Ridge Beam

[woodwork1952]

I have an old home that wa built in the late 1840's. I have an attic space that i want to make into to a 1/2 bath, there is no ridge beam at all for the roof. My question is with out having to take down the whole roof and starting over can i cut boards and place them inbetween the ceiling rafters there are only 4 ceiling rafters in the room, then place new rafters ifor the roof 16" on center, please contact me at my email address,, woodwork1952@yahoo.com

[Joe Bartok]

Good question, and I think I answered a similar question incorrectly in a different post. :oops:
I've got to do a bit more research on this topic, and this is something that's probably best left to an engineer. My understanding is:
If what you are describing is a ridge board, structurally, it's not going to behave like a beam, it's just going to be pinched between the rafters.
Edited: You did say ridge beam, and I can't find the website on ridge beams I'm looking for.
Anyone with more experience have any comments?

[Don_P]

It sounds like what you are trying to get is a structural ridge, one that is capable of bearing the load of the rafters from it. What you are describing will not do that. Is there room to put a beam under the rafters and your "pressure blocking" :wink: in the ridge area?
How you carry the beam's roof load from there to the foundation also needs to be looked at.