Timber iQ February - March 2018 // Issue: 36 | Page 60

CONTRIBUTORS - TALKING TIMBER
To have success in the industry, mental barriers need to be broken down.
Continued from page 56
In trying economic times, it is common for businesses to
cease or slow down its marketing and advertising
activities; the irony is that this is the time to keep at it.
Thomas Jefferson once said, “The man who stops
advertising to save money is like the man who stops the
clock to save time.” Never has there been a more urgent
time to push this message for timber construction.
EDUCATION
Marketing and education go hand in hand and go a long
way towards breaking down the various barriers for timber
frame construction. Perceptions that timber is a poor
option as a building material persist; ongoing marketing
campaigns to educate and inform the market right from the
homeowner to government officials are key to setting the
record straight on timber as a legitimate, aesthetically
pleasing and fire-safe building material for affordable and
luxury construction projects, therefore opening new
avenues for investment into the industry.
Potential consumers need to know about timber
treatment and grading, that their timber structure – if built
to standard – won’t rot, burn or collapse and that we, in
South Africa, have a high level of skills when it comes to
carpentry and construction.
UNDOING MARKET SCHIZOPHRENIA
Another misperception of timber frame brought about by a
lack of education is the idea that this construction
58 FEBRUARY / MARCH 2018 //
methodology is either fit to serve the informal or
affordable housing market or that it is only for building
upmarket homes and buildings. My question is, do we ever
ask this question about bricks and mortar? The answer is
no and so it should be for timber frame as well, which
shares equal footing as a legitimate and approved
construction material with bricks and mortar and steel
frame building in the National Building Regulations.
Timber frame construction has so much to offer and
should not be pigeon-holed into categories of service.
Timber is an exceptional problem solver in the realm of
construction and among its many advantages is its
inherent capacity to lighten the carbon footprint load on
any construction project be it affordable, upmarket, large
or small.
KEEP BUYING HIGH QUALITY PRODUCTS
In much the same way as, one is inclined to cut back on
marketing during tough times, it can be tempting to buy
timber stock that is cheaper to save on costs and safeguard
your bottom line from a tumultuous economy. While it may
seem like a good idea to bring overheads down, buying
lower grade timber and building products for your timber
frame building project is counter-productive in the
long-term.
In a tough economy, we all need to continue to buy
timber that is correctly treated and graded and not be
tempted to buy inferior products.
See more on page 60