Canbrace — a proud Kiwi innovation

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It’s been said that necessity is the mother of invention. It’s also been said that given a piece of No. 8 wire, Kiwis can do just about anything.

As Danny Cancian of Canbrace puts it: “Innovating and designing a new system is all about solving a problem and making life better and easier. In my case the objective was to find an easier and stronger way to brace constructions.

“I believe we’ve achieved that objective with a product that provides a better solution and has a valid place in the building industry. As a builder myself, I thought there just has to be a better way and no one was out there doing it.

“We’ve removed the bracing complications from the building process and replaced them with simplicity, effectiveness and innovation.”

Canbrace managing director Nathan Gordon says: “Henry Ford once said that if you want to find the easiest way, ask the laziest man.

“Think about it for a moment and it makes a lot of sense. The less time it takes the more cost-effective it is, providing it’s not about cutting corners so the job comes back on you.

“Danny and his design team have worked long and hard in product development and research with Canbrace, and from the outset we knew we were taking on the big boys. But we believe we’ve come up with the better way.”

Mr Cancian says the Canbrace product is an all-new innovation in construction. “It’s a unique and proudly New Zealand-designed system that arrives on-site in its own frames, saving on time and construction costs.

“Every house requires bracing against lateral forces developing due to wind and earthquakes. Current design trends such as open plan spaces and wider window openings means that the role of bracing is now more critical than ever. This is particularly so for houses built in very high wind zones.”

Canbrace bracing systems easily bear the brunt of wind and earthquakes, and have undergone thorough P21 testing by the Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ).

It is the intention that the bracing demand as required by NZS 3604 will be easily achieved by using Canbrace to reach the necessary bracing requirements for timber framed construction.

Mr Cancian is obviously proud when discussing the new system.

“This system is completely changing the way many in the industry are thinking about bracing for timber framed buildings. The panels are installed either in the pre-frame or on site. Once the frames are bolted down they can be easily plumbed by adjusting the two Tex screws at the top of the bracing panels.

“Once the job is done the building is braced and your frames are true. This provides a safe and secure building from the very start of construction. There is no more temporary bracing and no need to re-plumb frames. It couldn’t be simpler or easier.”

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