TIMBER FOE HOUSES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19511, 15 December 1926, Page 10

TIMBER FOE HOUSES.

A HEART OR SAP QUESTION. WEATHER BOARDING MATERIAL. CRITICISM OF A BY-LAW, The by-law insisting on the use of heart timber for weather boarding was criticised by members of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce at a meeting yesterday. A letter was read from Mr. C. D. Warren, Auckland representative for the Hamilton timber firm of Ellis and Burnand, drawing attention to the local timber industry as it was affected by the importation of foreign timbers and local building by-laws. The letter stated that the timber industry was in a very serious position at present, the majority of the sawmills having to work short time and being faced with a further reduction of working time unless something was done to stop the dumping of foreign timber on the local markets. The building by-laws were the chief cause of the trouble, as they insisted on all exterior timber being of heart. The average quantity of heart timber in New Zealand trees was about 20 per cent., so thai they could readily see how the by-laws played into the hands of overseas competitors who, in cutting Oregon and cedar, did not separate the heart from the sap. This timber was allowed to be put into buildings, while local regulations not only insisted on the heart being separated from the sap, but would not allow New Zealand 0.8. timber to be used except in insida framing. Mr. S. Leyland said Auckland was the only place where heart timber was insisted on for weather boarding. In Wellington, Canterbury and elsewhere this was not insisted on. To comply with the by-laws they had to import timbers. If sap timber was good enough prior to 1917, when the by-law was introduced, then it was good enough to-day. He did not think it right that Auckland should be dominated by one man—the chief building inspector—in the matter. Speaking from the point of view of architects, Mr. F. L. Moodie said it was reasonable that permission should be given for houses to have sap weather boarding. For a really good house he would recommend heart timber, but sap weather boarding would answer the purpose for cheaper houses. The by-law, in his opinion, was altogether too drastic. A committee, comprising Messrs. S. Leyland, F. L. Moodie and W. Phillips, was appointed to go into the matter.