How To Build A Ridge Beam Roof

A ridge board or beam runs through the tops of rafters or trusses from end to end along a gable roof tying those framing members together.

How to build a ridge beam roof. Here s a picture of a gable style shed using a ridge beam. A ridge beam runs the length of the shed roof connecting every pair of rafters. Ridge beams and boards modern raising ceiling joists jlc technical steico construction roof rafter collar tie calculations structural ridge beamtimber steel framing manual single span ridge beamglulam ridge beam span table elcho. Choose a ridge board that is one size larger than your common rafters.

The ridge board holds them in place. The sloped roof joists span between two pinned points. For 2 x 4 rafters use a 2 x 6 ridge board. Its the way i was trained to build sheds.

Some shed rafters do not incorporate ridge beams either due to small size or lack of technical know how. The ridge board s length will be the outside measurement of the building plus the length of the overhang at both ends. The rafters bear most of the weight of the roof. However our instructions include making shed rafters with a ridge beam.

The ridge beam could also be flush with the joists the ridge beam is typically a larger member like a 4 x 12 and carries the gravity load of the. 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. A ridge board is a non structural member that serves as a prop for opposing rafters to rest against and connect to. Framing in a ridge beam in shed roof construction is not hard.

I always always build trusses. 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. Now if you have done any looking around this site you ll quickly see that i am not a fan of using a ridge beam in shed construction. For 2 x 6 rafters use a 2 x 8 ridge board and so on.

Ridge beam sizing is based on the span of the beam between supports and the amount of roof load supported by the beam.