Roof beams support a roof and can be made of wood, steel, aluminum, or composite materials. Steel is used in larger structures, while wood is cheaper but prone to damage. Composite beams are lightweight and less prone to damage but not designed for heavy loads.
A roof beam is generally a length of wood, steel or aluminum that supports a roof intended to keep rain, snow and other elements out of the house. A new type of beam from more traditional materials, a composite roof beam can be made from several different materials to make the beam lighter and stronger and less prone to rotting, warping or cracking. The type of roof beam used in a structure depends on the size and shape of the roof and the weight that the roof must support.
Most of the larger structures such as skyscrapers use steel for the construction of the roof beams. Steel can support significant amounts of weight and can carry a load over a large area, meaning a roof supported by steel beams can be much wider or longer than other types of roofs. Structures that use steel roof beam framing usually have flat roofs, but some smaller structures may have a peaked roof. Steel is cheaper than wood in most cases and can handle a load much better, but steel beams usually have to be cut off site and trucked to a location, whereas wooden beams can easily be cut into spot.
Wood roof rafter has been the material of choice throughout history because wood has been readily available and easy to cut for centuries. Wood has become more expensive over time and other materials are now cheaper. However, it is prone to warping, rotting, or cracking under load, meaning wood beams will need to be inspected and repaired more often than metal or composite beams.
On extremely small structures, composite roof beams may be used. Composite beams are made from more than one material, with one of the most common combinations being wood and plastic. A wood-plastic composite beam will be lightweight and less prone to rotting, warping, or mold growth, but such beams are not designed to take a significant amount of load. Wood-plastic composites are most commonly used in finished, non-load-bearing structures, especially outdoors in the backyard. They are also commonly used as flooring, as the material is structurally strong enough to bear weight when supported by stronger beam materials underneath.
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