Housing timber rules are given the treatment

By ANDREW LAXON

Chemically treated timber will soon have to be used throughout all new houses as a means of putting a stop to the leaky homes crisis.

The proposed change has delighted campaigners but horrified some sectors of the timber and building industry.

Last night the Building Industry Federation chairman Richard Carver said the move would drive up new house prices, devalue most homes built in the past seven years and endanger New Zealand timber exports worth millions of dollars.

The new rules are set out in a draft standard for the building industry released yesterday, which says all timber frames in houses should be chemically treated to protect them from rot.

This includes both external and internal framing (which does not usually get wet, but was apparently included to avoid confusion between different types of wood on building sites).

Although the draft can be changed after public consultation, opponents and supporters both expect the change will stay.

It effectively scraps a 1996 rule change which allowed widespread use of untreated timber in houses.

Repair specialists say leaking houses built with untreated timber rot much faster than those made of traditional boron-treated timber.

Mr Carver said there was no point in demanding treated timber on a brick and tile home with wide eaves and recessed windows because it would not leak anyway.

He predicted it would add between $1500 and $4000 to the cost of a new home and substantially devalue all the homes built with untreated timber since 1996.

"It's going to cause significant disruption to the building industry," said.

"What's going to happen to the 4000-odd homes being built now? "What are those home owners going to do?"

Mr Carver, also chief executive of Ecopine, Carter Holt Harvey's wood products business, said the change also threatened New Zealand efforts to sell millions of dollars worth of radiata pine to China.

He blamed the Government for driving through the change and was astonished to hear it had been announced when the federation was still due to meet Commerce Minister Lianne Dalziel tonight to present its arguments.

Last night leaky building campaigner Prendos consultant Philip O'Sullivan welcomed the proposal, saying there had been confusion in the building industry over which timber to use.

Treated timber

* The change: Compulsory treated timber throughout all new homes.

* For: Greater protection against rot in leaking homes.

* Against: New homes cost slightly more, homes built with untreated timber may lose value, timber exports may be threatened.