**A top stool — in Dutch dekstoel — is a short timber structure built on top of the top beam of a bent that supports the upper part of a roof, a loft floor or a ridge beam.** It is mostly found in traditional Dutch and Northwest German roof structures and gives the upper level of a hall-house or warehouse extra load-bearing capacity.
Function
The top stool sits as an intermediate structure between the top beam (dekbalk) and the roof framing. It receives loads from the purlins or the ridge beam and transfers them through the top beam into the posts of the bent. This prevents long purlins or ridge beams from sagging between widely spaced supports.
Construction
A top stool typically consists of:
- Two short posts — standing vertically on the top beam
- A brace — a diagonal strut for stiffness
- A short top piece or cap plate — on which the purlins rest
It can also take the form of a small A-frame, with two struts meeting at the ridge. In monumental buildings the top stool was often richly decorated.
Difference from a roof truss / dakstoel
In Dutch the dakstoel is the overall roof structure (rafters and purlins). The dekstoel is one specific part of it — the section sitting on the bent and supporting the purlins.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Roof structure (dakstoel) | Complete system of trusses and purlins |
| Top stool (dekstoel) | Intermediate stool on the top beam |
| Sham roof (schijnkap) | Non-loadbearing decorative roof |
Application
Top stools are found in:
- Hall-house barns in the east and north-east of the Netherlands
- Barns and stables from the 18th and 19th centuries
- Urban warehouses in historic city centres
- Restoration projects where the original roof structure is reinstated
Related terms
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