The ridge as an integral part of the roof structure plays an important role as a strength element, facilitating the performance of technical operations at the installation stage. It bears a high responsibility as a carrier segment, but its functions do not end there. For example, what is a skate in a private house? It is also an element of the uppermost part of the roof deck, which can bring decorative effects to the overall appearance of the building. In both cases, the implementation of the skate may be different depending on its technical parameters and additional design requirements.
Appointment of the skate
The need to use a ridge or ridge profile is due to the structural structure of gable roofs. Any roof of this type is formed as a result of the convergence of two planes on the same tie line. To understand what a ridge is in construction, one must proceed from this task of arranging the junction of two roof segments. If it is not designed properly, then the interior will be flooded with rain and blown with winds. Does it mean that,that in the construction of flat roofs this element is absent by definition? Formally, this is so - moreover, the skate in its classical view will not be found in some types of pitched roofs, including domed, hipped and bulbous. Another thing is that there are many subspecies of ridge elements that perform approximately similar tasks of external protection of roof joints. These can be various strips, elongated tiles and crimp segments. In each case, one key task is set - to ensure the possibility of a reliable structural connection of two roof layers. But in the classical scheme, the role of the ridge increases, since not only roofing decks converge, but also the crate of the truss system, which increases the responsibility of the element.
Types of skate designs
Even if we take an ordinary gable roof, then there will be many options for its structural implementation - depending on the type of truss system, the implementation of the roofing, the connection elements used, etc. Accordingly, the design options for the ridge itself also differ. The most popular types include the following:
- Straight. The simplest device that is used in most ordinary roofs of country houses. What is a straight skate? In essence, these are two planks that form a triangular profile. They are applied to the junction of two slopes and fixed with fixing material.
- Semicircular. By and large, an analogue of a straight skate, however, in this case, not a triangle, but a semicircle is superimposed. From point of viewoperational effect, this solution may be more justified, as it allows joining slopes with problematic edges and almost always the ridge itself is monolithic, which eliminates additional sealing operations.
- Mortise. A modern solution, a feature of which is the possibility of convenient and reliable integration of the ridge into the roofing structure due to special grooves. But mortise models have a limitation - they are additional elements in relation to certain roof structures. As a rule, manufacturers attach them to a metal roof, maintaining one size format.
Material of production
Previously, skates were made on the basis of asbestos concrete, which, if properly processed, could withstand negative external influences and at the same time retain a sufficient degree of structural reliability. Today, for this function, more technological and functional materials are used, such as metal tiles, profiled sheets and composite tiles. To understand how the selection is carried out according to the type of material, it is worth remembering what a skate is? The definition can be as follows: a structural element that closes the joint of roofing from different sides of the slopes. That is, it is best to use the material of the coating itself. For a metal roof, the best choice would be a thin-leaf ridge with a polymer coating, which practically does not put a load on the truss system, but fully protects against negative climatic phenomena. As for morecomplex coatings like ondulin, slate and tiles, then in this case it is better to use hard and dense skates made of metal tiles, which will organically enter the overall roof complex along with its truss system.
Ridge in seam roofs
The peculiarity of the use of ridge profiles in roofs with folded roofs lies in the specific connection system of the docking unit. The two sides of the slope are fastened in the seam line, forming a sealed joint. Structurally, they practically do not need additional protection from the side of the ridge, however, sealing of the gap is required. For this, an external overlay is used, but its peculiarity is rather expressed in the integration system. It is the mortise-type ridge that is used, the design of which allows for integration into the seam bow assembly. The complexity of this method, from the point of view of technical implementation, lies in the fact that the reduction of roof slopes and the installation of the ridge must be carried out in one technological process.
What is a skate in a hut?
As a structural element, the ridge in traditional Russian huts performed the same function of a transitional joining part in relation to the junction of two slopes. However, its decorative load was much higher. Almost always it was and remains a unique design element with author's carvings, which acted as a decoration of the facade. And again it is worth returning to the question of what is a roof ridge? The photo of the hut presented below makes it possible to understand that in the roofing system the ridge acts as the mosttop element. And then its significance as a symbolic detail is manifested. So, according to Slavic mythology, the horse's head protected from evil spirits. Moreover, sometimes real fragments of the skull or teeth of a dead horse were built into the structure, which added “protective” power to the device.
How to make a skate at home?
When building roofs using a simplified technology using wooden crates and galvanized iron sheets, you can limit yourself to using a homemade ridge. What is a homemade ridge profile? This is either a wooden corner structure of two planks fixed along the edges in an angular shape, or a metal sheet bent to the same shape. In the first case, it will be important to take care of the tightness of the joint under the ridge by laying a vapor barrier substrate, and in the second case, to ensure the necessary rigidity of the long sheet along the entire joint line, using metal brackets and clamps with transverse intercepts and indents of 1-1.5 m.
How to determine the height of the skate?
The dimensions of the ridge and the features of its design are determined at the design stage of the roof and its truss system. The height is a defining and fixed value, which directly depends on the slope angle. The technical standards provide a calculation formula by which, through a special coefficient, you can determine the ridge on the roof of the house. What is the design coefficient in relation to the ridge bar? This is the figure by which the width of the house along the slopes is multiplied. The value of the coefficient, in itsturn will depend on the angle - for example, a 10-degree slope corresponds to a coefficient of 0.17, and a 50-degree slope to 1.22.
Preparation for mounting the ridge
Mounting the ridge is the final stage of roof construction. By this time, the truss system with load-bearing beams and support posts should be ready. In some designs on the crate of the rafters, additional fastening equipment for the roof ridge is also provided. What is a mounting crate under a ridge? These are bars fixed on the central beam, which acts as the basis for fixing the slopes on two sides. The fastening of the ridge itself according to the lining scheme will be carried out just in time for the built-in bars on this beam. It would also be useful to provide devices for lifting mounting materials to the roof - a ladder structure or a winch, when it comes to massive and heavy elements.
Additional elements for the skate
The highest point of the roof and the house as a whole is a very attractive place for arranging engineering and communication systems. For example, we can talk about a chimney, a ventilation pipe, deflectors and lightning rods. The base of the ridge itself does not in any way relate to the functional parts of these devices, but only ensures their free exit through special devices, as shown in the photo below. What is a skate with its own additional elements? In this case, structural details and materials are used that make the ridge device itself more functional. These can be components, ventilationfastener tape, sealants, insulators and aero elements.
Installation works
The installation technique depends on the design of the roof deck and ridge. The usual method of fastening comes down to fixing the planks on both sides to the crate or special stiffeners. The fastening itself can be carried out either by means of self-tapping screws, or with the help of construction adhesive-sealant. For the correct choice of fixation method, one must remember what a skate is, in terms of its technical tasks. Nevertheless, this is not just an element of sealing and external protection, but a structural docking unit that performs the important task of holding two edges under itself from the slopes. Therefore, it would be the best solution to combine the technology of hard fastening on the sides with hardware and the processing of joints with a sealant.
Conclusion
There are a huge variety of approaches to the implementation of the upper part of a pitched roof, the choice among which is determined by both the characteristics of the structure and the conditions of its operation. For example, what is the ridge of a house with a conventional gable roof based on a wooden truss system? On the one hand, it can be a simple metal pad with a waterproofing underlay and reinforcing clamps. On the other hand, building engineers are paying more and more attention to specialized structures that are specifically matched to certain roofs. Both the roofing sheets and the ridge in this system will have elements corresponding to each otherfastenings while maintaining the possibility of arranging technological ventilation.
