# How long can wooden beams last? (In houses) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 18, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647 "2007-04-18T17:09:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rabbit)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/1 "2007-04-18T17:09:15Z")
Was watching some travel program on tv and I got to wondering about some of these ridiculously old houses in Europe. They have wooden beams holding up the second/third stories, and I imagine that at least in many cases they’re original. So how long can these beams last before they’d fail? Or would they ever fail? (I understand that fire or pests would put a quick end to them, I meant otherwise). ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/2 "2007-04-18T17:13:14Z")
[4,500 years](http://www.trussel.com/prehist/news256.htm) Other sites from googling ‘oldest wooden beam’ revealed most form 16th century. ---
**Author:** ![Will\_Repair](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a698b9/32.png) [@Will\_Repair](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Will_Repair)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/3 "2007-04-18T19:31:31Z")
[The grounds of Horyuji (Horyu Temple) house the world’s oldest surviving wooden structures, conveying images of Japan as it existed more than 1,300 years ago, during the Asuka Period (A.D.mid 6th-beginning of 8th c.).](http://www.horyuji.or.jp/horyuji_e.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/4 "2007-04-18T19:33:35Z")
My house was built before 1760 here in the Boston area and the beams in the main part of the house are very much structural and original. I grew up in Louisiana and I thought much you you do. I thought that wood just rots over time and that isn’t really true if it is kept dry and at a reasonable humidity level. The hand-hewn beams and framing in our attic shows no sign of decay or weakness. The general framing of the house doesn’t either as far as I know but much of it isn’t exposed. The framing that forms the ceiling of the attic and bottom of the first floor is slightly decayed because the basement floods in the spring. It has supports in place but it isn’t that bad either. However, our barn was built in 1776 and the previous owner didn’t fix a hole in the roof. After two years in that state, it collapsed (shortly after we bought the house). Dry wood that is kept free from insects can last a very long time. There is some framing in our house that you little can’t put a nail into without bending it. ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/5 "2007-04-18T19:39:34Z")
Damn, **Will Repair** beat me to it. On a side note, it’s a very awesome place if you ever get the chance to visit. ---
**Author:** ![KlondikeGeoff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3e96dc/32.png) [@KlondikeGeoff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KlondikeGeoff)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/6 "2007-04-18T21:59:33Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] [The grounds of Horyuji (Horyu Temple) house the world’s oldest surviving wooden structures, conveying images of Japan as it existed more than 1,300 years ago, during the Asuka Period (A.D.mid 6th-beginning of 8th c.).](http://www.horyuji.or.jp/horyuji_e.htm) [/QUOTE] That reminds me of a shine I visited many years ago in Kyoto. The priest, through an interpreter, apologized and said that because it had burned down once and been replaced “…it was only 600 years old.” ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/7 "2007-04-18T22:09:52Z")
I have an old house (old by CA standards) with redwood framing. That stuff lasts forever (in a manner of speaking). So, it depends on where you live, what wood was used, and how much exposure it has had to water, insects, what-have-you. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2007, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/8 "2007-04-18T23:07:08Z")
> [@](#): > > How long can wooden beams last? Until they’re removed from your eye. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/9 "2007-04-19T00:31:12Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] I grew up in Louisiana and I thought much you you do. [/QUOTE] Buh? ---
**Author:** ![clairobscur](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/839c29/32.png) [@clairobscur](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/clairobscur)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/10 "2007-04-19T00:41:05Z")
[QUOTE=Will Repair] [The grounds of Horyuji (Horyu Temple) house the world’s oldest surviving wooden structures, conveying images of Japan as it existed more than 1,300 years ago, during the Asuka Period (A.D.mid 6th-beginning of 8th c.).](http://www.horyuji.or.jp/horyuji_e.htm) [/QUOTE] Isn’t this the famous temple that is rebuild identically on a regular basis (like every 25 years or so)? ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/11 "2007-04-19T02:54:37Z")
Wood is amazing stuff. A wood structure with thick beams can actually withstand a fire better than a steel structure. If wood is not exposed to moisture and insects it can last far longer than anyone ever intended. Of course there are factors such as the type of wood and it’s application. I was told that there were WWII ships that had their decks covered with teak because it was more durable and more easilly maintained than steel. The USS Missouri may have been such a ship but I would have to check it out. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/12 "2007-04-19T02:58:18Z")
[QUOTE=Patty O’Furniture] Buh? [/QUOTE] My ill-typed point was that Louisiana has such extreme humidity that I always thought that all wood degraded over time just from existing. The Boston area has humidity but also consistent dry spells that can allow wood to last indefinitely. ---
**Author:** ![R.P.McMurphy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7993a0/32.png) [@R.P.McMurphy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/R.P.McMurphy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/13 "2007-04-19T03:11:34Z")
Here is a site that refers to the USS Missouri’s teak deck: [USS Missouri - teak deck](http://www.ussmissouri.com/faq.aspx) ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/14 "2007-04-19T03:12:01Z")
[QUOTE=clairobscur] Isn’t this the famous temple that is rebuild identically on a regular basis (like every 25 years or so)? [/QUOTE] No, Horyu-ji is a Buddhist temple that was founded about 1300 years ago and some of the buildings really are that old. That includes the [five-storied pagoda](http://www45.tok2.com/home/todo94/photogallery/tabisaki/pagoda/p-nara/horyuji-5junoto2.jpg) that is still in amazing condition, as you can guess from the picture. What your are thinking about are the Ise shrines, which are Shinto. They were originally built around 690 and have been rebuilt every 20 years since then. > **[Ise Shrine](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Shrine_of_Ise)** > > The Ise Shrine (Japanese: 伊勢神宮, Hepburn: Ise Jingū), located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the solar goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami and the grain goddess Toyouke-hime. Also known simply as Jingū (神宮), Ise Shrine is a shrine complex composed of many Shinto shrines centered on two main shrines, Naikū (内宮) and Gekū (外宮). The Inner Shrine, Naikū (also officially known as "Kōtai Jingū"), is dedicated to the worship of Amaterasu and is located in the town of Uji-tachi, sou... ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/15 "2007-04-19T13:22:11Z")
[QUOTE=rabbit] Was watching some travel program on tv and I got to wondering about some of these ridiculously old houses in Europe. They have wooden beams holding up the second/third stories, and I imagine that at least in many cases they’re original. So how long can these beams last before they’d fail? Or would they ever fail? (I understand that fire or pests would put a quick end to them, I meant otherwise). [/QUOTE] In Europe, it seems like woodworm is a much more severe problem than it is here in the States, and old wooden things, whatever they are, very often have a degree of woodworm damage. For example, I’ve seen medieval artwork in museums where the wood panels backing the painting have been pretty significantly devoured. Sometimes it seems like the gilding is the only thing holding everything together. So I would think that practically every wooden beam of a certain vintage would have woodworm damage to one degree or another. These days there are treatments to kill the pests, so maybe you could stop the damage in its tracks. What I don’t know is whether there were treatments back in history, or types of wood that were more resistant. There must have been, or there would be nothing left, right? ---
**Author:** ![rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/919ad9/32.png) [@rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rabbit)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/16 "2007-04-19T20:00:09Z")
[QUOTE=Shagnasty] There is some framing in our house that you little can’t put a nail into without bending it. [/QUOTE] Do you know if this is a factor of age or if it was the actual type of wood? Do all woods get harder with age? I know I’ve worked with some exotic hardwood that is insanely hard and heavy. (ok, _tried_ to work on it. After several hours including taking a dremel with appropriate tools to it, I’ve barely made any headway in shaping it. Carved my arm up nicely when my knife slipped though). ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/17 "2007-04-19T20:11:57Z")
[QUOTE=rabbit] Do you know if this is a factor of age or if it was the actual type of wood? Do all woods get harder with age? [/QUOTE] The standard line is that colonial buildings in New England were built from old-growth hardwood which is different than the wood used today. Parts of that may be true. However, I have heard that it is the age that makes the wood as hard as it is. It petrifies in a way. Maybe both things are contributing factors. I just know that I tried to work on a doorframe for example that was definetly orginal and bent nail after nail trying to get something into it. Even drilling wasn’t easy. A lot of the interior pieces of framing in the house are like that. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2007, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-can-wooden-beams-last-in-houses/400647/18 "2007-04-19T20:31:56Z")
For what it’s worth, old-growth hardwood is typically softer than second-growth hardwood, whereas for softwoods, the reverse is true. Your house may be framed in oak, or old-growth pine. Both can be difficult to put a nail into.