When it comes to specifying the fixings for different locations around a timber-framed house, the key requirements can be found in NZS 3604:2011 Timber-framed buildings. Here is an overview.
Specifying the required levels of treatment for different timber members is a key part of achieving durability and Building Code compliance. Here are the key issues to be aware of.
BRANZ has been investigating what can make metal fasteners and fixings corrode when used in timber. Understanding this can lead to selection of compatible components and less risk of premature failures.
BRANZ welcomes the government’s commitment to tackling housing affordability by increasing access to international building products. At the same time, BRANZ CEO Claire Falck reiterates the importance of ensuring products will perform well in New Zealand conditions.
Sun, sea spray and geothermal activity are the background to our lives – fun in the present but silently eating away at our buildings over the long term. BRANZ corrosion maps are invaluable at showing the effects to help understand what materials should be used where.
At around 25 carefully chosen sites around Aotearoa New Zealand and offshore, metal building materials are systematically exposed to nature’s harshest conditions. It’s all in the interests of safe, durable and fit-for-purpose homes and buildings.
BRANZ research is expanding our knowledge of how multiple factors influence building material corrosion. This will lead to a new way of mapping corrosivity and allow the right materials to be specified for different environments.
It’s clear from recent events that intense rainfall can wipe out buildings. An important BRANZ research project will dig deep to see if emerging building materials will be able to stand up to our changing climate.
Even if it is treated, timber can sometimes decay sooner than expected. When this is because of an active fungal population in the surrounding area, simple actions can prevent replacement timber from also rotting.
Recent changes to Building Code clause B2 Durability and the issuing of a technical advisory note and model specifications have helped clarify the requirements for structural steel and commonly used coatings.
The majority of New Zealand houses are timber-framed but there are other options available. Architectural designer Bruce Campbell talks about his first experience using prefabricated steel frames in his own home.
A BRANZ project has been investigating alternative options to retrofitting insulation to timber-framed walls with direct-fixed cladding and without underlay.
High-performance testing of windows for weathertightness developed by BRANZ should give the industry confidence in the weathertightness of window to wall joints.
Escaping heat follows the path of least resistance, flowing from warm areas to cold ones. Reducing the impact of potential thermal bridges in a building will help keep the warmth inside.
Suspended ceilings fared poorly in recent earthquakes. In response, the relevant standard was revised, and there are stringent design and installation requirements to prevent collapse in a 1-in-500-year event.
While we can’t change New Zealand’s gusty climate, there’s plenty we can do to minimise its impact. Clever siting of buildings, modifying the landscape and providing shelter in the form of fences and plantings help.
