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Erin Nigma
Member
posted 05-11-2001 12:28 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Erin Nigma   Click Here to Email Erin Nigma     Edit/Delete Message
i'm trying to build a model castle for a school project and don't know how thick to make the floors. can anyone help? i'm trying to keep the model close to scale with real castles. also how were the floors supported, like houses today? thanks

Erik Schmidt
Senior Member
posted 05-11-2001 06:40 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Erik Schmidt   Click Here to Email Erik Schmidt     Edit/Delete Message
That's not such an easy question to answer.
Floors were basically of two types. Wood supported or stone vault supported.
Check out the discussion on floors at;
http://www.castlesontheweb.com/quest/Forum5/HTML/000018.html

As for the thickness, it's hard to say. Stone vaults could be surpizingly thin in the centre, but no less than 30cm or so(up to 100cm in the stronger parts of some castles).
The wooden floors were supported on beams, the ends of which were either set in to the wall, rested on a ledge or placed on stones specially set out from the rest of the wall for that purpose(forget the name).
The timber decking on the beams could be as thin as 3cm or layered with stone to become up to 40cm thick.
Which type of floor was used where and how it was constructed varied over time, place, architect and use of the rooms above and below it. Generally stone vaults were used in the lower rooms and wooden floors higher up.

Hope it helps,

Erik

Gordon
unregistered
posted 05-12-2001 04:56 AM           Edit/Delete Message
Corbels....the projecting stones, there's a picture (without the floor) in the photo archive. http://www.castlesontheweb.com/archive/files/Miscellaneous/Corbel.jpeg

------------------
'Demeure par la verite'
Visit; Gordon's Scottish Castles Resource Page

Erin Nigma
Member
posted 05-15-2001 09:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for Erin Nigma   Click Here to Email Erin Nigma     Edit/Delete Message
thank you for your replies, they have helped me alot. Erin

duncan
Senior Member
posted 05-15-2001 10:39 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for duncan   Click Here to Email duncan     Edit/Delete Message
In a very few Castles, insulated and moisture proofed solid floors were used. Made of straw or reeds applied over the floor joists or over the roof of a vault, then covered with a lime concrete mixture, were usually 4 to 6 inches and sometimes reached over a foot in thickness.

Erik Schmidt
Senior Member
posted 05-15-2001 09:43 PM     Click Here to See the Profile for Erik Schmidt   Click Here to Email Erik Schmidt     Edit/Delete Message
Hey Duncan, any info on the web about that? That's something I haven't come across, I'd love to know more.

Erik

duncan
Senior Member
posted 05-17-2001 06:59 AM     Click Here to See the Profile for duncan   Click Here to Email duncan     Edit/Delete Message
Erik let's drop down to Building Blocks for later reference.

All times are PT (US)

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