Best New Tech, Materials & Tools for 2022

Each year, the NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS) recognizes the outstanding building products from exhibiting companies in eight categories with the 2022 Best of IBS Awards.

With over 200 entries in eight categories, 24 industry and media judges considered the products' innovation, functionality, design and user-friendliness to make this list of winners.

Evolve Stone

Evolve Stone won Best in Show as well as Most Innovative Building Material Product. This first-of-its-kind nailable stone veneer product is the only mortarless, color-throughout stone veneer that installs up to 10X faster and is a fraction of the weight compared to the competition. It looks and feels like real stone and installs with the ease of a finish nailer. No mortar or hardware is required. It’s moisture-impermeable compared to competitors' products, which can hold moisture against the structure. Evolve Stone is also extremely durable, which reduces breakage during shipping and installation. No heavy-duty staging or scaffolding is needed, nor is there a need for engineered tie-backs, grade beams, or stone ledges. Evolve Stone installs structurally under vinyl siding guidelines. https://evolvestone.com

SPAN Gen 2 Smart Panel

SPAN reinvented the hundred-year old electric panel and won both Best Energy Efficient Product and Best Home Technology Product. It replaces your existing electric panel and lets you control every circuit in your home right from your phone. Furthermore, when paired with SPAN, a home battery can back up your entire home rather than only a fraction of it. SPAN makes this as easy as using a drag-and-drop app. Outage at night? Power your bedrooms. Outage in the morning? Power your kitchen and office. Need to get away from the outage? Power an Electric Vehicle. Every circuit is now a connected circuit. Turn them on and off, from home or away. https://www.span.io/panel

Murphy Flush Pantry Door

Winner of Best Indoor Product, the Flush Pantry Door from Murphy Doors provides the perfect spot for grocery, errand, and chore lists AND you'll gain up to 20 cubic ft. of storage space in previously wasted space. The flush-mount Pantry Door is available in 6 wood selections, 36 finishes, and paint-grade options to perfectly complement your décor. It installs like a regular door. https://murphydoor.com

Swidget 20/40/60 Control Switch

Winner of Best Kitchen & Bath Product, the Swidget 20/40/60 Control Switch is a modular Smart Home enabled timer switch that can be wired for single-pole or dry contact applications. When your home is equipped with Swidget wiring devices, configuring your spaces is as easy as 1-2-3. Simply install the desired insert type in the wiring device, and pair it to the app to get real-time monitoring and control over your domain. Move and change devices as your life evolves, without worrying if your home can keep up with technology. Many of the Swidget Inserts can be used on their own, like a nightlight or USB charger, or they can connect to an ever-growing number of systems via Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, or ZigBee protocols, allowing you to control and monitor the switch. Inserts are safely and easily installed/removed from the body of the Swidget 20/40/60 Control Switch without the use of any tools. https://www.swidget.com

Barrette Decorative Screen Panels

Winner of Best Outdoor Product, the Decorative Screen Panels from Barrette Outdoor Living offer an attractive way to customize an indoor or outdoor setting. Enhance a room, patio, garden, or add a stylish solution for under a deck. Panels can also be installed up to three high in the aluminum frame kit, creating a divider screen for increased privacy wherever it is needed.The panels resists warping, rot, twisting, splitting, discoloration and scratching, and can be used as decorative infill in select railing products. The low-maintenance, impact-resistant material ensures stability in extreme climates. Made in the USA and backed with a Limited Lifetime Warranty. https://www.barretteoutdoorliving.com

PanoLock

Winner of Best Window & Door Product, PanoLock is a one-of-a-kind, multi-point lock that works with off-the-shelf hardware to provide superior home security at an affordable price. The lock installs along the edge of the door with three locking points. It works with most handsets, whether knob, lever or thumb-press via an innovative plug-n-play latch and deadbolt adapters, which mate with multiple brands and styles. PanoLock is compatible brands include: Schlage, Kwikset, Gatehouse, Baldwin, Brinks, and Defiant. https://www.enduraproducts.com/panolock/

Timberline Solar

GAF Energy launched Timberline Solar, winner of Most Innovative Construction Tool. Timberline Solar is the only roof system to directly integrate solar technology into traditional roofing processes and materials. This new system incorporates the world’s first nailable solar shingle, the Timberline Solar Energy Shingle™ (ES), which will be assembled domestically at GAF Energy’s manufacturing and R&D facility in San Jose, California. Timberline Solar is reliable, durable, cost-effective, and easy to install. The ES boasts an industry-defying depth of less than a 1/4 inch and integrates with traditional shingles to create a sleek and attractive look. https://www.gaf.energy

Honorable Mentions

ACRE from Modern Mill

An IBS finalist for Most Innovative Building Material, ACRE from Modern Mill is a sustainable new material with all the warmth and beauty of real wood. Yet it’s light, strong, water-, pest- and weather-resistant, and guaranteed not to rot, crack or splinter. Best of all, ACRE is made without harming a single tree, in a zero-waste environment in Fernwood, Mississippi. ACRE is made from upcycled rice hulls, a natural wonder of waterproof strength and durability, in a zero-waste manufacturing environment. Cut and craft the material with regular woodworking tools; no special equipment is needed. It’s suitable for almost any application, from siding to decking to furniture and more. https://modern-mill.com/

CAMO ClipDRIVE

Target screws easily from a standing position and drive CAMO clips up to 5X faster with the CAMO ClipDRIVE, an IBS finalist for Most Innovative Construction Tool. This contractor-grade tool is designed to give you the best experience fastening grooved decking. For exclusive use with CAMO Universal Deck Clips on leading grooved decking, the tool attaches to your drill and features a height-adjustable handle. The weighted nose easily targets the screw head to speed up decking installation.

Sneak Peek

Monster Pivot Door System coming in 2022

Simpson Door Company is taking customization and efficiency to new heights in 2022 with its Monster Pivot Door System. The oversized doors can be custom-made to span up to 12 feet tall and up to 10 feet wide to create a showstopping entrance. A contemporary alternative to traditional assemblies, the company’s latest offering makes it possible to marry the sought-after look and functionality of an oversized door on a pivot hinge with the simplicity of a ready-to-install system. A no-fuss option that takes the guesswork out of the installation process, the Monster Pivot Door System comes with high-performance hardware that makes it easy for home builders to purchase and install a truly one-of-a-kind door. Like anything from Simpson Door Company, the Monster Pivot Door System can be customized to accommodate a range of design aesthetics.

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