Methodology of Restoration of Historical Timber Roof Frames. Application to Traditional Spanish Structural Carpentry

This article presents the multidisciplinary methodology employed in the restoration of a 17th-century timber roof frame in Spain. This detailed methodology furthers contributions of previous researchers and could be applied to any restoration work of patrimonial architecture. Our interest focuses on two main aspects: the importance of the knowledge of construction techniques of the time that the work in question was built and the necessary continuous interrelation between the different aspects involved in the process. The historical survey enjoys a greater scope than the mere description of the historical-constructive evolution. The collective consideration of all the aspects involved allows us to perform inspections properly, to detect the critical points of the system and even, as in this case, to define the criteria and procedure of intervention. For clarification purposes the characteristics of the rafter and collar-beam system used in this building and its references in carpentry treatises are also described.