The International Builders’ Show (IBS) began Tuesday, drawing its biggest footprint in over a decade, officials said. This year’s show includes approximately 1,800 exhibitors and 728,000 square feet of space. Among the trends for doors and windows, there are a few carryovers from previous years. The competition among oversized entryways continues, with doors growing even larger than before (a year-over-year trend). In addition to their mammoth sizes, this year, the latest also display new levels of artistic flair. Pivot doors are also back—and at least one now offers automation.
That’s not to say the show hasn’t produced any surprises. One door manufacturer showed up with its own brand of foldable, tiny homes—something [DWM]’s editors haven’t seen before (not from a door company, at least).
Off to a Laughing Start
The show began on a humorous note, Tuesday morning, with comedian David Spade serving as the keynote. Prior to the event, the closest he ever came to an 8 a.m. performance was an 8 p.m. performance, Spade joked. Meanwhile, the closest his performance came to touching on building and remodeling included a joke about a nearby hotel.
“Maybe we can get rid of the Excalibur,” Spade said. “Maybe blow it up … that’s five, juicy acres. Maybe leave one wall up, call it a remodel.”
On a more serious note, in their opening remarks, officials for the National Association of Home Builders acknowledged the challenges faced by residential construction in 2024, including labor shortages, higher material prices and mortgage rates that keep a lot of would-be homebuyers out of the market. But they painted a picture of optimism for 2025, promising to be “fully engaged with the new administration,” while trying to address issues confronted by home builders and remodelers in the months ahead.
A City of Doors and Windows
On the show floor, door and window companies mostly took up residence in the Central Hall.
While last year’s event included a trend for electronically actuated glass, this year companies let their artistic sides show, with an abundance of decorative glass and etched door panels.
Novatech displayed its latest lineup of decorative glass designs, including Zen, which was selected as a Best of IBS 2025 finalist.
Zen is created using Ceraprint, a digital printing process that fuses ceramic ink into glass. The product is available in two woodgrain accents: Walnut, with rich brown tones and deep texture, or Aspen, with light tones and clean lines for a minimalist style.
Novatech set out to create Zen and other designs after noticing a hole in its offerings, compared to market trends, said Katie Sponseller, product designer and the creative mastermind behind Zen and other products.
“It definitely has to do with trends, what I’ve seen in the market, and what we’re missing. That’s why we debuted 14 new designs this year,” Sponseller said.
These days, you have to aim new designs at younger homebuyers—those in their 20s and 30s, she added.
GlassCraft drew attendees in with a 10-foot-tall fiberglass door with an elaborate design etched into its surface.
“We use a CNC router to create this,” said John Plummer, the company’s CEO, who drew the design prior to its production.
The door is offered in eight designs and in sizes of up to 4 feet wide and 10 feet tall, though a 5-foot by 12-foot option is also on the way, he said.
Some Surprises
In addition to eye-catching designs, there are several surprising twists among door manufacturers at this year’s event, including one that’s using materials and methods from door manufacturing to produce foldable, tiny homes. The Neuma Home is foldable and can be transported and installed on a traditional foundation. Homes are constructed from welded steel frames and walls that are made from insulated, fiberglass panels akin to entry doors. The design is hinged, allowing the entire home to be folded flat for transport. Homes meet International Residential Code standards and are built to be stronger than traditional wood framed homes, according to the company.
Another surprise came from ODL Inc., which showed up with a full lineup of new glass technologies—products that go well beyond the company’s usual niche in blinds between glass. In a private demonstration area, ODL officials showed off several new technologies designed to insulate door glass, including one with a layer of aerogel insulation (an up-and-coming technology).
ODL’s new Aeroshield Double insulating glass (IG) product includes a completely transparent, 4-mil-thick layer of aerogel applied to the inside surface of one glass lite, to produce R-7.1 performance. The product is slated to be available at the end of 2026, said Andy Ruiter, ODL’s senior product engineer, Tech Scouting and Advanced Engineering.
“We’re in pilot testing right now,” Ruiter said. “We’re getting down to a 0.18 U-factor with aerogel … with a 6 mil gel we can get down to 0.14.”
When the product comes to market, it’s expected to be priced slightly higher than triple-pane IG, he said.
ODL also showed off a new Miru, smart glass technology that can be electronically actuated to apply tint and reduce visible light transmission to 10%. The product takes approximately 4 minutes to transition between clear and tinted. One perk Miru provides over other tinted glass includes the fact that it’s completely color neutral, said Brodie Albright, Miru’s director of commercialization.
“Nothing is color shifted. It’s just darkened,” Albright said. “This is the most color neutral electrochromic window I’ve ever seen. When we do the color metrics, it’s nearly pinned right on zero.”
Finally, another product that drew the spotlight last year returned for an encore. Numerous pass-through windows gathered attention in 2024. This year, Panoramic Doors showed up with a folding, pass-through window that can be used independently or connected with adjacent sliding doors to form a continuous opening over and around countertops and other surfaces.
IBS lasts through Thursday. Look for additional coverage and trends in tomorrow’s newsletter.