Framing at its best - ridge board

Jeff Remas · 02-24-2009, 02:52 PM

Sorry for no photo but this was for code enforcement and I don't normally have a camera like I do for HIs.

The home is 24' wide and 40' deep. The 2nd floor is a vaulted ceiling and a complete clear span. Not one wall on the 2nd floor. This is in the framing stages. Picture this: 8/12 pitch

A single 2x12 (not quite long enough so there is a small 2' piece at the end) being used as a ridge board that runs across the 24' width for a gable roof. All of the rafters are 2x10. There are NO ceiling joists, just rafter ties at the very top and I mean very top about 18" below the top of the ridge board.

Nothing is keeping the side walls (front and back) from pushing outward and as a result of the poor construction there is a hydraulic car jack supporting the ridge board and wall braces in place tied from the wall studs to the floor just to keep it from pushing out.

I will go back to get photos. You really have to see this to believe it.

Sheathing is on and the roof is shingled.

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**Brandon Whitmore** · 02-24-2009, 03:03 PM

I can't wait to see the pictures........

Just tell them to use decorative looking cables to hold the walls together

Brandon Chew · 02-24-2009, 06:18 PM

They better pray for no snow and hope for no visits from The Big Bad Wolf (I'll huff, and I'll puff....)

Originally Posted by Jeff Remas

There are NO ceiling joists, just rafter ties at the very top and I mean very top about 18" below the top of the ridge board.

Small correction: there are no ceiling joists or rafter ties. Those things up near the ridge are called collar ties. Rafter ties are down in the lower portion of the A frame (ceiling joists very often serve as rafter ties).

Looking forward to the pics....

**Jerry Peck** · 02-24-2009, 06:28 PM

Originally Posted by Brandon Chew

They better pray for no snow and hope for no visits from The Big Bad Wolf (I'll huff, and I'll puff....)

Brandon,

Maybe it's the huffing and puffing of The Big Bad Wolf which is keeping the walls UP ... without that wind load the walls would be laying horizontally on the ground?

Jeff Remas · 02-24-2009, 08:18 PM

I am definitely taking my camera there tomorrow. I stopped by today but no one was working.

They applied for a permit which I denied due to lack of information and he never got back with me. Now I find the house framed. The roof was only part of the problem but the biggest.

Jeff Remas · 02-25-2009, 08:38 PM

Photos as promised. It was a twin that already had a foundation waiting for the other side to begin construction.

Ted Menelly · 02-25-2009, 09:01 PM

Just a wee bit of a strecth for those long rafters. I hope you did not do any pushing outwardly on those exterior walls

**Brandon Whitmore** · 02-25-2009, 10:43 PM

That's real nice. Let me guess, they were gonna jam a bunch of batt insulation in all of the rafter bays with no ventilation as well.........

**Jerry Peck** · 02-26-2009, 07:40 AM

No gable end bracing, but it does have a nice hinge joint to allow the gable end to fold out, if they can only manage to stop it at just the right point then they would have a nice triangular shaped patio cover on that end, then, at that time, it would serve as a nice diaphragm supporting the top of the wall against lateral loads - cool.

Ron Bibler · 02-26-2009, 09:31 AM

Jeff How did they get that past plan check ? How did they get the ok for the roofing ? How did they ?

Best

Ron

**Mike Gault** · 02-26-2009, 10:15 AM

Kudos to the brave roofers who tromped on it.... :-)

**Jerry Peck** · 02-26-2009, 10:45 AM

This is how:

Originally Posted by Jeff Remas

They applied for a permit which I denied due to lack of information and he never got back with me. Now I find the house framed. The roof was only part of the problem but the biggest.

Jeff Remas · 02-26-2009, 02:35 PM

Yeah, that is exactly how. All of this was performed without a permit. We never got past the permit application. Incomplete information to even start a plan review so the permit was rejected.

At this point besides stopping the job I will require a structural engineer to specify and stamp repairs. Not going to waste any more time on this one. Now he will need an engineer just to get issued a permit.