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i think balloon framing fell out of favor because

1. the length of timber required for two story structures is not efficient; old growth stuff has been felled and straight, seasoned, 24 and 36 foot lengths of wood are tough to find

2. and fire; platform framing has far better fire control

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I think it's pretty clear the author is using "balloon framing" to encompass all forms of light-frame construction. You can tell because in the very first sentence he describes them as synonyms, "Stick frame construction, also known as light-frame construction or balloon framing"

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