WOODEN HOUSES

Southland Times, Issue 19772, 21 February 1923, Page 2

WOODEN HOUSES

THEIR DURABILITY’. A correspondent writes to the Evening Post:— “Some idea as to the lasting qualities and durability of the average wooden house when well constructed of sound timber may be obtained by a review of some of the facts in connection with early building in New Zealand. There are houses still standing that were erected during the first, years of settlement, with timbers quite sound and weatherproof, and notable examples arc to be found at Russell (Bay of Islands), in Auckland and New Plymouth. “A good sample of the old-time colonial building is the ‘round house/ a well-known landmark facing Courtenay street, New Plymouth. This structure was erected in the early ’forties as head-quarters for th e officers during the wars of the period, and originally faced Devon street. It gets the name ‘round house’ from the octagonal shape of the building which is still in a fine state of preservation. Some seventeen years back this well-known place was shifted bodily with the aid of block and tackle to the opposite end of the section upon which it was built, and went through the ordeal without suffering the least damage. “There are a number of other buildings dating back to the ’forties in various parts of New Zealand, and many of them are in better repair to-day than numbers of much more pretentious looking buildings erected at considerably later dates.

“Ship-building is a much more rigorous test for timber than house construction, and we find the barquentine Ysabel, built in Auckland in 1874 for mission work in the South Sea Islands, still sailing the seas, her kauri planks being as sound as the day they were put together half a century back. Another example of the manner in which our timbers stand the full stress of wind and weather about the New Zealand coast is provided by the schooner Saucy Kate. This little vessel was built at Mercury Bay in 1876, and may still be seen beating in and out of Auckland harbour going about her lawful business. Many other cases could be quoted, but enough has been said to prove that, given well seasoned timber of good quality, anyone may find the wooden built house a good investment. “Perhaps the most striking examples of how well timber stands the test of time are to be found in London, where many houses dating back to 1666 are sound and habitable at the present day. Half a dozen houses on the Blackfrairs road were erected just over 300 years ago, and are still in first-class condition, the timber used in their construction being Scotch fir or spruce for the outside work. The beams supporting the. floors are of oak.”