How To Build A Ridge Beam Roof

Here s a picture of a gable style shed using a ridge beam.

How to build a ridge beam roof.

The rafters bear most of the weight of the roof. The ridge board s length will be the outside measurement of the building plus the length of the overhang at both ends. 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. Its the way i was trained to build sheds.

For 2 x 6 rafters use a 2 x 8 ridge board and so on. One at the envelope of the structure on top of a framed wall or a header the other at the peak of the structure on top of the ridge beam. Framing in a ridge beam in shed roof construction is not hard. Choose a ridge board that is one size larger than your common rafters.

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. For 2 x 4 rafters use a 2 x 6 ridge board. Some shed rafters do not incorporate ridge beams either due to small size or lack of technical know how. A ridge beam runs the length of the shed roof connecting every pair of rafters.

The sloped roof joists span between two pinned points. 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. I always always build trusses. 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.

The ridge board holds them in place. However our instructions include making shed rafters with a ridge beam. A ridge board is a non structural member that serves as a prop for opposing rafters to rest against and connect to. Ridge beams are required by code if the roof slope is less than 3 in 12 irc section r802 3.

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.