History of Wood Framing in America

Construction Technology History of Wood Framing in America

Directions: Circle the letter of the most appropriate letter to complete the statements.

1. Throughout American history, four basic types of wooden home construction/framing were developed and utilized. They are (in succession) ______.

a. log construction, timber framing, balloon framing, and platform framing. b. insulated concrete, mud brick, drywall, glass c. straw, tumble framing, PCI, Trex

2. Probably the most famous individual to be born and raised in a log cabin was ______, the 16th President of the United States.

a. Bill Clinton b. George Washington c. Abraham Lincoln

3. Basically, the only machining necessary in log construction was that the ends of the logs needed to be notched. There were several types of notches used to lock the logs together at the corners of the structure. The most popular were the ______and the ______saddle notches.

a. rabbit, dado b. dovetail, interlocking c. rip, cross-cut

4. Another interesting feature of timber frame construction is known as “______.” This is where an upper story extends (cantilevers) out beyond the first floor walls of a timber framed structure, in turn saving money on property tax.

a. jettying b. overlapping c. soffit

5. In timber framing the ______beam is a beam that is installed diagonally from the bottom of one corner to the top of another. It is supported by the corner post from the floor below, and in turn supports the corner post of the floor above.

a. snake b. let-in c. dragon 6. For 175 years, the accepted history of ______framing has stated that this method of construction suddenly appeared in Chicago in either 1832 or 1833. And, depending on who you talk to, this incredible leap forward in construction technology was either the brainchild of George Washington Snow or Augustine Deodat Taylor.

a. platform b. balloon c. plank

7. Balloon framing was a style that used studs that would begin at the foundation and ride all the way up to the second floor. This attributed to the two main factors of its non-compliance to modern day code books. If they ride from the bottom to top then they would ______and the expense of shipping such long studs would cost a fortune, let along being able to locate such lengthy trees.

a. catch fire like a matchbox b. catch termites nesting throughout the wood c. lose insulation

8. Balloon framing pioneered what has come to be known as “light frame construction,” or in the vernacular of the construction trades; “______”.

a. steel framing b. rough framing c. stick framing

9. Using 8 to 12 foot 2x4’s and framing two stacked sections, the answer to balloon framing’s faults has been ______framing.

a. platform b. double c. stacked

10. The type of framing that we use today and the type of framing that we will practice in this class is ______.

a. balloon b. timber c. platform