Housing and You…Those new wood products are indeed cost-effective

Mar 02, 2014 News

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By Leonard Gildarie
I had intended to continue examining the National Building Codes this week, and as was mentioned the last time, it is a tedious exercise. But quite frankly, they are extremely important for especially contractors, engineer, quantity surveyors and other players in the construction field. If we are to move into the next era of development, the rule of law and by extension, enforcement, will have to play its role.
Laws are made to be followed and enforced and the codes were designed by a number of Guyanese experts who examined what was being done in the region and use the findings as a basis to come up with what is on the table now.
However, there are some developments that happened last week that I found interesting. I want to expound on these a little more. We will have to come back to the codes in a little bit.

An article carried in the Kaieteur News last Sunday caught my eye. It had to do with plans announced by Bulkan Timber Works, a company on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, to introduce into the local market what is known as end-matched lumber. These come with tongue-and-groove on all sides, and depending on the customer, can be custom-made, with a particular side prepared.
The operation, located at the old glass factory on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, is gearing to hit the local market in a big way. According to officials of the establishment — and this is what is so interesting — end-matching will not only reduce the overall cost of lumber for the homes on the long term, but will lend beauty to the finished product.
Here is how it works. Currently, for the floors, most homeowners would order lumber of particular lengths, example 15 feet. The wood would be collected from the lumber yard or sawmill and left until the contractor is ready to use them. The problem is, a Bulkan official says, in the majority of cases, very little attempts are made to prepare the lumber for customers.
Wood, by its very nature, I am told, has moisture content that whether it goes up or comes down, will affect what happens in the home after it is installed. So if you happen to see a wooden floor or walls with spaces, it may not necessarily be the fault of the contractor. It is just the wood is shrinking and has shifted. You are forced to apply putty and a host of other things to cover up the unsightly work.
Now there are two ways to minimize the wood movement in walls and floors. These include kiln-drying and the second cheaper way, air-drying. Bulkan says it has six kilns and it is about to install more. It will offer customers the possibilities of picking up wood weeks after it is ordered and in the meantime, will work with the customer to either air-dry or kiln-dry them. I know for a fact that leaving the wood in the sun and/or the rain does not help. It will either be too much of heat or too much moisture. Kiln drying also helps in killing termites.
Now back to the end-matching. Having lumber with tongue-and-groove will reduce the need for customers to order specific lengths. Instead of 20 pieces of 20-feet length, one can order 400 square feet. I happen to know that sometimes the lumber yards will not have 20-feet lengths. In some cases, they will have 22 feet. You have to pay for these. This is waste.
End-matched lumber will not only reduce losses for the homeowner, but has the added advantage of hiding the unsightly nails and reduce installation time almost by half. Because of the tongue-and-groove, the nails, using a special tool, can be placed at the side of the lumber, instead of on top. The end-matched wood also reduces the need for lots of putty. I happened to have seen a wall that the Bulkans constructed and was amazed at the neatness and beauty. We are indeed a blessed country where natural resources are concerned.
End-matched wood can also be used for framing the ceiling that will see instead of stitch-nailing two pieces of woods together, there may be the possibility of tongue-and-groove attachments.
In many past articles, we have made one thing very clear time and again. The need for practicality will sometimes overtake the need for beauty. What do I mean? You can’t build homes in Guyana like those in New York. There are two completely different climates.
We see now that some developers have been touting Florida homes. Yet I see the homes built with huge concrete walls, all fancy, but a nightmare for those that hate paying huge utility bills. The point is that you have to build what you can afford to maintain. Maintenance does not come cheap.
The Bulkans made the point in the article that Guyana may very well have to start being patriotic…supporting what is local. In any case, I also love wood products that are finished to their natural colour. While some folks do not mind painting wood in a home, I hate it.
I like the ideas being thrown out by the Bulkans whose operations are located not far from Guyana’s next big housing development, Silica City, which is to be set-up right along the highway. The company is saying that it is one of the few in the region to offer what it has.
I will also be saving some money to buy some of that end-matched lumber for a small decking in the backyard I have been thinking about.
In the meantime, until we get back to those building codes, think about end-matched wood and what the Bulkans are talking about. We have to continue examine ways to save money, yet build beautifully and practically.
Please do continue to send those emails to [email protected] or call me on 225-8491 for any suggestions.

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