Wht Size Door Or Window Header

Therefore the header would need to be made from doubled 2x6s.

Wht size door or window header.

Window door garage door headers supporting roof loads only. If you are putting in an opening between 4 and 5 feet wide then you ll need two 2 by 8 headers. In the top picture above the door opening is 5. It went like this.

Ask your local building code official to help you calculate header size. Between 4 and 5 feet the header should be built 2 inches wide and 8 inches long while a larger opening needs a header that is 2 by 12. Measure the width of your door frame. When in doubt use 2 by 12 inch headers.

When i started framing houses in the late 1970s the standard header for almost any size window and door opening was a double 2 12 with a 1 2 in. Tables providing size selections for various beam spans and loading combinations for southern pine dimension lumber and southern pine glued laminated timber are available for the following applications. It s usually not in their job description but the nice ones will help you out. For load bearing walls you will need to use a 4 by board for the header or two 2 by boards on either side of a piece of 1 2 inch plywood.

For odd numbers round up. Window door garage door headers supporting roof wall floor loads. So the header is constructed of two 2x6 s with a 1 2 osb or plywood spacer. Measure the span in feet and add 2 to that number.

If the opening will be 5 to 6 feet wide such as for double doors then you will need two 2 by 10 headers. Most door frames that are 4 feet wide or less require a 2 by 6 header. If you are creating an opening no wider than 4 feet for a door or smaller window then you need a 2 by 6 header. Plywood spacer to bring the header flush with the stud edges in a 2 4 wall.

The length of a header can be measured from the size of the rough opening for the window plus the width of the trimmer studs sometimes called jack studs. These three header components when assembled and nailed together will be exactly 3 5 wide. For example if the span is 4 feet add 2 to 4 for a sum of 6. When in doubt build a double 2 12 header sandwich like we explain next.