HOMES FOR SALE

Architextures

COLONIAL

POST-AND-GIRT FRAMING

Diagram adapted from From The Walls  In, by Charles Wing, © 1979.

The craft of joinery was a highly respected trade in the Colonial world where water-powered sawmills were rare, railroads had not yet been invented, and nails were made one-by-one by the local blacksmith at great expense. Joinery had developed to a high degree of sophistication in Europe during the building of cathedrals in the late Middle Ages.

Most timber used in a home in the 1600's and 1700's had to be cut by hand. A few large timbers were hand-hewn from trees cut down in the vicinity of the homesite. These large timbers were joined together using elaborate mortise-and-tenon joints secured by hand-made pegs called "treenails". When the mortise-and-tenon joints were made by an experienced "joiner" a structure of this sort was exceedingly strong. Some post-and-girt homes still survive after hundreds of years.

This type of construction was carried across the ocean from England and France by the first settlers. It is known as "timberframe" or "post and girt" construction.

The "posts" are the large vertical timbers at the corners of the building and at the intersections of load-bearing walls. The "girts" are the horizontal timbers at the top of the posts. They collect the distributed loads from the "rafters" and "joists" and carry them across to the posts. The "sills" are the horizontal timbers at the bottom of the posts. Vertical "studs" between the girts and the plates are much smaller timbers whose only purpose is to provide a convenient structure for the attachment of walls.

If an American from 300 years ago could travel forward in time he would not believe our "flimsy" boards of 2" x 4" lumber would be strong enough to hold up a house. But he would think we were rich beyond belief because we can buy hundreds of iron nails for a trifling sum of money.