HEARTH AND HOME.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18399, 4 June 1925, Page 5

HEARTH AND HOME.

KILN-DRIED TIMBER.

WHY THERE IS PREJUDICE.

"I cannot understand tho unreasoning prejudice which exists against kilndried timber," is a statement made by Mr A. B. Entrican, engineer of Forest Products, in the course of an address to members of the Wellington Builders' Association.

An opinion on the matter was sought by "Builder" from Mr W. H. "Winsor, who submitted the following statement on the subject:— "As a builder is dependent for his living largely on the quality of his product, ho would be very unwise to attempt any tiling that is 'unreasoning.' He may be slow to adopt new methods introduced from abroad, but up to the present these have not been considered either necessary or desirable here. He very properly thinks twice of 'reasons' in his own mind, quite a lot before he alters his way of conducting his business. Mr Entrican says 'that kiln-dry-ing dries tho wood to a point that could not be reached in 100 years by air-dry-ing.' That statement must have been tHrough the 'hot air' kiln before it reached his hearers!

"Many builders in New Zealand have had a limited experience with kiln-dried timber, and, while they do not deny the fact that the timber is ' dry,' still, there are several disadvantages which outweigh tho value of this seasoning. One is the waste through undue shrinkage anil cracking; another is that, so far, kiln-drying has left them with a short, brittle timber; and, thirdly, the very nature of the timber is taken out of- it by the unnatural process of kilndrying. Moisture and sap, if allowed to settle in the grain, seem to add that life and colour which in kiln-drying arc quite killed. Our timbers have a greater variety of natural markings than most of the European or American timbers which are more commonly used. Take American timber, Oregon and redwood, as an example. In themselves, these timbers, properly dressed for interior finish, require certain stains (which, I grant, are very effective) to bo applied to them before their inherent beauties of grain are apparent, and they have no variety of markings to speak of. Their beauty is only brought out by the application of some foreign substance applied to improve their appearance. A coat of oil on Oregon or redwood, held fast by another coat of flat varnish, leaves them devoid of attraction, and whether they are kilndried or air-dried tho same effect is gained. Eimu, on the otacr hand, has such splendid markings of its own that the same application of oil and flatting enhance it. We do not need exterior aids to make it look effective. It is naturally beautiful in itself, and owes less to outside aids than almost any other timber that could be named. Builders submit that kiln-drying destroys this natural beauty, which, as builders and lovers of good timber and good work, they would be very loath to lose. They further say tha't up to the present there is no authority, with knowledge or experience, sufficient enough since kiln-drying has been experimented with in this Dominion, to warrant the inferred statement that air-drying is not efficient. The worst feature in connexion with the process is that i't takes so much vitality out of the timber that the loss in strength is very marked—probably 40 per cent, at least —and this fae'tor must be seriously considered. Any owner whose chief concern is to get liia job completed with as little dolay as possible, without shrinkage or character, will use kiln-dried timber, but I very much doubt if the skilled craftsman who loves his work will do so."

Various formalities have to be observed by a City rector before he is able to leave.the parish in which he works. These formalities become all the mora troublesome wlien it is a case of ail incumbent leaving the country. The Rector of St. Dunstan's.in the East has just had an illustration of this. He i 3 about to pay a visit to Australia, where ho worked as a ourate for a number of years; and lias been told by the Ecclesiastical Commissioners that it is not within their power to pay his quarterly stipend into his account until he has cabled an assurance of, in his own words, "my deferred decease."