Ridge Board Roof Construction

Line it up with the top of the truss and nail in place.

Ridge board roof construction.

The ridge board runs the length of the building and provides support for the tops of the rafters helping the whole roof structure work together as a system. Its only job is to provide a connection point for the roof joists on each side of the roof. Rip the ridge board to the correct width to meet the rafter widths at the ridge. The rafters terminate against the ridge board unless the framing is designed to bear rafter against rafter with no ridge board.

The ridge board must be set as perfectly as possible so take your time and use careful measurements. Remove the spacers in both end wall trusses and put the ridge board in between the 2 gable ends. This type of framing is a specially designed rafter layout and requires precise and experienced erection. Brace these supports in the centerline of the building.

The engineering principles of the ridge board are a bit more complicated. Cut to the ridge board to the length of the shed dimension b and mark it 24 inch on center. Position a ridge board down in the saddles of the supports. Because the ridge board is a smaller member typically only an inch thick sometimes even less it is not a structural member and doesn t carry the gravity load.