WHAT IS ITS LIFE?

Chronicle (Levin), 8 July 1947, Page 4

WHAT IS ITS LIFE?

WOODEN HOUSE THE TOPIC OF iNTiSREsTING DISCUSSION What constitutes the iife of a wooden buildrng? This was a ques-* tion that occupied the actention of the Rural Committee of the : Land Saies Court at a sitiing in Levin yescerday, when the sale price of a wooden nouse in Queen Street was under review. He considered it would be. diiflcult to flnd such a strucuire in New Zealand ■ which was 100 years old or over, said the chairman,- Mr. O. N: Campbell. The only "one he could think of was the Waitangi Treaty - House. The discussion arose. following a statement by Mr. G. C. France, a Levin builder, that in his estimation the house under dispute would last a lifetime. It was constructed of heart matai and was in excellent cohdiiion despite the fact that it was 40 years old.

The existence of a wooden house at Waikanae which was claimed to be 100 years old and still occupied, was mentioned by Mr. R. G. Wall. To emphasise his point Mr. France- produced samples df heart matai taken from a house erected over 60 years ago. Its condition impressed all members of the court. Commenting that he could not understand why there were not many century-old -wooden houses still standing and in use today, the chairman said that the early pioneers must surely have flad the very best of timber with which to build. In his opinion, although the timber might be good,, the nails, foundation, roof and other accessories did not last. He did not want to discredit the house under review, but thought the same would apply I in its case. The opinion that in the early days the durability of various 0rades of timber was not known, and that settlers often used the whole of the log in consrruction, was put forward by Mr. France. ' Though no decision was reached in the discussion, on the life of a wooden building, the durability of heart matai, of which the house as said to be constructed, was not disputed.