Tips on putting-up the Main Beam inthe pole shed

tcreeley · Jun 15, 2011

If I read you right, you will have a laminate ridge pole resting on end poles to the ground. On top of the ridge pole you will run 2x8 rafters 16 OC. This is doable, but trusses provide rigidity that I don't see you replacing. It will be easy for the building to scissor side to side with the wind etc. You need y bracing on both sides to add the stiffness that a truss provides. You also need collar ties going across the width. Otherwise your ridge pole will simply sag under its own weight, especially without a center support. With out the collar ties your walls will bow out at the top as the roof sags - especially under a snow load!
Good luck!

PGBiodiesel · Jun 15, 2011

Agree with size difference from rafters to ridge board.
The steeper the slope of roof the smaller the rafter needed.
Just one or two posts supporting the ridge.

But you do need to tie the opposite posts together with a horizontal board or cable or the weight of everything will spread the walls eventually and the roof will drop, even with 6x6 posts.

Goodluck

Dave5264 · Jun 16, 2011

Guys, thanks so much for the tips and advice.

All the Posts are in and done, so I have more than I need for support, 6 on each of the long sides, 6 downthe center, and each short end has 5

I will build the ridegebeam in place.

I had planned collar ties for sure as well as boards spanning the width to tie the outside walls to the center to stop spreading.

I also have X Y Z bracing on the plans too for rigidity and anti scissoring. the Walls will have Diagonal Bracing (I call it "Z" bracing), the Gable ends will be "Y" Braced (That Post and Beam Style), and each corner (where the 6x6 post meets a Beam on the perimiter or the center, will have a 45 dgree corner brace/yoke.

We get lots of Wind and Lots of Snow, so Id rather over build it.

What I didn't know was to use 2x6 rafters if I was using 2x8 ridge beam. -ll call my Building inspector today and get the OK to change that on my plans/drawings.

Thanks again....pics to follow

tcreeley · Jun 17, 2011

Most pole building books have tables in them that let you calculate snow load and rafter and ridge beam size. I used 2x6 rafters with a metal roof on my barn, but the roof is steep. If your pitch is low, or you use asphalt roofing, the snow will stay up there. Then it rains, freezes, gets deeper etc and you have 2 ft of snow sitting up there waiting for a thaw. I would build for the worst. I like to overbuild, I never go wrong then. Find some tables and work out the rafter size. The span that the rafter goes without support makes a big difference.
Good luck.

DAY · Jun 17, 2011

Good advice from all- including me!
Snow loads in Ontario are a bigger problem than in Texas, but maybe tornadoes don't visit north of the border quite as often.
You mentioned the building inspector, so rest assured- as should we- that however you decide to build the structure, it will meet "code".

There is much yelling these days about "Gummint Interference" in our lives, rules and regulations keeping the economy from growing. I wonder how hard they will yell, when the neighbor's no-code house lands on theirs. . .

MillWeld · Jun 17, 2011

Years ago I needed to get a 30' util pole horizontal on top of two posts 20 feet apart and about 10 feet high. I lashed an 18 foot tall cedar post from dead trees to each vertical post with chains and cinched them tight. I attached a come-along to the top of each cedar and hoisted the 30 footer up til it rested on the 10 foot posts. It took longer to rig it all together than to hoist it up. The cedar posts were very secure because I lashed each with 2 short chain lengths about 5 feet apart. I felt very safe doing it but of course I never got under the pole I was lifting.
Bob