Support for ceiling joists

The ceiling joists, which span from wall-plate to wall-plate, were often of smaller section than rafters. To prevent them sagging in the middle, if no intermediate support was available in the form of internal loadbearing walls, some alternative form of support was required. The most common solution, in all types of traditional roofs, was to secure the ceiling joists to a horizontal member, called a binder. The binder itself was often supported by using a hanger, attached to the ridge or sometimes to the side of a rafter. An alternative was to use joists of increased depth, but this was usually a more expensive solution.