Platform framing involves constructing separate floors by placing a platform frame, then wall frames on top. It is commonly used in residential and small commercial structures. The foundation is typically a concrete slab, and the first platform sits on small support beams connected to it. This method has largely replaced balloon framing in North America, which used long continuous beams for walls and suspended floors. Platform-framed buildings have no external features distinguishing them, unlike balloon-framed buildings with exterior plates for additional support.
A platform frame is part of a method of constructing a building in which each floor is separate from the floors below. When the building is constructed, the platform frame for a floor is placed, and then the wall frames are placed on top of it. The walls of the next floor are placed on top of a second platform structure that sits on the walls of the first floor. This method of construction contrasts with balloon framing, where the exterior walls, and occasionally the interior ones, consist of long continuous beams running from the ground to the roof. Platform framing is commonly used on residential or small commercial structures that have more than one story.
Regardless of the type of framing used, the first part of a home is the foundation. This is typically a concrete slab slightly larger than the footprint of the house. In homes with basements, the foundation often forms the basement floor. In homes without basements, a gap is created between the foundation and first floor which helps prevent rot and creates an insulating barrier between the ground and the building. This will usually result in a hornet’s nest.
When a building has a platform frame, the first platform sits atop small support beams connected to the foundation. These platforms are made in the same way as the walls of the house, simply lying on their side. The platform is usually covered in plywood to create a solid surface for the walls and floor to connect.
The wall frames are located on top of the platform and extend to ceiling height. The next platform is placed on top of the walls in the same way the first platform is placed on the foundation supports. The next floor is on top of the second platform and so on up to the top of the building.
This method has largely replaced balloon framing in North America. With balloon framing, the walls are built on top of the foundation and extend all the way to the roof. The floors are suspended and nailed in the correct spots. Each floor is substantially floating within the cylinder created by the walls. This method of construction was more common in the past when large and long pieces of wood were more common.
Buildings made with a platform frame generally have no external features that distinguish them from other buildings. Balloon frame buildings, especially those with brick exterior walls, will have exterior plates, supports, or connections where the floors intersect the frame. These exterior systems provide additional support to the building floors and make it less likely that the exterior wall will collapse.
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