The Department of Building and Housing is investigating claims that a treated timber product, T1.2, is being misused in construction and sold as something it isn’t, Building Issues Minister Chris Carter said today.

"The Department of Building and Housing only received notice of concerns about this product late last Friday 8 July. It will investigate the matters raised, and act if concerns are verified," Mr Carter said.

"T1.2 was accredited under the Building Code in April 2004, subject to some conditions of use. Extensive testing of the product was undertaken as part of accreditation, and an independent evaluation made of its efficacy.

"Claims today by National MP Nick Smith that T1.2 was approved by the BIA despite it being in breach of the New Zealand standard on timber treatment are completely misleading," Mr Carter said.

"All building products are required to meet the Building Code. Meeting the certain national standards is one way of proving that a product complies with the Code, but not the only way. Standards tend to cover generic building products and materials, such as bricks, glass and plasterboard.

"Innovative new products in the building industry, such as T1.2, are assessed in a different way. These products have to undergo an accreditation process, which involves a robust technical assessment to prove compliance with the Building Code," Mr Carter said.

"I would have thought Nick Smith might have done a bit of basic homework on this aspect of building regulation prior to commenting.

"Smith's view and those of others regarding the efficacy of this product are at odds with those who did the research on it. The department's investigation is designed to set aside opinion and establish the facts," Mr Carter said.