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.

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

Wood garage door framing sheathing and wood siding need to be 6 in. In all but the most bizarre situations they ll easily carry the weight for 4 ft. 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. You will need to add 1 2 of plywood between the 2x4 s to get the right wall thickness of 3 1 2.

Portal frame details within the irc specify simple span headers with a maximum finished opening width of 18. Attach lumber to the face of the garage wall to the edge of the garage door header. Wide a common patio door width. Cut the door header.

Of base material laid down and compacted. This is the actual thickness of a 2x4. Wide window and door openings and in most situations be code compliant for openings up to 6 ft. Calculating header size is no picnic as you learn how to.

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. Four to 6 in. Concrete with a 4 000 psi mixture. The header is often made from a pair of 2x6 s cut to width and nailed together with a spacer in between to make the total header thickness the same as the wall.

When in doubt build a double 2 12 header sandwich like we explain next. To make the door header the top of the door frame cut two 2x4s to the same length as the width of the original opening and nail them securely together.