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| Rafter with structural ridge |
Rafter: The second type of beam in our Word of the Week series (purlin was the first,) a rafter is a beam used on a sloped roof that runs up and down the slope (from eave to ridge.) Normal rafters are fully supported at both ends (by walls or other beams.) If a building does not have a structural ridge beam, then pairs of rafters need to be "tied" with a horizontal member to keep their lower supports from spreading.
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| Tied rafters |