A concrete ring beam runs horizontally around your house at the top of the external walls for the entire perimeter of the structure. Historically, you would find them included with the reconstruction of stone-wall cottages to regularise the top of uneven rubble-based walls and to stabilise that structure to better resist roof loads. Is discovering a concrete ring beam bad news for homeowners in Galway and Mayo? In short – no. It ties your walls together; it distributes roof loads and when executed well it prevents structural cracking.