Framing in a ridge beam in shed roof construction is not hard.
Ridge beam roof construction.
A timber frame roof has rafters and a ridge beam as with stick framing but the ridge is a large structural beam that the rafters sit on top of or sometimes fit into notches cut into the beam.
Here we have a wood framed gable roof.
Let s consider a basic gable wood roof framing design.
Timber framing is a traditional method of framing that uses heavy timbers instead of standard board lumber.
Ridge beams are required by code if the roof slope is less than 3 in 12 irc section r802 3.
Here s a picture of a gable style shed using a ridge beam.
Timber frame ridge beams.
The image below shows a cross section of our simple 12 x 13 house from the joist span tables section of this tutorial.
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.
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.
The ridge board must be set as perfectly as possible so take your time and use careful measurements.
The loads on the ridge beam are carried by vertical posts at the beam ends down through the building structural walls to the building foundation.
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.
Ridge beam sizing is based on the span of the beam between supports and the amount of roof load supported by the beam.
A ridge board is a non structural member that serves as a prop for opposing rafters to rest against and connect to.
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.
Floor beam span tables of residential structural design we will now look at roof rafter and beam design.
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.
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.
I always always build trusses.
Its the way i was trained to build sheds.
