EFFINGHAM — The 2022 Effingham Area Home Builders Association Home Show looked pretty similar to past years on a surface level.
Area businesses in a wide variety of fields — from gutter cleaning to solar technology to home entertainment and even a few car dealerships — came to the Thelma Keller Convention Center to show off all they could do for people’s homes, whether that be through new gutters, a solar panel or two for the roof or even a brand new TV and surround sound system.
But a lot has changed in the two years since the Home Show last graced the halls of the Thelma Keller Convention Center. For starters, COVID-19 hit, having a profound impact on the home-building market. The supply chain shocks emanating from that greatly affected one very important home-building tool: lumber, with the cost flying upward to $1,686 per 1,000 board feet last May and falling precipitously over the next two months, with vacillations in the price continuing over the next eight months.
Combine that with other supply chain issues that have affected everything under the sun and it makes it difficult to find products on short order that are must-haves for home builders. Bryan Wenthe, president of the EAHBA and owner of Fieldcrest Homes, said companies like his have made adjustments to try and keep up with the uncertain times.
“It’s caused us to think a little further in advance,” Wenthe said. “We have had to make decisions further ahead in the process to be able to get orders placed so they would arrive at the time they (homeowners) would need it. With material pricing, it’s been very difficult to lock in prices for customers the way we would normally get because of the fluctuations and the up-and-down nature of what’s been going on.”
Wenthe said most of the businesses that were at the Home Show felt the effects of the supply chain issues — not to mention inflation — in much the same way homebuilders have. For instance, he said for people with material supply companies — like siding and gutters — the issues with the supply chain and inflation have made a significant impact.
“Material suppliers have felt that,” Wenthe said. “Re-modelers have felt that; heating and air (and) any of the subcontractors here have all felt that.”
Still, despite the issues with finding products, the Home Show remained a place for people to both showcase their products and show off newer technologies likely to be more prevalent in homes in the coming years, like solar technology and other renewable energy sources. Eric Straeter, a Champaign-based sales manager for Solar Energy Solutions, said solar would be a good option for people looking for an energy-independent way to power their property.
“If the (electric) grid were down and you had a solar battery backup, then you would still have power,” Straeter said. “(It) can help you reduce or eliminate your electric bill.”
The number of businesses impacted by the supply chain snags include the solar industry, with Straeter saying instability has made an already expensive product that much more expensive.
“There’s a lot of instability in the market right now regarding pricing,” Straeter said. “We just try to design it the best way we can so you can maximize your production with the fewest amount of panels.”
Solar energy is just one way people can find a little bit of renewable energy in their homes, with Wenthe saying the evolution of renewable products is one way the housing market has changed since he got into the home-building business.
“Energy efficiency started coming into play about 15 years ago in larger markets,” Wenthe said. “Over the last several years, we’re starting to see it trickle into the smaller markets like Effingham.”
