Why is it called balloon framing?

These materials were used to build lightweight buildings with nailed frames made of dimensional lumber. It was said to have been called balloon construction because the buildings were so light they looked like they would float away.

Why do they call it balloon framing?

The name comes from a French Missouri type of construction, maison en boulin, boulin being a French term for a horizontal scaffolding support. Balloon framing uses long continuous framing members (studs) that run from the sill plate to the top plate, with intermediate floor structures let into and nailed to them.

Why is balloon framing no longer used?

Firefighters who frequently respond to fires in the area usually instantly recognize if the home is balloon-framed and take proper precautions. “The problem with balloon framing is that it creates a lot of open chase way,” Erwin said. “Anytime there are empty vertical spaces, there is an increased fire hazard.”

How do I know if my house has a balloon framing?

As a homeowner you might be wondering how to tell if your house is balloon frame construction? The most common characteristics of balloon frame constructed houses are that the windows are stacked. Meaning that the windows on the second floor are directly above those on the first floor.

Is balloon framing strong?

Though not as strong and imposing as a timber frame, balloon frames were eventually regarded as a more than acceptable way to build a house. And from the 1890s until the 1930s it was the most common form of construction in the country. The one rather large drawback to balloon framed houses is their fire risk.

What is Balloon Wall Framing? – Home Building Construction Methods

Who invented balloon frame construction?

Chicago architect John M. Van Osdel attributed the invention to Chicago carpenter George W. Snow in 1832. The Chicago History Museum and other scholars point out that Virginia carpenters in the 17th century — facing similar pressures to build fast — employed similar techniques.

What is the difference between platform and balloon 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.

Who used balloon framing?

The balloon frame can trace its origin to Chicago in the 1830s. Accounts vary, but the most common story is that it was first built by George Snow, a lumber magnate, as the framing for a warehouse in 1832.

Where is it said that balloon framing started?

Modern interest in the balloon frame dates from 1941 when Siegfried Giedion identified the inventor of this important technological innovation in wooden construction as George Snow of Chicago. According to Giedion, Snow used the technique for the first time in 1833 to build St. Mary's Church in Chicago.

When did they stop balloon framing?

Balloon framing was the most common form of construction in America from about the 1880s to the 1930s.

Is a balloon frame house safe?

Most balloon-frame homes are two or three stories tall. This allows for unimpeded fire spread from the basement to the attic in a matter of minutes via the interior stud channels of the exterior walls.

What are the benefits of balloon framing?

However, balloon framing does offer some advantages as well. It can be useful when creating two story spaces and you are less likely to have cracking develop in your interior and exterior finishes because of the minimal amount of vertical shrinking that occurs with this method.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of balloon framing?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of balloon framing? The advantage of balloon framing is there is not a lot of vertical shrinkage. The disadvantages of balloon framing are the lumber is large and hard to handle and the vertical hollow spaces allow for fires to travel quickly.

Why is a platform frame construction generally preferred over balloon framing?

Balloon framing has less vertical shrinkage from drying out of the wood, while platform framing is easier and safer to erect, uses shorter lengths of lumber for studs, and is automatically firestopped, for which reasons it has become the method of choice.

When did balloon construction start?

Snow, invented the balloon frame in 1832 and revolutionized construction practice. Chicago architect John M. Van Osdel erroneously attributed the invention to Snow in 1883, and subsequent histories accepted the story.

What type of construction is balloon frame?

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.

How does balloon framing work?

In balloon framing, the studs (vertical members) extend the full height of the building (usually two stories) from foundation plate to rafter plate, as contrasted with platform framing, in which each floor is framed separately. Balloon framing is used primarily in Scandinavia and in the United States.

What is the most common type of framing?

The most common framing technique in modern residential construction is platform framing, in which each story is framed on top of the previous one. Builders will frame in one-story platforms of typically eight- or nine-foot-high stud walls resting on a subfloor—the platform.

What are the 4 different types of framing?

Types of Framing

In general, there are four different types elements you can use to create a frame within your shot: architectural, natural, geometric shapes, and light/shadow.

What are the three types of framing?

Modern wood framing essentially includes three types: balloon, platform and semi-balloon framing. With long lumber lengths, vertical load-bearing framing studs run continuously from foundation to roof.

What are the two types of framing?

Framing can be of two types, fixed sized framing and variable sized framing. Here the size of the frame is fixed and so the frame length acts as delimiter of the frame.

Which of the following is a key characteristic of balloon framing?

- Balloon framing is a form of building in which the wall studs start at the foundation and go all the way up through the second floor and stop at the top plates that support the roof or attic spaces. -There is no fire blocking in the stud cavities, so fire can spread quick.

How long were the studs in balloon framing?

This framing method began in the 1830's, and was common in North America through to the mid 1950's. It made use of very long, continuous, lightweight, wooden wall members (called studs) that typically extended at least two floors of building height, at a time when really long lumber was common and plentiful.

What is Western framing?

Definition of western framing

: a method of building construction in which the supporting studs extend from the top of each tier of joists to the underside of the tier next above so that each floor is independently framed.

When was platform framing invented?

An argument can be made that the distinguishing characteristic of the platform frame, the method of framing bearing walls in multistory buildings with single- floor-high studs, dates back as early as 1855, a mere twenty-two years after the balloon frame is said to have been developed.