Replies

1. 
   jimblodgett | Jul 11, 2002 07:33am | #1

   Last job I did with ridge beams my lumber yard gave me a phone number to an engineer at one of the engineered lumber companies.  We talked for 15 minutes, he asked this and that and hit this key and made that whirling sound and said "you need such and such if you use a glulam, or you could use so many microlams..." then faxed me the specs with his stamp for the county inspector and everything.  I was astonished, he said that's what he does all day, spec beams for people all over the country.  Your lumber yard should be able to hook you up with whoever they get their engineered lumber from. You just need to know your spans and loads, they'll do the rest.

1. 
   Timuhler | Jul 11, 2002 04:05pm | #3

   I was looking for a span chart for dimensional lumber.  It would take us too long to get a glulam or LVL, which aren't needed in this situation anyway.  It is just a simple span.  Rafters to ridge.      

   Thanks for the response.

1. 
   coonass | Jul 12, 2002 01:11am | #4

   A stick frame ridge is just a nice place to lay out and nail rafters. It adds very little to the strength of the structure. Use a 2x that is big enough to cover your plumb cut.

   KK

1. 
   Timuhler | Jul 12, 2002 01:46am | #5

   I should have been more specific.  I need a span chart, besides for engineered lumber, for ridge beams that you would find in a catherdral ceiling. 

2. 
   BossHog | Jul 11, 2002 02:37pm | #2

   You probably won't find anything online. Why would anyone publish such a thing? They would take on a lot of liability for nothing.

   I'm really surprised that Jim found an engineer to spec a beam, for the same reason. We have the ability to design them, but don't.

   Old skiers never die - they just go downhill.

3. 
   PostnBeam | Jul 12, 2002 02:02am | #6

   Is this stick framed with an 'exposed ridge beam", 'flush' beam, or just a ridge board?

4. 
   Piffin | Jul 12, 2002 03:52am | #7

   Tim,

   This is a structural beam in a cathedral ceiling. That means that unless the room is only eight or ten feet long, you aren't going to find dimension lumber large enough to carry the load. It will have to be designed to carry the weight of half the elements (dead load - framing, plywood, roofing, nails, etc) of the roof, plus what ever the local required live load per sq ft is.

   That adds up to a lot of tonnage.

   I can get LVLs delivered to me in less than a week and I'm on an island. If you want to leave it visible, you can clad it with trim later to look good.

   Excellence is its own reward!