Los Angeles Home Inspector Illustrates Gable and Cathedral Roof Framing.
Balloon framing of gable walls is common in new home construction. It is usually done when there is a cathedral or vaulted ceiling in the room.
I would not recommend this framing method to a rookie carpenter or the average DIY person. A basic knowledge of conventional roof framing is required to lay out and complete this task.
The standard wall height, roof pitch, rafter size, and stand of the common rafter must all be known before beginning the layout procedure. Armed with this information an experienced carpenter can complete the layout procedure in 5-10 minutes.
Balloon framing replaced the labor and skill intensive method of post and beam construction with it's skeleton held together by mortise and tenon. Believed to have been first introduced in Chicago sometime in the early 1830'.
This method of wood frame construction greatly reduced the amount of skill and labor required by post and beam construction. It made constructing homes and outbuildings more affordable for the average American of the time period. Balloon framing most certainly aided in the westward expansion of America. The overnight boom town's of the old west were built this way.
Balloon framing got it's name from the old post and beam tradesmen. When they were first introduced to this method they were convinced it would be blown away in the first strong wind just like a balloon. With it's long skinny framing member's and only held together with nails. The name stuck and has endured to this day. It was replaced by a method called platform framing in the mid 1950's. Platform framing is the most commonly used method to this day.
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