Professional Documents
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FRAMING
STRUCTURE
Balloon framing is a method of wood construction – also known as "Chicago
construction" in the 19th century – used primarily in areas rich
in softwood forests: Scandinavia, Canada, the United States , and
around Thetford Forest in Norfolk, England.
It 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. Here the heights of window sills, headers and next floor height would
be marked out on the studs . Once popular when long lumber was plentiful,
balloon framing has been largely replaced by platform framing.
Balloon framed buildings are certainly lighter than those built with the earlier
braced frame method, but ,they have survived quite well. Most have very thick
planks for the exterior sheathing, nailed either perpendicular or diagonal to
the exterior wall studs, significantly strengthening the framing.
The creation of a path for fire to readily travel from floor to floor. This is
mitigated with the use of firestops, now called fireblocks, at each floor level.
The lack of a working platform for work on upper floors. Whereas workers
can readily reach the top of the walls being erected with platform framing,
balloon construction requires scaffolding to reach the tops of the walls
(which are often two or three stories above the working platform).
The requirement for long framing members.
Present-day balloon framing buildings often have higher heating costs, due
to the lack of insulation separating a room from its exterior walls. However,
this can be remedied through the addition of insulation, as with any other
framed building.
CONCLUSION
Since steel is generally more fire-resistant than wood, and steel framing
members can be made to arbitrary lengths, balloon framing is growing in
popularity again in light gauge steel stud construction. Balloon framing
provides a more direct load path down to the foundation.
Additionally, balloon framing allows more flexibility for tradesmen in that
it is significantly easier to pull wire, piping and ducting without having to
bore through or work around framing members.