Balloon framing is a type of wood frame construction that uses long continuous studs that run from the foundation to the top of the structure. It is used in many homes to create a more energy-efficient thermal envelope and air barrier. To remove all floor joists in a ballooned framed home, one can remove porch flooring, knee walls, screens, excavate new basement, pour slab and foundation walls, and install framing and joist hangers.
In rehabbing an old two-story balloon-framed house with a crumbling limestone foundation, it is necessary to jack the walls slightly to repair the foundation. The floor joists rest on a 2-by leveling plate, and the 20-foot studs run from the foundation to the top of the structure. To open up a bearing wall almost completely (18′) on the first level of a two-story house, one can face screw a temp header across the opening and then remove the bottoms and frame it in something long.
Loads above must be supported before you can remove the wall, usually done with a beam of some sort (wood, steel, or engineered lumber). One method is to attach a ledger to the outside wall and push on it with jacks using diagonal braces to the ground. This can also be done with a beam of some sort (wood, steel, or engineered lumber).
In order to build rough-in for an exterior door in a balloon-framed house, it is possible to cut out the stud and use joist hangers to remove the attic floor joists.
📹 How to Remove a Load Bearing Wall + Install a Structural Beam
In this tutorial, Master Framer John Grant and Ben Maury give you an in depth breakdown on how to safely remove a load bearing …
Are all exterior walls load-bearing?
The myth that all exterior walls in a home are load-bearing is not always the case. The load-bearing capacity of a house depends on the type and style of the house. Engineer Stephen Hammill, P. E., provided a sketch to illustrate this point. The sketch shows a house with floor joists and roof trusses running perpendicular to each other, rotating 90 degrees, indicating that all four exterior walls are load-bearing.
What replaced balloon framing?
Platform framing has replaced balloon framing as the dominant framing method, using shorter lumber lengths for studs and walls with a sill or sole plate, studs, and two top plates. Platform framing does not require hangers, unlike semi-balloon framing which does. At each story, joists are covered by subflooring, providing a platform for easy erection of walls and partitions. Benefits of platform framing include ground construction, less lifting effort, and no need for stud notching.
It also accommodates various prefabricated methods. Semi-balloon framing is a cross between balloon framing and platform framing, with a continuous stud from foundation to roof, but does not require hangers.
What is the major problem with balloon frame construction?
The use of balloon framing presents a number of disadvantages, including a lack of fire safety measures due to the absence of firebreaks between floors caused by the use of long studs. Furthermore, the potential for a fire to spread rapidly and consistently without the implementation of a firestop is a significant concern.
Does balloon framing have load-bearing walls?
The balloon frame is a revolutionary design that eliminates the need for a heavy timber frame, allowing floor members to sit directly on walls as load-bearing elements. The building’s skin braces the wood stud walls, increasing their load-bearing capacity. Light wood elements are attached using simple iron nails instead of mortise-and-tenons. This makes the structure more efficient and easier to build. Originating in Chicago in the 1830s, the balloon frame was initially built by lumber magnate George Snow as the framing for a warehouse.
The heavy timber frame was becoming difficult to find due to the city’s population boom, and the labor needed to assemble it was becoming scarce. Timber frames are labor-intensive, especially without construction machinery, and the mortise-and-tenon joints required significant time and skill to create.
What are the disadvantages of balloon framing?
Balloon framing has potential drawbacks, including fire hazards and structural integrity concerns. Fires can spread rapidly within open wall cavities, making it difficult to contain and extinguish. This issue is more common in older balloon-framed houses, but modern building codes now require fire-stopping measures. Additionally, lateral stability is a concern due to the long, straight studs being susceptible to movement or instability caused by wind or seismic activity.
How much of a load-bearing wall can be removed?
Load-bearing walls are of paramount importance for the structural integrity of a building. They can be removed to any extent deemed necessary, although the extent of removal is contingent upon the contents within the wall and the plan to redistribute weight.
How to remove a load bearing exterior wall?
To remove a load-bearing wall, install temporary braces to support the ceiling above, use a reciprocating saw to cut through wall plaster, reveal bare wall studs, and remove the wall studs from the opening. Build a header from two 2x8s sandwiched around filler strips, nail filler blocks to jack and screw studs to king studs, apply construction adhesive, install the header, tap new jack studs into place, nail jack studs to king studs, and remove temporary braces from each side of the opening.
Do you need planning permission to remove an external wall?
Building regulations may not require planning permission for projects involving load bearing walls, but they may require approval from a local council Building Control Officer or a private sector-approved inspector. This may be the first and last time dealing with builders and paperwork. A checklist of necessary steps for removing a load bearing wall is provided. Planning permission may be needed for other building work, and listed building consent must be applied from the local planning department. For more information on planning permission, visit the Planning Portal website.
Why did they stop balloon framing?
Non-updated balloon framed homes often lack insulation, leading to energy inefficiency and higher heating and cooling costs. This led to the decline of balloon framing and the introduction of platform framing in the mid-20th century. Platform framing, the most common residential construction method, builds each floor separately, limiting stud length to the height of that floor. This eliminates long wall cavities, makes insulation easier, and creates a fire break between floors.
Despite its revolutionary use for taller buildings, balloon framing has been replaced by safer, more energy-efficient, and easier to insulate methods. Therefore, it’s crucial to research and weigh the pros and cons before making a decision on a home using balloon framing.
How to remove an external wall?
Prior to the removal of a wall, it is of the utmost importance to have it inspected by a qualified professional, such as a builder or structural engineer. The process entails the preparation of the space, the installation of a temporary support, the creation of an opening, the fitting of the support, the demolition of the wall, and the subsequent clearance of the area.
Can you remove exterior wall for addition?
Load-bearing walls, which are capable of supporting considerable weight, necessitate replacement with appropriate structural support, such as beams, columns, or a combination of both, to guarantee their durability and longevity.
📹 balloon framing explained during farm house demo
In this video, I explain how our balloon-framed 1889 farmhouse looks on the inside. We are in the process of adding a 2 story …
My 104 year old CT beach cottage is balloon framed. I’d have never bought it had I know. The back wall where a back porch was turned into a two story addition back before no doubt permits were required is bowed outward and the roof dips towards the main roof and splays outward as well, due to lack of proper reinforcement. I doubt where the outside wall of the porch was removed to make it an inside part of the dining room is properly supported either as the bedroom above has a floor that dips badly. I had a turnbuckle installed in the attic to keep the roof from splaying any further. I wish you wanted a beach holiday and could come fix my house!
My girlfriend’s house is 1902. It’s balloon frame and everything is huge. The first floor joists are actually trees that were cut flat on one side for the floor boards. They still have bark on them. They’re getting soft so I put some new lumber in to add support. The second floor joists are 3×8 but part of the floor in the bathroom by the wall is seriously low. Like two inches low, about three feet or so from the outside wall. I haven’t been able to take the ceiling out to see anything, but have been wondering if something is broken. It makes sense that it might be a split at a notch. Thanks for the article
I’ve also heard of this referred to as continuous stud construction and most places I’ve encountered in my 30 or so years of historic renovation, I’ve rarely come across walls bowing out. I have encountered the opposite though from spans being longer than they should have been for the joist size (almost always 2×6, but a couble 2×8 floors had the same thing going on). As the upper floor sagged, the distance between the walls was shortened due to A) shringage of the joists and B) the sag shortening the length of the span. A simple way to illustrate this is to take two pieces of string and tie them parallel to eac other and then tie them together in the middle with a perpendicular string. Once everything is knotted, press on the center string and it pulls the two parallel strings towards each other where it is knotted. This is part of why we no longer utilize balloon framing but the biggest reason is that lumber is not what it used to be since most of the old forests are gone and the sturdy lengths are just not out there like they were at the beginning of the 20th century. If you can come across some old growth lumber, you’ve got some good materials but it’s getting way harder to come by.
I’m doing a remodel on a 1870’s 1 1/2 story post and beam. It has a 24 foot by 8 inch hand hued beam across the top which is basically the header for all the windows and doors. the corners are all wood pinned together. All made from red oak. the floor joist were 12’10” true 2×6.5″ just notched the beam and the joist and sat it in place. There were zero nails connecting the floor joist to the beams. I can’t believe these places have stood as long as they have.
We just learned our brick house, built in 1965, utilized the balloon concept in construction. We discovered this after a serious house fire that took out the roof and severely damage the new addition The house is built on a hillside with a full daylight basement with a third-floor loft added on in 2011. Everything added was built according to code at that time. We just learned there is no cement in the hollow tile or in the six-inch brick which is 75% of the house – the entire west and south wall in the daylight basement and main floor above is built of brick, while the below ground side on the east and north is comprised of tile and also does not contain rebar/cement. This is now required to meet the current building code. The brick is severely damaged from the fire and water used to extinguish the fire, water which froze this past winter leaving large cracks. How common is it to utilize this type of construction using brick? There are no studs. 9 months ago