Ridge Beam Construction Roofs

Let s consider a basic gable wood roof framing design.

Ridge beam construction roofs.

Here we have a wood framed gable roof. A simple rafter roof consists of rafters that the rafter foot rest on horizontal wall plates on top of each wall. In traditional house framing also called stick framing a basic roof frame consists of opposing pairs of sloping rafters that meet at their top ends at a ridge board or ridge beam. Rafter to ridge beam connection framing roof ceiling construction structural ridge beam absolute deflection in a ridge beam structural ridge beam tricks of the trade.

I can t ever recall seeing a saltbox shed built with a ridge beam or even a gambrel roof shed for that matter. Construction of a rafter roof. The difference between them is that a ridge beam is a structural member that bears half of the live and dead loads of the rafters on either side of it but a ridge board is not structural. Floor beam span tables of residential structural design we will now look at roof rafter and beam design.

Ridge beam sizing is based on the span of the beam between supports and the amount of roof load supported by the beam. A classic example of the exposed ridge beam structure can be seen on our magnolia residence which is currently in construction. The top end of each rafter is cut at an angle so that it meets flush with one broadside of the ridge board and the ridge is sandwiched between the rafters. Come to think of it the only style shed i can see that would be easy to use a ridge beam is the gable style shed.

Ridge boards and beams. A ridge board is a non structural member that serves as a prop for opposing rafters to rest against and connect to. Timber steel framing manual single span ridge beam. Leave ridge beam for shed construction page.

Yes either a ridge board or a ridge beam is necessary and required by the building code where roof rafters meet at the the center of their span. Continuing on from part 3. The image below shows a cross section of our simple 12 x 13 house from the joist span tables section of this tutorial. The top ends of the rafters often meet at a ridge beam but may butt directly to another rafter to form a pair of rafters called a couple.

The loads on the ridge beam are carried by vertical posts at the beam ends down through the building structural walls to the building foundation. Ridge boards can only be used in roofs with slopes from 3 in 12 up to 12 in 12.