Timber used at Twizel by Ministry of Works is 'not top grade'

Press, 21 August 1978, Page 16

Timber used at Twizel by Ministry of Works is 'not top grade'

Kahikatea timber used by the Ministry of Works and Development at Twizel is not of a high quality, according to the Conservator of Forests for Canterbury (.Mr J. W. Levy). He was replying to a letter from Miss Gwenny Davis, president of the Native Forests Action Council (August 18), saying that the power project used a lot of kahikatea because it was one-third cheaper than pine. Mr Levy said there was no question of a valuable resource being squandered. The kahikatea used at Twi-

zel was building A-grade timber, not dressing A-grade. Each concrete form built in this timber was used 27 times on average. The timber W'as carefully sorted and any short, clear lengths were finger-jointed so that they could be put to better use. Of another statement that 80 per cent of all dressinggrade native timber used in houses was painted over, Mr Levy said that only heartwood had decorative qualities of any note. Heart rimu was used on the outside because it was moderately rm-

rable and structurally stable. It was painted to protect it from the weather. Sapwood was used mainly for the inside of buildings and the householder had the choice of either painting it or clear-finishing it. Dressing-grade rimu was being used because it was defect-free timber which machined well and provided a clean surface for finishing. In commercial and institutional buildings, on the other hand, heart rimu was used extensively inside and clear-finished for its decorative properties.