HEARTH AND HOME.

Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18423, 2 July 1925, Page 5

HEARTH AND HOME.

BUILDERS & FORESTRY AN IMPORTANT STUDY. (specially written FOR "the tress.") Builders should be specially interested in Forestry and. the - activities of the Forest Service Department, not only because timber so vitally affects their craft, but also because, amongst the pioneers in the work of forest preservation and in the work of replacing native forests with quicker-growing foreign timbers was the late Mr S. I. Clarke, of Auckland, for many years an honoured member of the Builders' Federation. Builders follow the remarks of Mr W, T. Morrison, Cone jrvator of Forests in Canterbury with close attention, because they are anxious indeed to Bee what provision the Forestry Department is making for the replacement of the timbers which are most eommonlv used

The quantify of timber used in a 5roomed brick cottage is as follows: — Feet ?upcr. Scantlings .. .. 4500 Flooring .. .. 1500 Lining .. .. 500 Clean timber .. WOO Imported timber .. 200 Total .. .. SCOO A five-roomed wooden cottage requires:— Feet super. Scantlings .. .. 0500 Flooring .. .. 1500 Lining .. .. 1000 Weatherboards .. 2000 Clean timber .. 2000 Imported timber .. 200 Total .. .. 13,800 In a brick house, the first timber entering into the construction is the boxing for foundations. We know that pinus insignis or radiata is very well adapted for this. Ground plates must be of durable and hard material—usually black pine, totnm, jarrah, or V.D.L. Now, the only timber produce! in plantations, so far, at all suitable, is locally-grown bluegum and macrocarpa. Both these locally-grown timbers have a very serious fault—their liability to twist and warp. It is almost impossible to use them satisfactorily, so they must be counted out. Joists and rafters require to be tough and strong and reasonably free from knots. For this purpose Oregon pine is undoubtedly the best, and there is no doubt that this pine can be grown in New Zealand. Specimens can be seen in the Christchurch Domain.

Roof Boarding. For roof boarding there should be no reason to use other timber than pinus insignia, especially if cut Jin thick instead of jin (this is for Canterbury users). For flooring, a very useful timber is populus dilitata. This has a clean grain, is light in colour, and is of a fairly compact nature as to its borer-proof properties. This would also make good lining, and, if procurable in long lengths, skirtings. Architraves and smaller mouldings could be run from it. This timber grows very well in the sandhills from cuttings, but, so far, no genuine plantation methods for its propagation seem to have been made.

| The interior fittings must, apparently, be made from imported timbers, or our | native timbers preserved for this purI pose; While some very fine small arilI cles, such as chairs, small tables, cupboards, etc., have been turned out in which exotic timbers have been used, so far no successful attempts at the building of massive sideboards, tables, counters, etc., have been made. In large city structures the use of durable timber, except for boxing concrete, doors and fittings, may be regarded as near its close, but the actual fact remains that a concrete building boxed with timber, consumes much more timber than a : brick or stone building of similar size. However, here is the pest market for inferior timber like pinus insignis, and nothing olse'should be used —lexcept, of course, very inferior native timbers. Builders, therefore, are very much •concerned in the types of timbers which are being planted. Can the builder of 30 years henco rely on obtaining a suit ablo timber from the plantations now being formed, or will ho havo to seek the aid of scientists to invent somto material that will, take the place of wood for everything except the most expensive decorative finishings?