Timber frame jargon buster

Timber frame wall: A wall built of timber framing members, bracing and/or wall sheathing. The solid timber members are usually Canadian Lumber Standard (CLS).

Wall panel: A section that forms part of a complete timber frame wall.

Spandrel panel: Wall panel for a gable.

Racking resistance: Ability of an internal partition wall or external wall panel to resist horizontal wind forces in the plane of the panel. If you imagine a rectangular panel being pushed or forced at one of the top corners in a direction along the length of the panel, in effect trying to deform it into a parallelogram shape, that is known as a racking force.

Stud: Vertical member in a framed partition or wall.

Cripple stud: Vertical member that supports a lintel in a framed partition or wall.

Wall lining: A manufactured sheet product used to line a wall or partition.

Wall sheathing: A manufactured timber sheet product used as bracing.

Sole plate or floor plate: Horizontal timber member under the bottom of a wall panel.

Top plate or header: Horizontal timber member along the top of a wall panel.

Noggings (or sometimes ‘noggins’): Pieces of timber fixed horizontally between studs or joists to add strength or stiffness. Also useful for providing fixing locations between sheet materials.

Bracing: Adds structural strength with timber elements. These can be added to internal or external wall panels where additional racking resistance is required. It is formed using CLS struts diagonally between the end studs of a panel, so that the end stud and bracing together resemble a capital ‘K’.

TIMBER FRAME GUIDE / PRESERVATIVES AND TREATMENT