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
