20 years ago:
• Materials used by Registered Master Builders in new home building were going to need formal appraisal certificates from September 1997 if the materials were to be covered under the Master Build Services (MBS) Ltd five-year guarantee.
MBS chief executive Trevor Allsebrook said there was a lot of work to be done to put the requirement into place, although the first steps had been taken via meetings with BRANZ to discuss enforcement practicalities.
“Moisture penetration is the number one enemy, so manufacturers of these products who have not already had them appraised should start moving towards doing so if they are to retain our members’ business,” Mr Allsebrook said.
15 years ago:
• Builders wanting to apply for a resource consent from the Auckland Regional Council (ARC) were now able to do so via the internet, with the advent of online consent application forms being a first for regional councils in New Zealand.
“The internet has already made a big difference to the way people access information from the ARC, and we believe there is plenty of demand for consent forms online,” ARC environment management chairperson Patricia Thorp said.
“The ARC processes approximately 1000 consent applications a year, and we expect the service to be popular among consultants, planners, lawyers and others who regularly need to apply for consents or to have quick access to consent information,” Ms Thorp said.
10 years ago:
• A new guide to help ensure buildings and homes are built weathertight was launched by Building Issues Minister Clayton Cosgrove.
The guide, titled External Moisture — An introduction to weathertightness design principles, set out the core principles for constructing buildings that were able to withstand New Zealand’s weather conditions.
Mr Cosgrove said the guide was part of the Government’s commitment to help ensure homes were built right first time.
The guide also assisted owners to assess how weathertight their home was, and to help solve other non-weathertight problems.
5 years ago:
• Napier’s new Tumu ITM store was the first commercial building in the world to use a revolutionary new timber jointing technology that simplified the installation of long-span laminated veneer lumber (LVL) sections.
The major design feature of the building was a roof structure of LVL beams that spanned 60 metres, with the beams spliced together and fixed to columns using an innovative steel dowel and self-drilling screw system.
Known as the Xpan Quick Connect Joint, the system was developed specifically for the project by the Structural Timber Innovation Company (STIC) in conjunction with Auckland University.
STIC chief executive Robert Finch described the system as a simple and quick way to join large structural members together while reducing the need for complex traditional steel plates that require thousands of nails.
