It’s not exactly a problem that would lead to leaks, but it is no less
worrying. Between April 2007 and October 2008, thousands of
houses in the Auckland region were built using timber for wall frames and
roof trusses that is not strong enough to support major loads. And
the worst: nobody knows in which houses this timber has ended up.
Here is more on this additional problem in an article by Heather McCracken,
published in the New Zealand Herald of 2 May 2010.
Thousands of Auckland homes built with shoddy wood
Thousands of Auckland homes were built using shoddy timber which was falsely
sold as a higher-grade product. The sub-grade timber was unwittingly sold by
Placemakers and Bunnings, which have paid out $550,000 in tests and remedial
work so far. The Commerce Commission estimated the wood had been used in
between 4000 and 7000 homes, garages and extensions mostly in the greater
Auckland area. Company director Larry Roger Binns, 47, was fined $15,000 in the
Auckland District Court this week after pleading guilty to 36 charges under the
Fair Trading Act. The commission said Binns, through his company Total Frame
and Truss, listed the timber on invoices as a premium grade, suitable for bearing
structural loads. It was a cheaper, lower-grade timber and not strong enough to
support major loads.
Tests have not shown any structural problems with the buildings, though
Placemakers and Bunnings have paid to fix about 200 at a cost of $550,000. Greg
Allan, the commission's fair trading manager, said customers couldn't have
known they were receiving the wrong timber, and should have been able to trust
the supplier. He said expert advice indicated there was no risk of the frames
or trusses failing, but some may bend under extreme conditions.
Wood Processing Association chief executive Peter Bodeker said the case related
to a "rogue operator". He said the association was pushing to make
the timber grade markings larger, and for third-party auditing of all frame and
truss manufacturers.
Binns' company supplied the sub-grade wall frames and roof trusses between
April 2007 and October 2008. The lesser grade timber would have been identified
with red or gray dye, but Binns removed the markings in a process known as
"defecting", court documents said. Binns' lawyer, Warren Woodd, said
he'd followed the process for 23 years, which involved cutting out visual
defects to make the timber suitable. Woodd said Binns was unaware of a change
in standard in 2007 which meant he could no longer use the practice.
In October 2008 a building inspector noticed red markings on the timber frames
and reported the problem. In her judgment, Judge Allison Sinclair said Binns
accepted immediate responsibility and travelled around Auckland and Northland
with "volunteer builder friends" to carry out tests on affected
houses. Binns' business went into voluntary liquidation in 2008 owing $1.29
million to creditors, and Binns was now making a living as a truck driver. The
court was told the stress of the case had contributed to the breakdown of his
marriage and his financial position was not strong. Binns declined to comment
yesterday.
Home Owners and Buyers Association president John Gray said the court decision
sent a strong message that directors couldn't escape responsibility by
liquidating their company. "It's a very clear message to the industry that
they need to lift their game and take these matters really seriously."
In 2006, Carter Holt Harvey was fined $900,000 for breaching the Fair Trading
Act by mislabelling timber as a higher grade. The commission said at the time
the timber was unlikely to be a safety issue, but may lead to performance
defects such as squeaky floors.