3 Popular Methods of House Framing – Which One will You Prefer?
If you are wondering what house framing is, understand that framing involves building of the inner support system of a house. The most common material used for framing is wood and it’s easy to find and usually less expensive than other materials like concrete, steel and brick. But obviously steel framing offers more strength to the house. The International Residential Codes make the local building codes which enforce specifications which specify measurements and requirements for single- and multi-family home framing projects to guarantee structurally perfect construction. Here are some common methods of house framing.
1. Balloon
The balloon method was commonly used from the mid-1800s to the 1940s and involved long, wooden wall studs that ran the total height of a two-story home, from the first floor sill to the top plate or rafter of the second floor. Later, this method lost its popularity because of the hardships encountered by the builders in locating the long wood pieces. In this type of framing, a sill attached to the foundation secures joists for the wall and floor studs. With balloon framing, code regulations dictate that fire-preventing material get installed at the stud cavities to stop the spread of fire between floors.
In certain circumstances, this method may be incorporated into the stairwell or great room of a platform-framed house to offer support of a continuous wall frame.
2. Platform
Platform framing is also known as stick framing and is the most popular method of framing of modern homes. Commercial interior contractors create a frame with uniform-sized lumber pieces like 2-by-4s spaced in regular increments. With plywood sheets, the contractor forms sheathing or a film over the wall area prior to carrying it to the floor areas and raising it. The beams or foundation of the structure provide support to the load-bearing walls; other walls are secured by perpendicular or parallel rafter joists.
3. Post and Beam
Post-and-beam framing method also called timber framing was invented in the 1600s in Europe and arrived in North American home building in the 1700s. This method comprises of vertical arrangement of hand-cut wood pieces attached with wood pegs joints. The use of an axe or adze in finishing left ridges and thereby a rustic look. Over time, when contractors and builders became industrialized, they started obtaining and finishing wood pieces with circular saws or mechanical pit. Post-and-beam frames usually remain exposed, offering a visual architectural element. Rooms in homes with post-and-beam framing usually have open, spacious floor plans and vaulted ceilings.
So, which of these methods will your prefer for your house framing?
