Floor beam span tables of residential structural design we will now look at roof rafter and beam design.
Roof styles central beam.
Rafter not pictured a supporting beam usually wooden that attaches to the peak of a roof and descends to an outer wall.
Here we have a wood framed gable roof.
In a nutshell it s made up of a central vertical post called the king post two rafters meeting at the apex and a tie beam or the horizontal base.
A helm roof on the two towers.
Gambrel roofs are also a great idea for outdoor sheds and storage buildings.
A newer type of beam than the more traditional materials a composite roof beam can be made from several different materials to make the beam lighter and stronger and less prone to rotting warping or cracking.
The gambrel only uses two roof beams along with gusset joints.
The king post roof truss is the simplest of the trusses because of its simple composition.
Just as there are many types of roofs with many roof parts there are many different types of roof trusses this extensive article explains through a series of custom truss diagrams the different truss configurations you can use for various roofs.
Most types of materials such as asphalt shingles and metal roofing can be used in a dutch gable roof and in fact using variations in colors or types actually adds a nice contrast.
An ancient roof style flat roofs are often used in arid climates to allow the roof space to be easily used.
The image below shows a cross section of our simple 12 x 13 house from the joist span tables section of this tutorial.
Rafters are the traditional method for supporting a roof.
Gable roofs that are clipped into a short hipped design.
Continuing on from part 3.
A roof beam is generally a length of wood steel or aluminum that holds up a roof meant to keep rain snow and other elements out of the house.
Their shape can provide more storage without taking up more space.
Jerkinhead the jerkinhead design typically features mostly gable with a little bit of hipped influx mixed in.
In the u s hipped roofs are often found on french inspired houses like french creole and french provincial.
Gable roof with eaves exposed decorated rafters and soffits and stepped incrementally ascending apexes.
Truss a network of pre made usually double sloped beams connected or bridged by a bottom beam or brace.
Since the construction is quite simple with fewer materials needed this helps to keep the cost of a roof down.
While this article focuses on configurations we also have a very cool set of illustrations showcasing the different parts anatomy of roof trusses.
Let s consider a basic gable wood roof framing design.
Mansard roof on a county jail.