kingposts

Central roof supports

A kingpost is the central vertical beam in a roof truss, running from the apex down to the tie beam below.

It supports the ridge and transfers weight to the horizontal beam.

The plural kingposts refers to multiple such supports, whether in a single large structure or across several buildings: The barn's kingposts were hand-hewn from local oak.

structural

truss

Load-bearing beam arrangement

  • raftersSloped roof beams
  • roofBuilding's protective top
  • beamStructural support member

joist · span · ridge · purlin · framework · load-bearing · girder · strut · triangulation · compression

timber

oak

Quercus genus member

  • pineCone-bearing evergreen
  • cedarDurable, fragrant conifer
  • hardwoodDense deciduous timber

softwood · lumber · beams · carpentry · woodgrain · joints · mortise · tenon · hewn · squared

nautical

mast

Vessel's sail support

deck · vessel · hull · boom · sailing · yacht · ship · bowsprit · centerline · keelson

Opposites
structural orientation

kingpostspurlins

Horizontal roof framing members

joists · girders · lintels · headers · rafters

truss type/configuration

kingpostsstruts

Walks with swagger

Family

kingpost

Familiarity
Top 1,000,000
Profile
Used worldwide · Timeless · Concrete · Rated G