Ridge Board Roof Framing

Definition of structural ridge or ridge beam used in roof framing 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.

Ridge board roof framing.

The ridge board s length will be the outside measurement of the building plus the length of the overhang at both ends. The engineering principles are pretty straight forward for a ridge beam. A ridge beam is a structural member used to support the ends of the rafters at the ridge transferring it s loads to posts or gable end walls. This is the plumb cut for the roof ridge.

For 2 x 6 rafters use a 2 x 8 ridge board and so on. Determining the ridge beam height if you know the slope x in 12 you want to use for your roof framing design you can use it along with the run r to determine the height of the ridge beam. Measure form the top of this line down the board to determine the line length or length of the rafter less the ridge board. Mark along the backside of the tongue.

In part 3 of our roof framing series we cover how to select a ridge board how to layout a ridge board how to mark it so you know where to fasten the raft. Ridge beams are required by code if the roof slope is less than 3 in 12 irc section r802 3. Ridge beam sizing is based on the span of the beam between supports and the amount of roof load supported by the beam. While most home builders will outsource the construction of roofing trusses the rafter supports of the roof itself learning to frame a roof yourself is one of the true arts of carpentry and a basic primer is covered below.

The rafters support the sides or slope of the roof. Rafters and a ridge board are the key components of a roof framing system. We will go over raft. For 2 x 4 rafters use a 2 x 6 ridge board.

Other elements like gable studs and cross ties supply additional bracing. This video covers one of the most exciting parts of roof framing installing rafters. Choose a ridge board that is one size larger than your common rafters. For example if the slope is 4 in 12 and the run is 12 feet the ridge beam height m will be 4 feet.

The ridge beam could also be flush with the joists. The ridge board forms the peak and ties the rafters together side to side and end to end. Wondering how to build the structure of your roof. Position the square with both the 8 inch on the outside edge of the tongue and the 12 inch on the blade on the upper edge of the board.