| The results of a survey by the Japan
Lumber Report of major house builders as to measures taken to address the so called
"sick house" issue and the revised Building Standards Act revealed that the
majority have firmed up on specifications for sheathing and interior finishing materials.
There is however some debate on the issue of whether ventilation systems should installed
and whether there should be voluntary measurement of chemical emission inside house, taken
at the time of delivery. The majority of interior finishing materials now
being used are F4 grade. Imported house builders tend to use more solid wood materials,
which are not affected by the new regulations. For sheathing and other exterior uses some
use F3 grade materials where F 4 grade is not specified but many builders are tending to
use lean toward using F4 grade material for all applications. For instance, Sumitomo is
considering a shift to F4 grade from F 3 material s for roof and floor sheathing.
With regard to imported housing components, some importers are
complaining because with the new rules, the consumers' choice is narrower as not
all imported interior doors and kitchens meet the new rules. |
