The 2026 NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Orlando reinforced a clear message: sustainability, durability, and resilience are now core design requirements—not optional upgrades.
With tens of thousands of industry professionals in attendance and hundreds of new product launches across building materials, HVAC, and appliances, the show spotlighted how manufacturers are engineering solutions that reduce environmental impact while improving long-term performance.
Below are four standout products from IBS 2026, each representing a different building category and each advancing measurable sustainability outcomes.
TimberTech: Durable Recycled Decking and Rails
At IBS 2026, TimberTech showcased its Advantage Rail system, alongside expanded composite decking technologies designed to extend product lifespan and reduce lifecycle impact.
A key sustainability differentiator is TimberTech’s use of recycled materials in many of its composite formulations, helping divert plastic waste from landfills while reducing dependence on virgin timber. Composite decking also eliminates the need for frequent sanding, staining, and sealing, reducing chemical use and long-term maintenance emissions.
The Advantage Rail system incorporates installation efficiencies that help reduce material waste on jobsites—an often overlooked contributor to embodied carbon. In addition, TimberTech products are engineered for moisture resistance, insect resistance and structural durability, reducing premature replacement cycles.
For fire-prone and high-heat regions, TimberTech’s heat-mitigation technologies and composite resilience contribute to safer, longer-lasting outdoor living spaces. The result is a product line that addresses both environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
James Hardie: Wood Look Cement Siding
James Hardie used IBS 2026 to highlight its TimberHue Collection, a fiber cement siding line designed to replicate natural wood aesthetics while significantly improving durability and fire resistance.
Fiber cement siding is non-combustible and resistant to moisture damage, rot and d pests—critical attributes as builders respond to wildfire risk and extreme weather. Compared with traditional wood siding, fiber cement products typically offer longer service life and lower maintenance requirements, reducing both material turnover and repainting frequency.
The TimberHue Collection’s prefinished color technology further enhances sustainability by minimizing onsite finishing work and extending repaint cycles. Reduced refinishing translates to fewer chemical coatings applied over the product’s lifetime—meaning less plastics and other chemical compounds entering ecosystems.
James Hardie’s IBS presentation emphasized performance-based exterior systems capable of withstanding climate stress, while maintaining architectural appeal. The TimberHue line reflects the industry’s broader pivot toward more resilient exteriors that can stand up to climate-related threats.
Carrier: Versatile Electric Heat Pump Systems
At IBS 2026, Carrier highlighted advanced heat pump systems designed to reduce operational energy consumption and support home electrification, including their Performance 19 Crossover Heat Pump. This unit offers 19 SEER2 performance, with a slim profile that allows installation as close as four inches from your home, or it can be roof-mounted or stacked for multi-family housing.
Carrier has been a leader in HVAC technology for decades, and their heat pump technology does not disappoint. They have many systems and models available, but their highest performance products feature variable-speed compressor technology. This allows systems to modulate output based on real-time demand, while maintaining consistent comfort.
The company has also begun to step up its game with better controls and thermostats. Intelligent controls and smart home integration go beyond simple remote monitoring to offer load shifting and predictive maintenance—strategies that can extend equipment lifespan and optimize energy use patterns.
Other upgrades focus on durability and reduced maintenance. These include enhanced system components engineered for demanding climate conditions. The company has embraced home electrification, aligning their products with broader decarbonization trends in residential construction.
LG SKS All-In-One Laundry
Luxury appliance brand Signature Kitchen Suite SKS, part of LG, highlighted its new all-in-one laundry system at IBS 2026 in Orlando, showcasing a next-generation approach to space efficiency and energy/water savings. Designed to combine washing and drying into a single streamlined appliance, the system is easy to install, shrinking space requirements to make way for more flexible applications.
The unit integrates LG’s advanced heat pump drying technology, not only enabling lower-temperature operation that reduces energy consumption but also sparing builders the labor and costs of vent installation. Intelligent sensors continuously monitor moisture levels, load size and fabric type, automatically adjusting performance to minimize energy and water use.
Built with ThinQ smart technology, the all-in-one laundry platform functions as a connected appliance hub, with remote monitoring, cycle optimization and maintenance alerts. AI-driven features learn user habits and recommend customized wash and dry programs, while advanced filtration and internal airflow design enhance drying performance without requiring external venting—an advantage for airtight, high-performance homes.
As a luxury brand, it’s nice to see emphasis put on durability and long-term reliability. They accomplish this with reinforced and corrosion-resistant components. The unit fits in well with LG’s move toward integrated appliances that raise the sustainability bar.
New Emphasis on Reliability
Across decking, siding, HVAC, and appliances, IBS 2026 revealed a unifying industry shift: sustainable design is increasingly defined by measurable performance metrics—energy efficiency, fire resistance, durability and lifecycle longevity.
Manufacturers are not simply marketing eco-features; they are engineering products that reduce waste, conserve energy, and withstand increasingly volatile climate conditions.
Veteran journalist Matt Power has reported on innovation and sustainability in housing for nearly three decades. An award-winning writer, editor, and filmmaker, he has a long history of asking hard questions and adding depth and context as he unfolds complex issues.
Top Builders Show Products Emphasize Resilience
The 2026 NAHB International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Orlando reinforced a clear message: sustainability, durability, and resilience are now core design requirements—not optional upgrades.
With tens of thousands of industry professionals in attendance and hundreds of new product launches across building materials, HVAC, and appliances, the show spotlighted how manufacturers are engineering solutions that reduce environmental impact while improving long-term performance.
Below are four standout products from IBS 2026, each representing a different building category and each advancing measurable sustainability outcomes.
TimberTech: Durable Recycled Decking and Rails
At IBS 2026, TimberTech showcased its Advantage Rail system, alongside expanded composite decking technologies designed to extend product lifespan and reduce lifecycle impact.
A key sustainability differentiator is TimberTech’s use of recycled materials in many of its composite formulations, helping divert plastic waste from landfills while reducing dependence on virgin timber. Composite decking also eliminates the need for frequent sanding, staining, and sealing, reducing chemical use and long-term maintenance emissions.
The Advantage Rail system incorporates installation efficiencies that help reduce material waste on jobsites—an often overlooked contributor to embodied carbon. In addition, TimberTech products are engineered for moisture resistance, insect resistance and structural durability, reducing premature replacement cycles.
For fire-prone and high-heat regions, TimberTech’s heat-mitigation technologies and composite resilience contribute to safer, longer-lasting outdoor living spaces. The result is a product line that addresses both environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
James Hardie: Wood Look Cement Siding
James Hardie used IBS 2026 to highlight its TimberHue Collection, a fiber cement siding line designed to replicate natural wood aesthetics while significantly improving durability and fire resistance.
Fiber cement siding is non-combustible and resistant to moisture damage, rot and d pests—critical attributes as builders respond to wildfire risk and extreme weather. Compared with traditional wood siding, fiber cement products typically offer longer service life and lower maintenance requirements, reducing both material turnover and repainting frequency.
The TimberHue Collection’s prefinished color technology further enhances sustainability by minimizing onsite finishing work and extending repaint cycles. Reduced refinishing translates to fewer chemical coatings applied over the product’s lifetime—meaning less plastics and other chemical compounds entering ecosystems.
James Hardie’s IBS presentation emphasized performance-based exterior systems capable of withstanding climate stress, while maintaining architectural appeal. The TimberHue line reflects the industry’s broader pivot toward more resilient exteriors that can stand up to climate-related threats.
Carrier: Versatile Electric Heat Pump Systems
At IBS 2026, Carrier highlighted advanced heat pump systems designed to reduce operational energy consumption and support home electrification, including their Performance 19 Crossover Heat Pump. This unit offers 19 SEER2 performance, with a slim profile that allows installation as close as four inches from your home, or it can be roof-mounted or stacked for multi-family housing.
Carrier has been a leader in HVAC technology for decades, and their heat pump technology does not disappoint. They have many systems and models available, but their highest performance products feature variable-speed compressor technology. This allows systems to modulate output based on real-time demand, while maintaining consistent comfort.
The company has also begun to step up its game with better controls and thermostats. Intelligent controls and smart home integration go beyond simple remote monitoring to offer load shifting and predictive maintenance—strategies that can extend equipment lifespan and optimize energy use patterns.
Other upgrades focus on durability and reduced maintenance. These include enhanced system components engineered for demanding climate conditions. The company has embraced home electrification, aligning their products with broader decarbonization trends in residential construction.
LG SKS All-In-One Laundry
Luxury appliance brand Signature Kitchen Suite SKS, part of LG, highlighted its new all-in-one laundry system at IBS 2026 in Orlando, showcasing a next-generation approach to space efficiency and energy/water savings. Designed to combine washing and drying into a single streamlined appliance, the system is easy to install, shrinking space requirements to make way for more flexible applications.
The unit integrates LG’s advanced heat pump drying technology, not only enabling lower-temperature operation that reduces energy consumption but also sparing builders the labor and costs of vent installation. Intelligent sensors continuously monitor moisture levels, load size and fabric type, automatically adjusting performance to minimize energy and water use.
Built with ThinQ smart technology, the all-in-one laundry platform functions as a connected appliance hub, with remote monitoring, cycle optimization and maintenance alerts. AI-driven features learn user habits and recommend customized wash and dry programs, while advanced filtration and internal airflow design enhance drying performance without requiring external venting—an advantage for airtight, high-performance homes.
As a luxury brand, it’s nice to see emphasis put on durability and long-term reliability. They accomplish this with reinforced and corrosion-resistant components. The unit fits in well with LG’s move toward integrated appliances that raise the sustainability bar.
New Emphasis on Reliability
Across decking, siding, HVAC, and appliances, IBS 2026 revealed a unifying industry shift: sustainable design is increasingly defined by measurable performance metrics—energy efficiency, fire resistance, durability and lifecycle longevity.
Manufacturers are not simply marketing eco-features; they are engineering products that reduce waste, conserve energy, and withstand increasingly volatile climate conditions.
By Matt Power, Editor-In-Chief
Veteran journalist Matt Power has reported on innovation and sustainability in housing for nearly three decades. An award-winning writer, editor, and filmmaker, he has a long history of asking hard questions and adding depth and context as he unfolds complex issues.