Building Products Invest To Save The Future Of Housing

Real EstateBuilding Products Invest To Save The Future Of HousingByJennifer Castenson,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Covers the future of sustainable, resilient and affordable housing. Follow AuthorJun 09, 2026, 08:32am EDTTrimJoist invented an open web truss system that can be stocked to ease supply chain issues and that is easier and faster to install, saving builders time and money.TrimJoistAs every cost factor in the homebuilding process inflates, stakeholders in the process are doing the math and understanding how to take a part in lowering costs. Product manufacturers are owning their part and developing new product solutions that can shave off time and cost. “We are in a neat moment in the building industry,” said long time industry veteran Alex Gillespie. “We don’t like the way things are, we are frustrated by the tools that we have, and we hate change, so we are caught in a conundrum. Forced through labor shortages and performance requirements and necessity, we are adopting or open to adopting new ideas and technologies more than I have seen in 35 years.”After being a builder plus working at a lumber yard in the U.S. and in Japan, Gillespie now serves as chief product officer at Hydroblok, a cement board alternative that simplifies construction and speeds installation. “If you buy a new home today and look at the punch list and the warranty challenges, it has gotten to a point that you can see that builders are getting pressured into change with long lists of punch list items,” he said. Part of what Hydroblok does is simplify energy and performance-based building codes for an opportunity for a successful installation with lower skilled labor, and which means that the weatherization is done correctly to protect the home from warranty issues. MORE FOR YOUThe dissection of a Hydroblok wall shows the advanced construction and efficiency and the ease of the installation.HydroBlokProviding lower cost product has...