How To Build A Strong Header For Garage Door

The procedure for constructing a header for 6 inch exterior wall framing can be modified for any wall thickness.

How to build a strong header for garage door. Cut a 2 x 6 piece of lumber and nail to the face of wall exactly in the center of the garage header. Header the header is ideally a minimum 12 wide micro laminated beam that spans the width of the garage door opening. Cut the door header. This is the actual thickness of a 2x4.

Calculating header size is no picnic as you learn how to. Four to 6 in. Wide a common patio door width. Attach lumber to the face of the garage wall to the edge of the garage door header.

Wood garage door framing sheathing and wood siding need to be 6 in. From the final grade vinyl siding can be touching the ground and fiber cement can be within 2 in. In an attempt to construct portal frames some garages are built with one continuous garage header extending over two or three garage door openings as shown in figure a. In the case of 2x4 framing where the wall is about 3 5 thick the pair of headers will be around 3 3 25 thick and a spacer can be omitted if you are lazy.

Header requirement 2 at minimum the header should be 12 wide with doubled 2 4 at opening and ceiling running the width of the door with a 2 4 in the center of the opening for the center bracket to attach to. Wide window and door openings and in most situations be code compliant for openings up to 6 ft. Of base material laid down and compacted. Building a structural header for a garage door opening can be handled on the jobsite and will offer the same structural support as more expensive solid wood beams.

You will need to add 1 2 of plywood between the 2x4 s to get the right wall thickness of 3 1 2. In all but the most bizarre situations they ll easily carry the weight for 4 ft. Last pull a measurement from the top of the 2 x 6 piece of lumber that you just installed to the ceiling of the garage. Portal frame details within the irc specify simple span headers with a maximum finished opening width of 18.

Concrete with a 4 000 psi mixture. When in doubt build a double 2 12 header sandwich like we explain next.