11. Light Wood Framing

Light Wood Framing

 Two developments developments in the late 18th 18th century had a major impact on the popularity and propagation of light wood framing systems in North America: 1) Sawi Sawing ng tech techniqu niques es 2) Fas Fasteni tening ng syste systems ms

 The band saw, invented invented in about about 1807 in the the United States, States, permitted the processing of much larger timber.

Prior to about the late 18th century, all nails were hand-forged, and consequently very expensive to produce. In fact, buildings were burnt down to recover nails pulling the nails would have damaged them.  The nails usually were square in crosssection and tapered in all directions as a result of the forging process.

Around about 1780, a more automated method was developed, where nails were cut  or sheared  from a sheet of iron (and later steel).  The nails produced were more consistent in shape, though the process was still quite labour intensive.  They were rectangular in section, but two sides were parallel, determined by the thickness of the sheet from which they were sheared.

It was not until about 1890 that nails were produced from round wires as they are today, hence the term wire-cut nails, at a fraction of the cost.

Light Wood Framing  Techniques

2"

2"

2"

2"

[ 51mm ]

[ 51mm ]

[ 51mm ]

[ 51mm ]

    ]    m     "    m     6     2     5     1     [

1 1/2"

1 1/2"

1 1/2"

1 1/2"

[ 38mm ]

[ 38mm ]

[ 38mm ]

[ 38mm ]

    ]     "    m     2     /    m     1    0     5    4     1     [

    ]    m     "    m     8     3     0     2     [

    ]    m     "    m     0     4     1     5     2     [

    ]    m     "     2    m     1     5     0     3     [

2x6

    ]     "    m     4     /    m     1     4     7     8     1     [

    ]     "    m     4     /    m     1     5     3     9     2     [

    ]     "     4    m     /    m     1     6     1     8     1     2     [

2x6

2"

2x8

[ 51mm ] 2"

2x8 1 1/2" [ 38mm ]

[ 51mm ] 2" [ 51mm ]

1 1/2" [ 38mm ]

2 x 10

2 x 10 1 1/2"

    ]    m     "    m     4     2     0     1     [

    ]    m     "     3    m     6     7     [

2x4

2 x 12

    ]    m     "     2    m     1     5     [

2x3

2x2

[ 38mm ]

    ]     "    m     2     /     1    m     9     3     8     [

    ]     "    m     2     /     1    m     4     2    6     [

2x4

2 x 12

    ]     "     2    m     /     1    m     8     1    3     [

2x3

2x2

Floor framing

Floor framing

Floor framing

Floor framing

Floor framing

Floor framing

Joists on top of  foundation wall 

Cantilevered framing

cross-bracing & bridging…

solid bridging…

cross bracing…

Platform framing

Wall framing

Wall framing

Wall framing

Wall framing

Climate data for  selected locations in Canada