Can the ridge beam for a shed be cut in half?

Question

I'm building a 10 x 16 shed. The ridge beam is to be 18 feet long and it will be 2" thick. Do I have to use an 18 foot long board, or can I use 2 boards??

And, if I can use 2 board, do I need to attach them to each other??

Answer 1

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Roof rafters connect the ridge beam to the top of the walls. If the ridge beam is allowed to deflect, then the walls will push out and away from each other. This is not good! To avoid this you can use a continuous ridge beam. But it must be sized and supported to carry a deigned load and eliminate all downward deflection.

It is far easier to keep the walls from spreading apart by installing ceiling joist that span from wall to wall. If the walls can't spread apart then you can use a non structural ridge beam and install it in two pieces. The ridge beam butt joint should fall in the center of a roof rafter. It's that simple

Answer 2

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Answer 3

The ridge beam needs to be one continuous piece, but it doesn't have to start out that way, you can scab it together from smaller lumber. Get four nine foot boards an inch thick. Place two of them end to end. Take the third board, drizzle it with wood glue on one side, and center it over the join of the first two. Cut the fourth one in half, apply glue to one side and the inside end, and finish off the second layer by placing them at the ends of of the third board. You should have what appears at first glance to be an eighteen foot two by at the end of this stacking process. The joins should be nowhere near each other, that will weaken the beam. Then, nail it together, using a load of nails, to stabilize it. Do this from both sides. You can even get join panels from the lumber yard, they look like rectangles of tin, with lots of sharp barbs stamped and turned out. Tap one of these into the wood centered at each join. The end product will function as your ridge beam. If you have room for it in your plans, it wouldn't hurt to add a third layer, again, staggering the joins so that they don't overlap each other.

Answer 4

I suspect that the beam was not later cut in half, but was originally installed in two parts [easier to deliver, handle and install, and two sections are much less expensive than one very long beam]. You don't say how old the house and beam are, but "checking" is normal for older wood beams and columns. Regardless of when the steel "fish-plates" were installed, IF DONE PROPERLY, then that is just as safe, possibly safer than one continuous beam. I suspect that the combination of the fish-plated beam and the four evenly spaced lally columns are PROBABLY sufficient to properly support the house [especially IF the remodeling was done by a TRUE PROFESSIONAL]. I doubt you will have trouble, or need for additional repairs. As previous answers have suggested, I also suggest you have one of your local governmental building inspectors check it out, OR as also already suggested, hire a Licensed Professional Engineer [Civil, Structural, or Mechanical Dicipline] to certify it safe, or recommend proper improvements. A Professional Engineer and/or Certification will be expensive.

Answer 5

You should get a 18' beam.

If you attach 2 boards side by side, you will alter the width
of the ridge.

If you use to aligned together and joined with framing braces, that will alter the strength of the roof, to hold shingles and snow.

Answer 6

Yes you can but with provisions. Get a teco plate on both sides and insure that the joint is in the middle of a rafter supported by that rafter. You are better off getting an 18 footer, but in most cases this will pass, Or get a 16 foot and attach one foot to both ends for the overhang as it does not have much weight to support again use the teco plates and the end rafters

Answer 7

Its best to use one plank,I don't think scabbing two nine footers together would pass code,and would require you change some of the rafters on the scab side. Best bet ask your local building code person.

Answer 8

Your best bet is to just use one board.