During the 2007 International Builders’ Show, the NAHB Research Center presented  “The Best Online Resources for Building Technologies,” an educational program aimed at updating builders on many of the most useful and time-saving resources currently available online.

Nearly all home building firms use the Internet. However, many builders may just be scraping the surface of what with Web has to offer them.

Search engines are among the Web’s most valuable—and often most underused— resources. Today’s search engines offer a variety of tools far beyond searching. For example, the top three engines— Google, Yahoo, and MSN— all offer mapping services that can find locations, provide directions and directory listings that will locate any type of business near an address.

Search engines may also offer language tools that can be invaluable to builders with contractors who are not fluent in English. Users can paste text, such as instructions, into a form that will quickly translate the text into another language, or type in the URL for a website that they want to translate. This is potentially a beneficial resource for communicating new hot spot items on the jobsite.

RSS feeds are a useful and time-saving tool for builders who want to stay on top of industry news, but don’t have time to browse several sites each day. “RSS” is an acronym for “Really Simple Syndication,” “RDF Site Summary,” or “Rich Site Summary”. RSS feeds are free, and can include headlines, news, events, excerpts from discussion forums, and links to more information on the Web.

Instead of visiting several websites for news, RSS users have new information delivered to them in an organized, automatically-updated format that allows them to quickly scan dozens—or hundreds—of headlines that are targeted to their interests.

Building industry websites have also come a long way. In addition to news articles, many sites offer networking and customization features to help builders easily match site content to their needs. Advanced content may include online calculators, guideline publications, instruction and event videos, checklists, and subscriptions.

The Research Center’s online resource, ToolBase.org, currently provides a wide range of information on building technology, traditional and green home building, mold and moisture, and energy efficiency from the Partnership for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), NAHB, and others. The site is organized so that each topic area includes technology overviews, design guides, downloadable CAD drawings, case studies, and field evaluations.

Other useful industry sites recommended during the IBS educational program include websites for public and private organizations, universities, and industry associations. To view the entire presentation, including a comprehensive list of websites, visit www.ToolBase.org/IBS07webresources.

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