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Thread: NZ houses

  1. #51
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    Quote Originally Posted by Super_BQ View Post
    Sure Canada has had leaky houses but they were only confined to "Condominiums - hence Leaky-Condos".
    I live in Canada and have a flat roofed home. I have no problems, though the roof probably needs to be redone sometime soon. It can wait until after I move out.

  2. #52
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    Sep 2006
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    Super_BQ you raise some interesting points. My topic was to create some awareness of the issues. It is very difficult to change the mindset here in NZ. New migrants are at least open and flexible in their thinking. When I visited other countries you pick up ideals. So new migrants can at least make a difference and just not accept the status quo and mindset when they build their customise house here in NZ, especially if they come from their homeland.
    I would also sugest that if a new migrant builds their home keep the plans and all the specifications (building materials) that went into the house. This will help with the resale value later on.

    Looking at the stats, the average New Zealander is finding it increasingly unaffordable to buy a new home. I want to stress that if the government wants to be taken seriously about helping the average NEw Zealander to get in their first home, they only have to tackle the housing problem by a quota; reducing the current entry level of new migrants The only people who have got the money are new migrants. The govt is trying to fathom the reason why houses are so expensive. Now they are focusing on contruction costs, saying it is much higher than Australia. Obviously there is a trade off building a a better built home and the current lax housing standards, poorly built, poorly insulated.

    I am aware of a new house in a an upmarket neighbourhood on the market for $570,000 only 2 years old. The new owner I was talking to said it has a leak a roofing leak. They say it doesn't happen today but it does happen. Only a building inspection report may have picked it up. Who knows where the fault lays. The new buyer is in discussions to get some money knock off the price so it can be amended.

    Locations is a priority and then bigger is better mentality with the kiwi mindset for a new home. It would be far better to build a slighty smaller house and then get it quality built with better insulation etc. It will not happen of course

    The trade off is you have chronic sickness. I have had new migrants who start living here in NZ in their 40's and they have never had asthma in their life.

  3. #53
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    Sep 2006
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    A24036 - The question you have to ask yourself first, is how long should a house last? 10 years, 25 years 50 years or more...

    I think it is a mindset. Wood does not rate well with architects and builders in terms of durability, the most commonly cited drawbacks being —it is prone to insect dam-
    age“ and —it deteriorates or rots“. Nor does wood rate as well in terms
    of consistent quality.

    I am not an expert here just general and local knowledge. My father use to be a carpenter and build houses around the 1960's. In his day a lot of waste cross cuts would just go on the scrap heap. That has changed since his time. Today nothing is wasted. That is how valuable a commodity it is today.

    Regarding your question. Timber can still be more expensive to manufacture and install. Timber flooring can be 2-3 times more expensive than carpet which is the norm in NZ when you also factor in the labour cost. Most new homes built in NZ would not even use "solid" timber doors except perhaps the main entrance door, the majority would use a substitute which it is more affordable. A solid cedar door entrance door would set you back around NZ$800. Multiply that out by say 10-15 doors, in an average home and the price starts to add up. Older homes would certaintly have use solid timber in the flooring and doors such as Rimu or similar. Those days are long gone. Rimu wood is a protected species today. There would not even be enough supply to meet demand today.

    85% of the forests that are logged in NZ use Radiata Pine. 33 percent gets exported as logs (no value added to the product). Japan and China can ship it back to NZ as furniture. There was a recent furniture maker here in NZ that closed shop and he said he couldn't compete with the cheap overseas imported furniture here in NZ and he is trying to produce locally made furniture. WTO World Trade Organisation which NZ is tied into, bans import quotas or tarrifs. Our clothing and shoe industries are in a similar predicament and can't compete on then world stage with likes of China and they are all going under belly up.

    Radiata Pine has quite different characteristics to the native species being lower density full of knots and in particular having a very high moisture content (up to 130% by weight).

    I have a standard Radiata Pine as a fence and already it has warped less than 6 months ( expands and contracts in the weather due to the sun). It has buckled in places; there are holes in that he quality of the wood is not the best. The best stuff is used for furniture. I am just highlighting some of the deficiences.

    If you can find a suitable alternative to pine then it would probably be more expensive to import (if it is an exotic hardwood) and that defeats the whole purpose of supporting a NZ job creation industry. A home grown logging and sawmilling industry. Pine has a lot of advantages and disadvantages.
    In NZ, especially with volcanic soil it can grow very fast especially at the top of the North Island which are ideal conditions.

    The Radiata Pine, however, has some serious disadvantages compared to most other timbers used in similar situations: (1) it is of low density and variable in density through the log, (2) it has very high moisture content when harvested, (3) it is of relatively low strength, and (4) it is subject to fungal and insect attack if not treated. Radiata Pine is classified as a softwood. As structural timber radiata pine compares unfavourably with many timbers overseas. Compared with wood species of a similar density, radiata wood is not stiff.

    The major disadvantage is that it needs treatment to deter insects and rots and swells when wet more than most timbers. This can lead to surface checking (cracks) if unprotected in full weather. Then add the high cost of solvents and preservatives and potential environmental concerns. Radiata pine is a non-durable timber and if it is not treated, it will deteriorate very rapidly when wet. Fungi grow rapidly and attack the timber, destroying its structural integrity. This will occur in all external use, and where there is a leak in the cladding it will occur internally too. That is why it is use mostly in the framing of houses.

    Initially untreated radiata pine was used, but it was found to be susceptible to borer attack so it began to be treated with boron.
    In the 1980s it was found that kiln drying the radiata at a higher temperature than usually used to dry it, gave some resistance to insects. Based on this, it was decided that high temperature kiln-dried (untreated) radiata could be used in place of boric treated timber in certain specified conditions where the timber could be kept dry and clear of the ground. It was thought that it would be ok (safe) to use untreated timber in the framing of houses.

    Houses constructed between 1990 and 2004 used exclusively untreated framing. That is when the leaky building problems started to occur. Untreated timber getting attack due to building totally inappropriate Mediterranean style houses with no eaves flat roofs and stucco type cladding. Water / moisture got inside internally to the framing of the house.

  4. #54
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    Aug 2004
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    Manawatu - NZ
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    Quote Originally Posted by dean1968 View Post
    It is very difficult to change the mindset here in NZ. .
    This is very true.

    We are in the process of 'striking a deal' with a builder to put a house on our beach section for us.

    The poor bloke had a look of sheer disbelief/confusion on his face when I had a very long list of questions regarding the insulation and how warm the place would be. He found it rather odd that my priorities were to have a warm, dry house rather than concentrate on how much living space there would be.

    Diny

  5. #55
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    Sep 2005
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    Scarborough, North Yorkshire.
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    Having read these posts and agreed with a lot of what has been said I would suggest any 'good' builder thinking of moving to NZ should jump at the chance. I remember discussing this with a builder mate of mine saying he would clean up. IMHO people coming from europe and the US want good quality houses. Houses that are warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Insulation and DG windows + a decent central heating system. When you think about it it's not much to ask for. I my next life I want to come back as a builder who's father inlaw owns a DG factory. Has a best mate as a plumber who's son has a Kingspan business! D

  6. #56
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    Sep 2006
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    The Government's Department of Building and Housing is backing councils in rejecting applications for monolithic-clad houses to get code compliance certificates.

    Councils are refusing to issue the final sign-off on many of the places, making the houses less saleable without the certificates testifying they meet Building Code requirements.

    The certificates are essential because they indicate the house, properly maintained, will meet Building Code requirements for 50 years.

    http://www.nzherald.co.nz/section/8/...ectid=10425752

    http://www.dbh.govt.nz/determination...determinations

  7. #57
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    Feb 2007
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    Ottawa, Canada
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    HOORAY for Building Code Requirements!



    There is a show on here in Canada called Holmes on Homes. It's about this big bear of a guy, a contractor and a real sweetheart. He has been doing this show for several years now and has started a country-wide campaign against shoddy workmanship. People send him requests and complaints and he goes in with a team, they take a look at the work done, usually tear it all out and then do it up right.

    I have learned so much from this show. I mean, I learned a lot working at a contracting company building and servicing company locations across the maritime provinces while my dad was running the company, then when I went to community college to take Civil Engineering. Still, it was an eye-opener to see what people try to get away with when you let them into your home. Even if you get them to build it from the ground up.

    I consider myself pretty educated about the building process. I know that codes are going to be quite different in NZ and I can't wait to take a real look at a decent home.

    Oh, I'm a programmer now.

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