3 Min Read
Resources · Feb 2026 · 5 min read
Our team spent three days at the International Builders Show in Orlando — interviewing 7 vendors, testing new products, and asking the questions that matter for homes in Western NC. Here’s everything we brought back for you.
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Why We Go to IBS
Every February, the best builders, manufacturers, and product innovators in the country gather in one place: the International Builders Show. This year, our team made the trip to Orlando — not as tourists, but as your advocates on the show floor.
We walked the show floor with fresh eyes and a clear agenda. We sat down with vendors, pushed past the sales pitch, and asked the questions that matter for homes built in the mountains of Western North Carolina: How does this perform in a climate with humidity swings and freeze-thaw cycles? What does real-world installation look like? What’s the warranty story when things go wrong?
Custom home building in Western NC comes with unique demands. Our mountain climate is hard on buildings. The detail work that separates a home that lasts from one that doesn’t starts with the products and systems inside the walls — things you’ll never see after move-in day.
IBS is where we stay current. It’s where we evaluate what’s new, what’s proven, and what’s worth specifying. It’s one of the ways we earn the trust you place in us when you hand over your dream home project.
The 7 Vendors We Interviewed
We didn’t just walk the floor — we put the camera on and sat down with seven of our favorite vendors. Each conversation is available as a short video below.
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Aquafire →
The future of fireplaces — electric fire technology that’s reshaping what’s possible in a custom home living room.
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GE Appliances →
How to get 60% more hot water — and what we’re specifying for kitchens and laundry in 2026 builds.
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Resideo →
The 5 smart home essentials every new build should have — thermostats, controls, and whole-home monitoring made simple.
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Schluter Systems →
Smarter shower design — the tile and waterproofing systems that make beautiful bathrooms actually last.
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Trex →
Choosing the right railing — composite decking systems built for mountain weather without sacrificing beauty.
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JobTread →
What you see during a project — the transparency tools we use to keep clients informed at every stage of their build.
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Huber Wood →
What’s under your siding? ZIP System engineered wood — the building envelope system we trust for Western NC’s demanding climate. We’ve been specifying it for years, and IBS gave us a chance to go deep on why it works.
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W/ Aquafire
The Future of Fireplaces
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W/ GE Appliances
How to Get 60% More Hot Water
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W/ Resideo
The 5 Smart Home Essentials
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W/ Schluter Systems
Smarter Shower Design
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W/ Trex
Choosing the Right Railing
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W/ Eric of JobTread
What You See During a Project
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W/ Huber Wood
What Is Under Your Siding?
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What This Means for Your Home
Every product we evaluate at IBS gets measured against the same question: does this make homes in Western NC better? Not just aesthetically — structurally, mechanically, and for the long haul.
The mountain climate is unforgiving. Temperature swings, moisture, and elevation all put pressure on a building envelope in ways flat, urban construction doesn’t face. When we go to IBS, we’re looking for products and systems that account for that reality.
| —See the exact products going into high-performance custom homes in 2026 |
| —Understand why we specify the systems we do — not just what they are, but how they perform |
| —Know the questions worth asking any builder before you sign a contract |
| —Get a feel for how a builder who stays current thinks — so you can make a truly informed choice |
If you’re in the early stages of thinking about a custom home in Buncombe or Henderson County, these videos are a good place to start. They’ll give you a window into how we think and what we care about — which is ultimately what you’re buying when you choose a builder.
▶ Watch the 20-Minute Walkthrough
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