Balloon Frame Attic

Balloon framing is used primarily in scandinavia and in the united states.

Balloon frame attic. Ballon framed two story house with full attic built in 1901. Exterior walls are orginal wood lap siding covered with some type of asbestoes siding. Balloon framed walls are different than platform framed walls. The balloon frame uses a continuous wood stud wall member that stretches from the foundation to the attic.

First to second and second to attic. One thing about balloon framing is that you can end up filling the upper floor with cellulose if you don t watch it. Is anyone aware of any studies science behind this common issue of insulating and old house the proper way. Queen anne and shingle style buildings are typical examples of balloon framing.

Interior of the outside walls are plaster on lath. In balloon framing the studs vertical members extend the full height of the building usually two stories from foundation plate to rafter plate as contrasted with platform framing in which each floor is framed separately. Not that this is particularly harmful but it s a bit of a waste of cells. In balloon framed walls the studs are continuous from the mudsill all the way to the top plates on the uppermost floor where the rafters rest.

I tried to post a photo but alas. Absolutly no insulation in the walls or between floors. In a balloon frame the 2nd story subfloor is held up on the edges by a ledger board instead of resting on the top plate in a platform frame. If you look around the edges of the 2nd story subfloor or attic subfloor in a balloon frame house you d be able drop a penny down to the basement in the stud bay.

The balloon framing used in houses of that period i lived in one back in cincinnati oh in the 1970 s and 80 s allows water vapor that passes through the plaster and lath to be vented up into the attic of your home. These long studs extend uninterrupted from the sill on top of the foundation all the way up to the roof. These stud walls are usually 16 inches apart and contain no inherent vertical fire stops. Once up there it usually was able to dissipate out gable vents or through the roofing.

Balloon framing is a style of wood house building that uses long vertical 2 x 4 s for the exterior walls.