When replacing sills or foundations
of timber-framed structures,
the structural load must be supported
during the work. Donald
MacRae, from Cumberland,
Ontario, writes to ask how the
localized loads of timber framing
could be handled during temporary
bracing. This month I'll discuss
how I supported the structure
on a preservation project in Massachusetts.
Localized loads. In balloon
framing, wall studs carry loads
from above. The loads are evenly
distributed along the sill. In timber-
framed structures, loads from
above are carried across the girt
and down the posts. Studs in the
wall between the posts carry just
the weight of that wall, which
includes the interior and exterior
finishes (plaster, clapboards, windows).
This means there is relatively
little loading on the sill
between the