BUILDING IN WELLINGTON

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2897, 9 October 1916, Page 9

BUILDING IN WELLINGTON

■ .THIS HIGH COST OF TIMBJiR. lleports l of another iacrcaso in the prico of timber liavo come lately from the sawmillers, who state that tbo war has had the offect of increasing their expenses and at the saiuo tirno depri'v- . thorn of much of their "beet labour. Expert bushmen ai>4 sawmill hands have Kono to tho Iron? in hundreds duriiiß the last two .years, and their places havo either roiuaiued vacant or bav'o been lillcd by less experienced or oltler men. Merchants and builders have protested against a> liso in. timber, but there seems to be every probability that the increases will bo made, and, naturally, .passed on to tho general public. The shortage of shipping has made tlio importation of timber difficult at the present time, so that there is not a strong check on local prices from that source. House construction in Wellington at tho present time is stated to bo more | expensive than over boforo, but in spito of that fact the admitted sliort- | ago of houses and the very high rents aro causing a large amount of building |to be undertaken. Many new houses aro in course of orection in various parts of the city and suburbs', and there is great demand for carpenters and bricklayers. Tho increasing price of timber adds materially to tho cost of building, and tho burden is felt tho more severely owing to' tho fact that the cost of practically everything used in house construction has risen during th© war period. Nails, roofing iron, tiles, felt, • plumbing materials, glass,and paint are all much more expensive than they wcro before tho outbreak of war. The increases are so marked that some people, in search of attractive dwellings, have found it more economical to' make extensive alterations to old houses than to build new ones.- '

Discussing thd building question, with a Dominion reporter, a gentleman who has had extensive trade experience, said he was surprised more Wellington home-makers did not "build in brick. The initial cost of a brick house at the present time was not very much greater than that: of a wooden house, and niodom methods of construction, with the use of steel reinforcement, had removed all ground_ for nervousness on •tho.score of stability in time of earthquake. The advantages of the brick house wore very great. It did not require .painting, it hai; a low cost of maintenance, it tended to give an even; temperature, and it did not deterioraterapidly, as" a- wooden house did. The general use. of brick would improve the appearance of the city very much.