Monks Chambers

[Nemesis]

I think this belongs to Chris who used to post here:

http://www.skipoles.co.uk/monkschambers/introduction.html


Rescued I recall from the worst sort of 'modernisation'.

 

[MdB]

The site hasn't been updated for a while but a very interesting read.

I didn't realise that houses uses to be built without a ridge beam. Seems a strange sort of construction.

 

[Penners]

I didn't realise that houses uses to be built without a ridge beam. Seems a strange sort of construction.

Our first fixer-upper (referred to in another thread) had no ridge beam. Each pair of rafters was pegged together at the apex. No sarking felt either. You could see thousands of pinpoints of light between the pegtiles, but not a drop of water came in.

 

[chuckey]

Ridge beams are a waste of materials. The problem is that with the chamfered end of the rafters there is still no way of securely fixing them to the the ridge beam, other then having a metal strap right over the ridge beam and screwing it into the top surface of the beam. And in this case the rafters are effectively sitting on the beam. So if you insist on using a ridge beam, nail struts across each pair of rafters, and allow them to sit on your new "ridge beam". Ridge beams would keep the opposing walls apart apart but for the fact that they only sit on one or two blocks or bricks. They do offer lateral support to the rafters, i.e. they stop the building bending in the horizontal axis (?), traditionaly the walls have been good at this. They are very good for lining up the roof at build time!
Frank

 

[Moo]

I'm pretty certain that our front attic bedrooms have that sort of construction.

I'll have a really good look when I go to bed.

 

[biffvernon]

I've a barn like that.

But the tie beams have come detached, the rafters are pushing the walls apart and I think it's all about to fall down. I've put a few vertical timbers in from floor to purlin to take some of the load until I get round to more permanent repairs.

 

[Moo]

I had a good look at our attic ceilings last night, and they are made in exactly the same way - with lots of pegs holding it all together.

By the way - does this give a clue as to the date of the building?

 

[Moo]

By the way - does this give a clue as to the date of the building?

I'd really like to know!

 

[Penners]

Moo - I'm nothing like an expert in this, but I reckon it's probably not much help in dating. A ridge without a beam is probably a technique that has spanned many centuries.

Of course, I may be talking through my astragal.

 

[MdB]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astragal for those like me that didn't know.

 

[Penners]

Wikipedia completely misses one of the additional uses of that word. It's an impolite monosyllable, moderated by the addition of a bisyllabic suffix.

 

[worms]

It's an impolite monosyllable, moderated by the addition of a bisyllabic suffix.

...or as a monosyllabic noun with a bisyllabic adjectival prefix it could be an impolite term for a female space traveller...

 

[Penners]

Nice one, worms.