a plan before walking the show. If you can imagine walking through every square foot of the 77-story landmark Chrysler Building in New York City, you have some sense of the size of this show. It’s bound to be quite busy at times, too, with attendance numbers rivaling a city the size of Boulder, CO.

The trade show hall can’t hold all of the exhibits worth visiting. As in previous years, the convention center’s parking lot will hold several homes built on-site to display more products in a finished installation. NextGen’s First to the Future Home is featured, and worth a visit.