Glued Plywood Houses Forecast

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30759, 25 May 1965, Page 1

Glued Plywood Houses Forecast

(New Zealand Press Association >

WELLINGTON, May 24

Prefabricated plywood houses held together with glue are the dwellings of the future, according to an American scientist visiting New Zealand.

Dr. R. F. Blomquist, of the United States Forest Research Laboratory, says such houses would be virtually earthquake resistant, comparatively cheap, long lasting, attractive and extremely comfortable. The first person to hold a New Zealand Forest Service research fellowship, Dr. Blomquist is a chemist with an international reputation for research on the development of glues and glued products.

He said tonight that New Zealand could produce much more plywood than it did at present, but the production was geared to demand. Much research was being done in the United States to find new types of glue which would be extremely strong, weatherproof and waterproof. This glue would be used to glue house parts together without nails. It was much easier for houses to be built of plywood at a factory and erected at the home site. To weatherproof the ply, sheets of special plastic were glued to the exterior. “Our laboratory is working [closely with the w’ood Industry. We find what the in- , dustry needs and then ask i the chemical industry to develop new glues.”