Old House Framing Episodes

2 episodes tagged with "Old House Framing"

AI illustration of a dusty attic with a lifted pine floorboard, old cut nails, a pry bar, hammer, magnet, and loupe on exposed joists in warm daylight

October 24, 2026 • 8 min read

Hand-wrought, machine-cut, and wire nails mark rough eras. How to read the shank, head, and taper, and when a reused nail lies about the year.

AI illustration of a sunlit old parlor floor with lifted oak boards, square cut nails, pry bar, mallet, dust, and exposed lath in the background

This Old House

Historic Homes

Carpentry

Cut Nails vs. Wire Nails: What Old-House Framing Can Teach Us

July 18, 2026 • 6 min read

Why wedge-shaped cut nails grip differently from modern wire nails, where you are likely to find them, and what to consider before pulling them from historic framing.