Ridge Beam Roof Construction

A classic example of the exposed ridge beam structure can be seen on our magnolia.

Ridge beam roof construction.

I always always build trusses. Ridges in timber framing are typically called ridge beams rather than ridge. This requires a secure connection of the rafters to the ridge beam at the top. 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 roof joists just as the bearing wall or header does at the envelope.

A structural ridge beam is a horizontal beam placed at the peak or ridge of a roof and is designed to carry much of the live and dead loads or weight of the roof structure by itself. Conventional construction of a gable roof or a frame roof uses a ridge board and this is primarily for ease of construction. 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. Since half the load is now supported at the ridge the ridge member becomes a ridge beam that is a load carrying element and must be designed to bridge the span between the supports which carry the vertical load to the ground.

Here s a picture of a gable style shed using a ridge beam. It gives you something to nail the ends of the rafters to while assembling your roof. With this design the ridge beam bears much more load weight than the ridge board on a standard stick framed roof. 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.

A structural ridge beam instead is used when the high ends of the rafters require independent support. Framing in a ridge beam in shed roof construction is not hard. Timber framing is a traditional method of framing that uses heavy timbers instead of standard board lumber.