Roof Rafter Collar Ties

A collar tie is a horizontal roof rafter compression connector that is located in the uppermost third of the span of a pair of opposed sloped or gable roof rafters.

Roof rafter collar ties.

A tension tie in the upper third of opposing gable rafters that is intended to resist rafter separation from the ridge because of wind or unbalanced roof loads. The collar ties are used to strengthen the roof rafters to prevent them from buckling or sagging under the weight of the roof. Collar ties are necessary to prevent separation of the roof at the ridge due to wind uplift. This is especially important if the home is in the northern climates where snow accumulates on roofs or if there are multiple layers of roofing materials.

Collar ties provide additional structural support for wood framed roofs that bear the weight of clay or concrete roofing tiles. Rafter ties resist the forces caused by gravity loads that would otherwise cause the roof to pancake and push out the sidewalls. Collar tie is a colloquial term for collar beam. Collar ties may take up space in the attic of your home but they are there for a reason.

A collar tie is a tension tie in the upper third of opposing gable rafters that is intended to resist rafter separation from the ridge beam during periods of unbalanced loads such as that caused by wind uplift or unbalanced roof loads from snow.