Post & Beam

[xoxoxoBruce]

A Netherlands house built in 1890 was revamped in 1997 and 2012. It has a thatched roof and a 38’x41’x27’ indoor barn.
What caught my eye was the iron fitting on the post and beam joint. I wonder if that was original or part of the ’97 or ’07 upgrades.
Certainly by ’97 much more sophisticated hardware was available but they could have been trying to make it look old.

[Griff]

That's really interesting, it looks like they're shifting the load because the roof weight cracked the beam. What is interesting is that reinforcement is now a pulling force on the post. The original joint put that into force into a flex at the top of the post stiffening the long beam so it could carry more weight. Or I could be completely off base!

That building is so warm and gorgeous.

[Carruthers]

I've no understanding of stresses, strains, loadings etc but, as a layman, I know that it's usually wise to join the front elevation to the gable end.



It's a listed building I know which dates from the 16th or 17th Century but was refronted in brick in the 18th Century.
Whether the iron straps were added then, or subsequently, isn't recorded.

[Diaphone Jim]

A wonderful house on the canal, though I can't see where the great room fits in it.
The stapled strap keeps the beam from falling sideways either way off the post and seems a good way to do it, originally or as an add-on.
They stack their champagne like firewood!

And if you go to the link in the first sentence, you get lots of photos.
If you browse the whole Old House Dreams Overseas website, you may be gone for weeks.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Can't drive to it, no thanks.

[Griff]

Originally Posted by Diaphone Jim

The stapled strap keeps the beam from falling sideways either way off the post and seems a good way to do it, originally or as an add-on.

I don't think so. There should be a tenon on the post and it's pocketed. I can't tell if that's a crack in the beam... Still a cool house.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Looks cracked on the top beam, don't know why the staple in the joint.
Enlarged it looks like there may be a sistering seam on the face, but we can speculate till the cows come home. What we need is a volunteer to go look at it.