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Ridge Beams

A structural wood member used at the ridge of a roof to support the ends of I-joists and transfer roof loads to supports.

LVL Ridge Beam

Laminated veneer lumber -is an engineered wood product created by layering dried and graded wood veneers with waterproof adhesive into blocks of material known as billets. Cured in a heated press, LVL is typically available in various thicknesses and widths and is easily worked in the field using conventional construction tools. LVL is also known as structural composite lumber (SCL).
I-joist cathedral ceiling

I-joist roof rafters, supported in metal hangers, frame into an LVL ridge beam. The ridge metal-joists are supported in metal hangers.

I-joist rafter

A laminated veneer lumber (LVL) ridge beam is used to support I-joist roof rafters.

Cathedral Roof Lumber Framing

Cathedral ceilings are increasingly common in new home construction. A combination of I-joists, LVL ridge beam and steel columns are used to carry roof loads to the foundation.

LVL examples

Laminated veneer lumber is available in a variety of widths and depths, generally to match I-joist depths.

PSL Ridge

BeamParallel strand lumber (PSL) -is a high strength structural composite lumber product manufactured by gluing strands of wood together under pressure. It is a proprietary product marketed under the trade name ParaIlam®.

Paralam cross-section

Parallel strand lumber (PSL) supports an I-joist floor assembly sheathed with OSB.

PSL

Parallel strand lumber has voids resulting from the random lay-up of strands. The voids make it possible to treat PSL with preservatives.

PSL Ridge Beam

An I-joist roof rafter is attached to a parallel strand ridge beam using a metal hanger and strap.

Glulam Ridge Beam

Glulam is a stress-rated engineered wood product comprised of wood laminations, or “lams,” that are bonded together with strong, waterproof adhesives. Glulam components can be a variety of species, and individual “lams” are typically two inches or less in thickness. ANSI/AITC A190.1 includes requirements for sizes, grade combinations, adhesives, inspection, testing, and certification of structural glued laminated timber products.

GluLam

Glulam.