COST OF BUILDING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18388, 2 May 1923, Page 10

COST OF BUILDING.

NEED FOR REDUCTION,

SAWMILLERS' ATTITUDE.

SECOND GRADE TIMBERS.

That the New Zealand Sawmillers' Federation concurs in the belief that building costs should be lower than they are at the present time was shown during an : interview with Mr. Arthur Seed, sec-, retary to the federation, in Wellington recently. "There has been quite a, lot in the press of late,", said Mr. Seed, "regarding .over- ] crowding and housing generally, which j certainly shows that the shortage of ] houses is as acute as ever, notwithstanding the fact that there " appears to : have j been a decided increase in, building i activity recently. , , "I was interested to read an article where a ' city builder gave it as > his view j that the cost of building ;; could ,be ma- i teriaily reduced. The views of .this builder are entirely at one with those of the New Zealand ; Sawmillers' : Federation, as is ' evidenced by the resolution passed bV?a r general; meeting Vof / sawmillers ;in EangitDtei as follows:— it be a re- i commendation to the federation that . the question of lending : money on ; buildings construoted with v lower; grade timbers be taken-up ; with ; the ; various y Government departments,. local bodies and lending institutions:' ... ~ ' ■ "Although the "percentage;: which /the cost :of the timber in ; a wooden building beariUo; the total cost of the .cottage: is only ißome(V 17 to 27 per; cent, of the ; total cost,« the price of ■■% timber is :: generally blamed for the high cost of building.'. So far as the high; timber cost is concerned the building by-laws ; and regulations, ;.; of lending departments and institutions are in; a Marge measure ; responsible,; for nothing but absolutely : clean : heart timber will be ; accepted in most : instances : for weather boarding and flooring, for which purposes slightly lower grade heart; timbers would be quite suitable. flooring 0.8. tim-bers-are quite; as good; as heart: in many instances, -yfr

"Where V roof lining, studs, ; rafters and other parts . of,; the ; house . are constructed of l 0.8. ;it is rather; absurd ; : that the floor; ing must be ; constructed >of '■■ hearty; ; or; on the i principle; of ; the strength ; of a chain being its weakest link; the life ■of ■ a house is that part constructed with lower grade timbers. .- Certainly all ■' ground > -work, sleepers; and lower joists should Jbe heart timbers, v but ; for ; all indoor .work j| 0.8. ;: is quite nas suitable.. y; "There ; also appears -. to be an impression in:,. the- minds •! of many : ; people that the Hente '• Restriction; Act is applicable to' new dwellings. The ; fact that this '.; is not: so requires to be made widely ; public, so thatjthe speculative .builder or investor, and those who build houses to let need not be deterred ; by the thought that the Rent; Restriction ;Act will apply in such cases.- / ... < .];■: "Apropos; of the restrictive effect of the building;by-laws,;the Sawmillers' Federation is at present making .: arrangements with the New ■ Zealand Institute: of Architects to set* up;a,'■'small committee :to revise the building: by-laws of all, cities and boroughs in New. Zealand with a view to bringing down recommendations that may ultimately have the effect of cheapening/the erection; of dwellings, while in: no sense ; reducing their standard of comfort or durability."