How to Research Historic Houses

Construction Technology and Materials

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In addition to social influences or architectural qualities, different types of construction technology and building materials are also significant in the history of housing.

Initially, houses in wooded parts of the province were built of logs, reflecting the fact that many early settlers lacked capital and that milled lumber was scarce and costly. A variety of building techniques were used with log. Some indicate ethnic origin and traditions of the builder. Ukrainian builders, for example, usually finished log buildings inside and out with a smooth coating of mud plaster. Anglo-Canadian settlers, in contrast, usually left the exterior face of the logs exposed. Yet, in many cases, the use of a particular method of construction was simply a practical response to frontier conditions and the immediate need for shelter. In other cases, early houses in the province used materials ranging from sod to milled lumber. In all of these instances, building materials and the way they were used arose from the social and economic conditions of the area.

Pioneer shacks, log and sod houses were soon replaced with more elaborate buildings. While stone was used in some parts of the province, and houses made from locally manufactured brick could be found in most places, the great majority of houses were built of milled lumber. Balloon framing was widely used because it was faster and cheaper than other wood construction techniques or than building with stone. Later, builders turned to platform framing, a system which made more efficient use of labour and material. Alternatively, many houses were purchased from catalogues; the lumber, millwork and sometimes even the mechanical infrastructure came packaged and ready for assembly. When finished, these houses looked the same as those built using conventional construction techniques, but they were less costly and represented a solution to the shortages of skilled labour in a rapidly growing society. They also reflected an expanding mechanization and standardization in building technology, design and construction.

The use of different sorts of materials and methods of construction provides evidence of the way the built environment was formed in response to basic technological, economic, and cultural conditions. The craftsmanship applied to houses reflects the pace of building and the standards possible at the time or demanded by purchasers. Further the application of different materials in different parts of the province illustrates the impact of regional forces on housing.

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