Roof Rafters And Ceiling Joists

In this design the tops of the rafters attach to a load bearing ridge beam that runs along the length of the roof.

Roof rafters and ceiling joists.

Rafter ties or ceiling joists acting as rafter ties are required by code unless the house is designed so that the walls or a structural ridge beam carries the full load of the roof. Rafters form the foundation for attachment of the roof boards onto which the final roof covering is fixed. If you are framing a cathedral ceiling there are a couple ways to deal with the need for rafter ties. In traditional timber they are nominally 2 inches thick and typically 8 to 10 inches wide.

A structural ridge is the standard alternative to ceiling joists. Corbett grace their parents and even their kids are learning a lot about the many ways a few right many wrong to build a high performance home. The are similar to trusses in this regard. Rafters are the building components that run diagonally from the wall plate to the apex of a roof structure.

In unfinished space an attic insulation is typically laid between the joists. Assuming that your builders have chosen to use wood for your house s frame your roofing joists ceiling joists rafters or trusses will be made from long planks of wood placed parallel to one another at evenly spaced intervals along the length of your roof. Use this table to determine the maximum lengths of ceiling joists based on species of lumber joist spacing and joist size. This board forms the bottom member of each rafter and of course the ceiling of the space below.