Here’s what we did during IBS:

Marvin reported on some big trends in the construction industry, like these six upcoming home design and building trends for 2011 (with videos!) and a look at the latest in energy efficiency on Green Day, including our continued support of the ENERGY STAR program.

Marvin unveiled an array of new and improved products — a beautifully updated glider window, our most energy-efficient window to date, more options for our grilles-between-the-glass windows, and a host of improvements to the Ultimate Inswing French Door.

Marvin showcased other cool products from the Builders’ Show, like this outdoor space heater, a toilet with self-closing lid, and a power station for charging electric cars.

Marvin interviewed a bunch of smart folks, including home improvement blogger Timothy Dahl, universal design pro Esther Greenhouse, and building supplier Mark Pollari.

Here are all of our videos from IBS2011:

Those are some of our favorite highlights from IBS2011. What were some of your favorites from the show?

Ultimate Inswing French Doors

How many improvements has Marvin Windows and Doors made to its Ultimate Inswing French Door?

How much time have you got?

With both homeowner and builder in mind, Marvin is rolling out a host of changes to this popular door that will add to its performance, beauty and ease of installation.

For the homeowner:

• Design options include raised or flat panels, a full line of architectural hardware choices and multiple sizes and configurations
• The profile gives a more traditional aesthetic
• The redesigned all-Ultrex® sill can stand up to years of tough use
• An available sill liner in oak, mahogany or cherry adds a finishing touch to the interior sill surface
• Optional exterior mahogany sill cover offers a true wood sill appearance
• Ultimate Inswing French Door Transoms have been redesigned to perfectly complement the new Ultimate Inswing French Door platform

For the builder:

• The redesigned all-Ultrex sill comes in true depths of 4 9/16” or 6 9/16″
• The sill incorporates a robust weep system and an integral installation flange allowing for anchor points across the length of the sill
• Redesigned sill needs no added support at the nosing
• Field or factory-applied jamb extensions are available
• Wood version accepts traditional brick mould and flat casing components
• Easy installation for stationary panels, since exterior parting stops are removed for jamb fastening

“We’ve made this great door more robust and more stylish,” said Jeff Siverhus, Senior Product Planner for Marvin Windows and Doors. “Builders will appreciate the ease of installation, while homeowners will enjoy beautiful performance for years to come.”

ABOUT MARVIN WINDOWS AND DOORS
Marvin Windows and Doors brings its Built around you®. philosophy to life with every customer and every solution. A premier manufacturer of made-to-order wood and clad wood windows and doors, Marvin offers the industry’s most extensive selection of shapes, styles, sizes and options to fit the diverse needs of builders and match the personalities of homeowners.

Marvin’s tradition of delivering the finest craftsmanship in windows and doors began in Warroad, Minn., a small town just six miles from the Canadian border, where the privately-held, family-owned and operated company is still headquartered today. Learn more at www.marvin.com.

Esther Greenhouse, an aging in place specialist and environmental gerontologist at Cornell University, tells us why lever handles are winning as universal design gains ground.

Esther Greenhouse, certified aging in place specialist and environmental gerontologist, discusses how universal design may already be in place in our home.

Christine Marvin, Marvin Windows and Doors, with Carter Oosterhouse, star of HGTV Carter Can

Today marks the fourth annual Green Day at the NAHB International Builders’ Show. Marvin Windows and Doors is a proud sponsor as green day is an everyday concept for Marvin. Nestled in the far north woods of Minnesota in the small town of Warroad, Marvin has no choice but to reduce, reuse and recycle as it makes some of the industry’s finest and most energy efficient windows and doors.

As part of the day, Marvin Windows and Doors participated in a press briefing alongside Carter Oosterhouse, star of HGTV’s Carter Can. Other Green Day sponsors included BASF, Kohler and The Council for Responsible Energy.

Below is a summary of Christine Marvin’s remarks.

There’s a very good reason why Marvin has been a regular sponsor of these Green Day activities. It’s because the green values of energy efficiency and sustainability are part of everything we do. Using proven technologies, coupled with constant refinement and thoughtful innovation, we’re helping to make America more energy-efficient.

In just a few short years, “green” has become a mainstream concept in the building industry. No longer limited to a few early adopters, the desire for efficient products is widely shared by homeowners, whether for new construction or renovation.

We’re thrilled to see this development. Because our energy-efficient products are built to serve that great majority of homeowners who seek proven performance along with beauty, quality and affordability.

That last point is important.

You don’t have to go out on a limb with a tremendously expensive, unproven technology in order to achieve superior levels of efficiency. We at Marvin have provided windows for some of the country’s most noteworthy “green” projects.
Kroon Hall, the home of Yale University’s School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, recently was certified Platinum LEED – using Marvin windows.

The first LEED-certified residence in our home state of Minnesota was built with Marvin windows.
And a modest bungalow renovation in Oakland, California, recently received the highest LEED score of any residential renovation*ever* in the United States – using Marvin windows, of course.

And here’s the kicker: that bungalow is the personal residence of the founder of the U.S. Green Building Council, which created and administers the LEED system!

Impressive as that may be, what’s even more impressive is that the average homeowner can easily get many of these same windows for his own renovation or construction project.

It’s as if the race car that won the Daytona 500 was also available as an affordably priced family sedan – with both power and practicality.

We currently offer more than 150,000 products certified under the EPA’s ENERGY STAR program. And more than 2,000 products that qualify under the even more stringent R-5 program.

Tripane with Krypton

Here at the International Builders’ Show, we’re introducing our most energy efficient window ever: a triple pane with Krypton gas that exceeds ENERGY STAR standards.

But we also want to reaffirm our support and praise for ENERGY STAR. The program is doing what it was intended to do: Bring energy efficiency to the average American home.

Showcase projects are an important way to demonstrate what’s possible on the cutting edge, and we always welcome the chance to showcase our windows and doors. But a handful of showcase projects won’t move America significantly toward greater energy efficiency.

That significant movement only occurs when millions of American homeowners choose modern, energy-efficient windows that use proven technology, are built to high standards and are affordably priced.

That’s what ENERGY STAR standards are accomplishing, and that’s why we’re proud of our partnership with ENERGY STAR.
Any company can say their products “meet” ENERGY STAR requirements. But there’s a difference between saying you meet the requirements, and actually going through the rigorous process of having your products qualified, tested and certified by ENERGY STAR.

At Marvin, we’ve taken the time and trouble to have our products tested and certified.

So when a homeowner sees the ENERGY STAR seal on one of our windows, they can be sure they’re getting a product that will significantly improve the efficiency of their home, saving them energy and money.

Yet as we bring the next generation of efficient products to market, we can’t lose the affordability that’s crucial for reaching the mainstream, where these efficient products really make their collective impact felt. At Marvin, we’re already working on the next generation of efficient windows and patio doors. As efficiency standards change, we’ll be ready.

And we’ll continue building products that fit as comfortably in a showcase dream home – as they do in your home.
Thank you.

We know not everyone can make it in person, and even those who do can’t possibly see all the show has to offer. So just like we did last year, we’ll be reporting live from the show floor all week, hoping to be one of your primary sources of news and updates from IBS2011. Check back here regularly throughout the week for:

• features on newest products from Marvin and other exhibitors
• interviews and reports on developing trends in the building industry
• updates from Q&A sessions, keynote speeches and more
• man-on-the-street interviews to take the pulse of the industry
• videos and photos from the floor of the year’s largest gathering in homebuilding

You can bookmark this page, subscribe to our RSS feed or sign up for updates via e-mail to keep in touch with most of our reporting. We’ll be posting videos to our YouTube channel throughout the show, and of course, we’ll be updating Twitter and Facebook all day, every day.

Be sure to subscribe or check back often, and please let us know in the comments section if there’s something you’d like us to cover. We’d be happy to track down a person or a product for you.

Home improvement expert and Today Show contributor Lou Manfredini was on hand to check out these and other products from Marvin, and he shot this video tour of our booth:

You’ll find the rest of Marvin’s IBS 2010 coverage here — it features interviews with show organizers, highlights of innovative products on display at the show, and details on Marvin’s own new products.

The energy-efficiency tax credit our federal government is offering homeowners will continue to be a driving force for much of the building and remodeling industry, and that’s evident from the focus on efficiency at the 2010 International Builders Show.

The tax credit gives homeowners back 30 percent — up to $1,500 — when they install qualifying products, such as windows and doors, furnaces, roofing or insulation.

Lou talks with Tom Sinning of Marvin Windows and Doors and Kevin Carlile of Trane about some of their highly energy-efficient products on display at the show and available now for homeowners.