Q. Obviously, nails and screws are the common fastener for home building these days, but I am curious when they actually became the standard? I am having a debate with someone who seems to think that they are necessary to make a nice house, but this person doesn't understand that they use to be very expensive; and as such, most homes were built without them. I just can't figure out when that time frame was.
Any help on pinpointing the date would be helpful (with some citations would be preferable).
A. "I am having a debate with someone who seems to think that they are necessary to make a nice house"
Loghouses and log cabins were used by First Nations and settlers long before metal became used for nails, as did mud huts in Africa and thatch cottages in Britain, adobe brick houses in Mexico and the Mediterranean.
A nail is hardly the be all and end off of 'nice house' design.
"but I am curious when they actually became the standard?"
No clue, I cheated lol - the source link follows.
"In the 16th century the invention of the first water powered slitting mill introduced the first cut nails. Hot iron was hammered into sheets and each sheet was slit into bars by rollers that cut like shears. Each bar was then made into nails and spikes by "nailers". The head and the point were still forged and this type of nail was used from the 16th to the 19th century.
In the year 1811 the first machine cut nails were produced. These nails were flat and had no head. Sections of rolled plate iron were cut into strips the same width as the length of the nail. Each strip was then place under a contraption that cut each nail at an angle. The sheet was then turned over and the next nail was cut. The result of this process produced a nail that tapered to a point on only two sided.
In the 1840's a machine capable of making a headed nail was introduced. Stamping machines were being used by the late 1860's and several types of nails could be stamped at the same time.
Wire nails are now common and are the dominate type of nails used today but cut nails can still be found and are not uncommon.
Early wood screws were developed in the mid 16th century. The wood screw which is really nothing more than a round nail with a threaded shaft and a slot in the head for removal was first used in locks and clocks. They were very expensive to produce and were not used for everyday woodworking.
The first machine made screws were introduced in the 18th century. They had blunt ends. The first pointed end screws were produced in the 1840's by an English inventor George Nettlefield. They became widely used with this new type of production."
http://ezinearticles.com/?Your-Wooden-Storage-Shed---The-History-of-Nails-and-Wood-Screws&id=3390880
Hope that helps :)
What can I do now to start a custom home building Company?
Q. I'm in high school and I want to own my own custom home building business. Unfortunately I don't know much about construction. What can I do now to get started in this career? What skills should I learn?
A. You need to take some classes on architecture and maybe some type of electrical classes and you need to learn how to do plumbing and roofing which can be taught to you by a person who already has the trade. I would say maybe you could contact some one already in the business and maybe think about helping them with a job first. Learn everything before you start. You should talk to your guidance counselor and see what college classes you need to take and what colleges you need to consider.
What are the major (and minor) risks in owning a home built in 1916?
Q. I came across a beautiful Craftsman style home built in 1916 and wonder how much of a task it would be to keep up a home that old.
A. Old homes can have character. I bought a home built in 1910 and my only apprehension was that I knew nothing about steam heat. But the boiler was only 1 year old and heatinghelp.com helped me tune that for comfort and efficiency, so I now actually prefer that over scorched air. The steel combo storm/screens are quite old, but seal the old windows up in winter for no drafts, and previous owner had insulated. Thermal mass of drywall over plaster holds the temperature, and residual heat from steam radiators makes a lower temperature comfortable. So my highest gas bill for 3 bedroom home in sub-zero F temperatures has been under $200.
Basically hire someone to do a good inspection to see if the home has issues or if it has had upgrades that would minimize anything major in the near future.
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