On an average, about 23000 new homes were constructed for the past fifty years in New Zealand. In 2013-14, the average jumped to a high of 40000. As of June 2017, more than thirty thousand new homes have been built across New Zealand.
Timber Losing Its Shine?
Timber was once the most important material that shaped the structure of buildings but according to Building Research Association of New Zealand (BRANZ), the use of timber is going down in the past decade. Did you know timber has lost 10% of its market share to steel or aluminum in buildings?
Cons Of Timber
Although timber has aesthetic appeal when used in homes and in louvres, the disadvantages include premature aging, rotting, and high costs of both initial investment and maintenance. Excessive sunlight exposure of the timber louvres can lead to fading of wood grain while the wood surface is also vulnerable to splitting and moisture retention. Timber also is not fire resistant, adding to the cons list of using timber in louvres.
Fungus growth is a common problem encountered in humid areas and areas where sunlight is deficient. Wood rot due to fungus infestation leads to decay of the wood. Since the fungus thrives in damp and moist surroundings, the louvres are highly vulnerable to rotting. When the rotting is not addressed quickly, it can spread throughout and create damage.
Timber that has been weakened either by rotting or rough handling can also break, leading to costly replacements.
Metals May Gain Traction
Metals are preferred over timber increasingly because they are seismically safe, fire resistant, and durable and do not rot or warp over time. The most important advantage is with respect to cost.
Warwick Quinn, Chief Executive of Master Builders Federation of New Zealand believes the use of metals is likely to grow and replace timber in the coming years.
Aluminum louvre systems from Louvretec feature three finishes of louvres including anodized, powder-coated and wood grain coat. The natural wood grain finish looks as beautiful as timber but without the hassles of maintenance.
These wood grain finished louvre systems do not need painting and are ideal for areas that are located in coastal zones or areas that are prone to bushfires. For those who live near the ocean, moisture or humidity can be a huge problem that can affect materials such as timber. But with aluminum, there is no concern of moisture.
The aluminum sun louvres provide a sustainable and cost effective alternative to timber louvres. The sun louvres featuring aluminum are low maintenance requiring a general cleaning once every six months. These louvre systems also do not face problems such as rotting or breakages.
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