In August FTMA coordinated a meeting with Dave Gover (EWPAA), Jack Norton (TPAA), Mick Stephens (Timber Queensland) and Boris Iskra (FWPA) to discuss issues surrounding compliance of treated products in the frame and truss sector.
This came about due to certifiers asking questions of fabricators that they previously had not raised and due to the mounting pressure on certifiers they are now ensuring the tick all the boxes. As I mentioned in last month’s FTMA News this pressure will be passed on to the builders who ultimately will put more pressure on fabricators to provide evidence of compliance.
The idea of the meeting was to discuss ways to create a generic document to help fabricators demonstrate that the products provided to the builders conform with AS1604 Specifications for Preservative Treatment.
We all know our opponents use the big nasty termites as marketing material to scare consumers and or builders in to choosing products less environmentally friendly than ours, even though the treatment undertaken by the quality timber companies in our sector ensures our products are as sturdy as our opponents but still environmentally friendly storing carbon for life whilst protecting the timber from termites with a 25 years warranty.
We know that all timber companies have their own timber treatment certificates or guarantees, however, rarely does a fabricator use only one timber suppliers product when building frames and trusses, so it was important to create a generic form that shows compliance with the standard without confusing the builder and or certifier with two or possibly three different timber companies certificates.
After much discussion and with the expert input from Jack Norton of the Timber Preservers Association of Australia, we have created a Timber Treatment Compliance Statement, one for Above the Tropic of Capricorn and one for Below the Tropic of Capricorn, which is a generic document that all timber frame and truss fabricators in Australia can provide when asked by the builder or certifier.
These should be provided to the builder and or certifier, if they request such documentation as this is the idea of these documents to avoid having to provide a range of documentation. It is important to list the timber companies’ products which you have used in the job at the bottom of the form to ensure liability is not on the fabricator.
However, it is important that fabricators do their due diligence and request their timber suppliers send their relevant warranty/guarantee information for you to file within your business. Create a Timber Treatment File and then create a folder for each timber supplier and store their compliance and warranty documentation on file. Furthermore, it is vital that fabricators fully read and understand the various warranties and manufacturers guidelines and comply with any necessary product requirements.
This way if the builder or certifier want more they can ask and you will have it ready at your fingertips, as the liability of the product should be with the timber company as long as you hold the information and have purchased quality products deemed fit for purpose.
We also recommend that fabricators either purchase treated timber where they need to use it unless of course they have their own treated processing facility within their plant rather than buying white wood and sending it off to get treated. You should be buying from reputable companies who can supply you with their compliance and warranty information and not have to chase people for the information. This way you know you are purchasing timber that is deemed to satisfy in accordance with the relevant standards.
We are not suggesting you give these documents out for every job, however, particularly in Queensland, we believe there will be an increasing requirement to provide compliance statements and we hope this helps fabricators streamline the process.
If you have any further questions, please contact me on 0418 226 242 or via email at kersten@ftma.com.au. I would like to thank Timber Queensland, Forest Wood Products Australia, Engineered Wood Products Association of Australasia and the Timber Preservers Association of Australia for working together on this document to streamline the treatment compliance process for fabricators.
