BRE IP3/15 PDF

Introduction

The origins of modern timber-framing methods

Many modern timber-framing methods have their roots in the balloon frame, which was invented in Chicago in 1833. The balloon frame, a product of the industrial age, was made highly economical by the advent of the steam-powered saw and massproduced nails (Figure 1)[1].

Although timber frame has been a popular method for delivering housing in much of Europe and the US throughout the last century, this has historically not been the case in the UK. Cultural attitudes for some time have meant a preference for masonry construction for its perceived permanence, while media coverage of timber-frame construction problems in the 1980s further affected people's perceptions of this method[2]. However, the cost benefits and convenience of construction with timber have meant that it is increasingly favoured as a construction method in the 21st century