Which statement about Balloon Frame construction is true?

• A. It requires fire stops
• B. It does not require fire stops
• C. It is identical to Platform Frame
• D. It uses steel framing

Answer: (A)

Balloon frame construction has studs that run uninterrupted from the foundation all the way to the top plate of the building, creating continuous vertical channels through multiple stories. Because those channels can allow fire and heat to travel upward between floors, fire stops are needed at each floor level to interrupt the path and slow vertical fire spread. That’s why this statement is true.

It’s different from platform framing, where each floor is built separately and the long vertical channels aren’t continuous through multiple stories in the same way. And it uses wood framing, not steel.