Shorts-The International Builders Show

Back from IBS, as always, what a great show. This was my fourth time attending, I always learn something new, get the chance to meet new people, and catch up with old friends. This year was no different.

This year I spent most of my time in the IBS Building Zone, this is where the hands-on demonstrations happen.  People like Mike Guertin, Ben Boggie, Christine Williamson, Tim Uhler, Travis Brungardt, Joe Cook, Michael Anschel and many others gave how to presentations on different products, assemblies, or discussed building science concepts.  I had two presentations in Build Zone, one on the #barndominium project and a second with Ben Boggie on tools for detecting a building’s performance.  We had a really cool mock-up that was heated to show thermal bridging and had several areas of planned air leaks.  The mock-up was filled with smoke and pressurized to show where we often see structures leak during blower door testing.  There was also a quick demo on moisture meters.

In addition to the Building Zone, I also spent time walking the show.  I’ve learned two things in attending IBS over the past few years, number one, bring good walking shoes, my step counter showed I walked nearly 20 miles over the three days of the show.  Second, three days is not enough time to get to see everything.  You have to pick and choose the demos, vendors or education that is important to you.  I used the IBS app, which lists all the details of the show along with a list of every vendor and their locations on the show floor.

Who can you expect to see at IBS?  Besides the people I already mentioned, I had a quick chat with Matt Risinger of the Build Show Network and Mark LaLiberte of Construction Instruction.  I got the opportunity to spend a little time with Emily Mottram of Mottram Architecture and who is one of the hosts of the BS and Beer Show and I finally met fellow Minnesotan Eric Aune Plumbing HVAC, Mechanical Hub and contributor to the Build Show Network.  I also got to meet Dr, Joseph Lstiburek, the founder of Building Science Corporation for the first time.  All these people are very approachable and are happy to chat with attendees.

Okay, enough of what I saw, how about a pair of quick videos featuring a couple of building science buddies, Travis Brungardt and Joe Cook of Catalyst Construction showing some behind the scenes preparations for presentations that took place later during the show.

I’ll post a few additional short videos and some photos over the coming weeks showing more of my experiences at the 2022 International Builder’s Show.  If you didn’t attend this year, next year’s show is in Las Vegas January 31 through February 2.

2 Replies to “Shorts-The International Builders Show”

  1. What are the benefits and downfalls of using I-joists in a roofing system compared to a roof truss system? I would love to hear more about this from the building science aspect and also the builder aspect.

    1. Hi Phill,
      I-joists can carry longer spans and because they are an engineered product, the roof will usually be flatter. There is a little bit of a learning curve, but the manufacturers of these products can help. Some of the manufacturers will also perform engineering based on the building requirements of your area, such as wind loading, snow loads or seismic considerations. You can cut quite a bit of the center web out if you need to run mechanicals in the roof system, all the manufacturers will have details on what can and can’t be cut. I’ve used I-joists as thick as 18 inches and believe they may come even thicker. This allows more insulation for the roof. One drawback, because of the OSB web, the insulation needs to be a little wider than the standard batt. You want to make sure your ordering insulation used for steel framing construction, that will come wider and will fit better. If you decide to use I-joist for a roof, talk to your supplier of the product, they can usually have an area rep for the manufacturer come to your jobsite to help train you and your crew. Most manufacturers offer this service, you just need to ask. If they don’t offer training, I would find a different manufacturer. Their success depends on yours.

      The roof I-joist presentation was well attended at IBS, lots of questions after Ben Bogie and Tim Uhler (@awesomeframers on Instagram) finished. That display was also used showing how to insulate over the top of the roof deck. Unfortunately, I didn’t take any photos of that session, but I will try to get some from people I know who also attended the presentation to post on my blog.

      Thanks for the question!

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