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AGE of a BUILDING - how to determine Architecture & Style Building Records Chimneys & Fireplaces Electrical Components Flooring Materials Asphalt Tile Flooring Cork Flooring Tiles Vinyl Asbestos Floor Tiles Sheet Flooring Materials Linoleum Sheet Flooring Non-Resilient Floor Coverings Laminate Wood & Other Laminate Floors Wood Floor Types Wood Floor Damage Foundation Materials Framing Materials Age Dimensional Lumber Engineered Wood Products Hewn beams & planks Log construction Sheathing, Gypsum board Sheathing Homasote & Other Board Sheathing, OSB SHEATHING, Plywood SHEATHING, FOIL FACED - VENTS Straw Bale Construction Trusses Framing Methods Age Balloon Framing Log Home Construction Modular Construction Panelized Construction Plank Houses Platform Framing Post & Beam Construction Straw Bale Construction Welded Wire Sandwich Framing Framing Size & Spacing Heating Equipment Insulation Materials Nails and Hardware Plaster & Beaverboard & Drywall Plumbing Materials & Fixtures Roofing Materials Saw Cuts, Tool Marks Sears Kit Houses Siding Materials Windows & Doors AIR CONDITIONING & HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS AGE of AIR CONDITIONERS & HEAT PUMPS ASBESTOS IDENTIFICATION IN BUILDINGS ATTIC LEAKS, CONDENSATION & ATTIC MOLD CHIMNEY INSPECTION DIAGNOSIS & REPAIR ELECTRICAL INSPECTION, DIAGNOSIS, REPAIR KNOB & TUBE WIRING EXTERIORS of BUILDINGS HEATING SYSTEMS AGE of HEAT PUMPS AGE of HEATERS, BOILERS, FURNACES INSULATION IDENTIFICATION GUIDE INTERIORS of BUILDINGS PLUMBING TOPICS AGE of Plumbing Materials & Fixtures Water Heater Life Expectancy Comparisons SEPTIC SYSTEMS HOME CESSPOOL AGE ESTIMATION SEPTIC LIFE EXPECTANCY STAIRS, RAILINGS, LANDINGS, RAMPS WATER PUMPS & TANKS INTERIORS of BUILDINGS STRUCTURAL INSPECTIONS & DEFECTS More Information InspectAPedia Blog - News Updates Air Conditioning & Heat Pumps Bookstore Electrical Environment Exteriors Heating Home Inspection Insulate Ventilate Interiors Mold Inspect/Test Plumbing Water Septic Roofing Structure Accuracy & Privacy Policies Contact Us |
Here we discuss details about the size and spacing of wood framing members in light construction. These components can help determine the age of a building or of its various parts. The age of a building can be determined quite accurately by documentation, but when documents are not readily available, visual clues such as those available during a professional home inspection can still determine when a house was built. Here we list some helpful clues to answer the question "how old is the house?" and we provide photographs of key visual clues useful for determining the age of a building. See Framing Methods Age for the history and date ranges of various building framing methods. Also see Nails and Hardware and Saw Cuts, Tool Marks for additional building age clues likely to be available when examining building framing materials. © Copyright 2009 Daniel Friedman, All Rights Reserved. Information Accuracy & Bias Pledge is at below-left. Use links at the left of each page to navigate this document or to view other topics at this website. Green links show where you are in our document or website. Wood Framing Spacing & Framing Member Actual Dimensions can indicate building age(in process, contributions invited) In North America, up to about 1930 it was common for dimensional lumber to be full-sized - a 2x4 was really 2" x 4" in cross section. Modern wood framing wall studs 2x4's (a modern dimensional lumber "two by four" is actually 1.5" thick by 3.5" wide) and larger members (x" deep by 1.5" thick). Here are some common intervals or spacings used in frame construction in North America.
Here is a photograph of post and beam framing with joint number markings. The observation of framing materials, framing markings, and framing styles provides considerable information about the probable age of a house. We discuss framing materials and styles here as an aid to house age determination. Also see our article on " Saw Cuts and Tool Marks" (links at page left). Log framing and both modern and antique log construction are discussed at Log Home Guide. Antique and modern trusses are distinguished and modern laminated beams and I-truss beams and wood joists are discussed. Keep in mind that even when we can identify specific types of building materials and building methods, precise dating of the time of construction of a building remains difficult: old building materials were often re-used, so beams, siding, and other components may appear in a building built later than when the materials were first made. Also, in the U.S. various states had machines for making cut nails, screws, and sawmills at different times. For example, New York State was industrialized earlier than some western or southern states, so machine-made nails appear earlier in New York than elsewhere. ... Technical Reviewers & References
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4/03/2009 - 12/30/2006 - InspectAPedia.com/structure/Framing_Size_Spacing.htm - © 2009 - 1988 Copyright Daniel Friedman All Rights Reserved - InspectAPedia® is a Registered U.S. Trademark