Which ridge detail is described for bungalow construction?

• A. Ridge board across
• B. Ridge cap only
• C. Ridge beam across
• D. Butted together at the ridge (no ridge board)

Answer: (D)

In bungalow framing the way the peak of the roof is formed comes down to how the rafters meet at the ridge and where the load is carried. When two rafters are simply butted together at the ridge with no ridge board, the joint is created by the rafters themselves forming the ridge line. There’s no separate ridge beam to carry the roof load; the loads transfer directly down through the rafters to the walls. The top joint is then protected mainly by a ridge cap, which covers the seam but doesn’t provide structural support. This approach keeps construction simple and economical, which suits traditional bungalow building.

If there were a ridge board, the rafters would be aligned to that non-structural member, and with a ridge beam, the ridge would carry load like a small central backbone — both add complexity and material cost not typically used in basic bungalow roofs. A ridge cap-only detail isn’t a structural description of how the peak is formed, so it doesn’t explain the actual framing method.