Admin Table of Contents
What does balloon framing look like?
Balloon framing is a style of wood-house building that uses long, vertical 2″ x 4″s for the exterior walls. These long “studs” extend uninterrupted, from the sill on top of the foundation, all the way up to the roof. Some also assumed this type of framing could only be used in utilitarian, box-like buildings.
When did they stop using balloon framing?
Balloon framing using a technique suspending floors from the walls was common until the late 1940s, but since that time, platform framing has become the predominant form of house construction.
What is the difference between balloon framing and platform framing?
The central difference between balloon and platform framing is that the studs in a balloon frame extend from the foundation to the rafters, whereas in a platform frame, the studs are independent on each storey.
Is balloon framing common?
Balloon framing is no longer used today, Stack said. It has been replaced by a style called platform framing, which eliminates the problem of void spaces that comes with balloon framing, he said.
Are there load bearing walls in balloon framing?
Floor members would then span between the beams, and walls would be infilled using rubble, mud, brick, or stone. Crucially, the walls were non-load bearing – the weight of the structure was entirely supported by the timber frame. The balloon frame, essentially, eliminates the heavy timber frame.
Do balloon framed houses have load bearing walls?
A Brief History of the Balloon Frame. This system consists of load bearing walls made from 2x4s or 2x6s, which support a wood-framed floor or roof – usually either trusses, joists, or engineered i-joists.
Why is balloon framing bad?
Well, of the three types of framing, balloon frame houses have the greatest danger of catastrophic fires. To be clear, there is nothing intrinsically more flammable about a balloon frame house. It wasn’t built with kindling in the walls. The problem comes down to design.
How does a balloon frame house work?
In a balloon frame, the 2nd story subfloor is held up on the edges by a ledger board instead of resting on the top plate in a platform frame. If you look around the edges of the 2nd story subfloor or attic subfloor in a balloon frame house, you’d be able drop a penny down to the basement in the stud bay.
Where do you put a penny in a balloon frame house?
If you look around the edges of the 2nd story subfloor or attic subfloor in a balloon frame house, you’d be able drop a penny down to the basement in the stud bay. In a platform frame, the penny would rest right there at the break between stories.
How can I tell what kind of frame my house has?
Unless your walls are opened up, it’s difficult to tell what kind of frame your house has. The attic is usually the best place to start looking. In a balloon frame, the 2nd story subfloor is held up on the edges by a ledger board instead of resting on the top plate in a platform frame.
What is the difference between a balloon and platform frame?
You see, in a platform frame (how we build today) there is a break between each floor in the stud bay called a top plate. A balloon frame doesn’t have this break and so a fire that starts in the basement can easily (and very quickly) spread to every floor of the house.