Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
the living room was left open to the underside of the rafters, presumably to prevent what
must have seemed to many a rather confined and claustrophobic atmosphere below the
low ceiling of the floor above. It must be remembered that the Great Hall was still very
much a status symbol and to have at least one room of lofty construction would have been
socially desirable.
The Early Attic
Access initially to the attic space created was by a simple ladder and later by stairs often
created from large solid timber steps supported on a crude sloping beam or carriage. Divi-
sion of the attic into individual rooms was frequently achieved by filling in the spaces
between the members of the principal truss to form a wall. The partition was usually cre-
ated using wattle and daub (hazel sticks fixed between the timber members covered with
plaster of lime mortar and cow hair). Some rural cottages dating back to the fifteenth cen-
tury still retain this construction. Passage from one room to another through this partition
is frequently somewhat restricted in height, the occupants having to step over the tie beam
of the principal rafter and at the same time duck below the main beam. Figure 8.1 illus-
trates a simple attic partition.
The bedroom floor was usually supported by the bottom tie of the principal truss, thus re-
ducing the floor joist span. Even with this reduced span, construction presumably for eco-
nomic reasons often used undersized and relatively unseasoned timber, resulting in some-
what springy and uneven floors which would certainly not conform to today's design
standards. The later development of fitting a relatively heavy plaster ceiling further ex-
acerbated the floor deflection problem. Sawn elm or oak boards laid on top of the joist
formed both floor and ceiling below, this construction resulting in the exposed beams and
joists which are now considered an attractive feature in many early cottages. Figure 8.2 il-
lustrates the floor construction.
Floors and Ceilings
The early floors were very basic, serving only to provide support for those above and their
chattels. The quality of sawing being crude and the timber unseasoned, and with no joint-
ing technique between the boards, there were large gaps between the boards; this reduced
privacy between upper and lower floors.
