Header for 9x7 Garage Doors

[johnharris]

Trying to determine what size headers to use for two 9x7 garage doors. Should I sandwich 10' long 2x12s or will 2x10s be enough? They'll be glued with plenty of nails and 1/2" plywood in the middle. Cannot get 2x10s nor 2x12s in spruce so I'll have to use SYP #2. Given the weight of the SYP I'll put 3 jack stands on both ends.

 

[cvairwerks]

Header design also need to take into account what’s above it. 2nd floor? Tile roof? or????

 

[johnharris]

28' trusses will be on the top boards above the headers. The wall studs and the top & bottom boards are all 2x4s.

 

[The Tool Tyrant]

Are the trusses parallel (non- bearing) or perpendicular (bearing)? Roof pitch? Snow load?

 

[billconner]

So doors in eave wall, 28' roof trusses bearing on header. What is snow load or what do truss drawings show as reaction on bearing?

 

[johnharris]

The trusses are in bearing (perpendicular) with the garage doors. Roof pitch is 7/12. No more than 4" of snow falls within 24 hours and melts within 1 day down here in southern TN.

I'll have to call the truss manufacturer to get the bearing load. I predict they are building then in accordance to the load down here.

 

[cvairwerks]

7/12 is a pretty tall pitch. For me, I'd go with the 2x12's. Probably overkill if you ran the numbers, but I'm quite conservative on the structural side of things.

 

[Walkers]

. Given the weight of the SYP I'll put 3 jack stands on both ends.

well don’t use Harbor Freight jack stands. It would **** to get your garage all done and have to rip out the doors because of a jack stand recall.

 

[The Tool Tyrant]

I'd go with a 3-1/2" X 11-7/8" parallam since it's a bearing header. Your dbl. 2x10's would suffice if it were non-bearing.

 

[adsinnott1]

Why not 2 LVLs screwed, with structural/ framing screws, and glued together?

This is what I did for my 9x7 door. Menards had the 14" LVLs in the store after I ordered them within 2 days.

 

[johnharris]

well don’t use Harbor Freight jack stands. It would **** to get your garage all done and have to rip out the doors because of a jack stand recall.

They are actually 2x4 jack studs I'll be using to load the headers.

 

[johnharris]

Being a 28 x 28 garage detached from the house the trusses can go either way. Front to back or left to right. Being only 5' from the house I wanted to match the house roof style which is front to back.

Should I go left to right to put the roof weight on walls that have no headers?

 

[Walkers]

They are actually 2x4 jack studs I'll be using to load the headers.

I know. This was called levity.

 

[mike93lx]

Being a 28 x 28 garage detached from the house the trusses can go either way. Front to back or left to right. Being only 5' from the house I wanted to match the house roof style which is front to back.

Should I go left to right to put the roof weight on walls that have no headers?

I'd go with the aesthetics-driven decision and engineer around it. It isn't super complicated, but you didn't share nearly enough info initially.

 

[The Tool Tyrant]

Being a 28 x 28 garage detached from the house the trusses can go either way. Front to back or left to right. Being only 5' from the house I wanted to match the house roof style which is front to back.

Should I go left to right to put the roof weight on walls that have no headers?

Are the footings sized the same on all four sides?
Is this project permitted?
With the trusses perpendicular, snow will dump in front of your doors.
If you want to match the house, then use the appropriate sized headers and go with it.

 

[johnharris]

Are the footings sized the same on all four sides?
Is this project permitted?
With the trusses perpendicular, snow will dump in front of your doors.
If you want to match the house, then use the appropriate sized headers and go with it.

The 16" deep footings are the same on all sides. They have 2 pieces of 1" rebar. Snow always melts of the roof then into the gutters.

 

[rcbk00]

If you can fit 2x12s, go with 2x12s. Headers and beams over large openings are one thing you should be generous with. Even if 2x10s might be "sufficient", what happens if you get a nasty crack in one (or both) of them as they dry out? Are they still "sufficient"? Go with 2x12s if you're working with off-the-shelf lumber, or LVLs if you don't mind the extra cost. Also, pick your own- a 2x12 that the local lumberyard throws in your truck might be fine for a floor joist, but might not be ideal for a large header. You don't want knots, checks, etc. This is one place where it's worth your time to go to Home Depot or Lowes and pick out some nice pieces of lumber. That's the upside of the big box stores- you can sort through the pile and pick out the perfect pieces. Whatever you wind up doing, good luck with your build.

 

[Innovate1]

Why not 2 LVLs screwed, with structural/ framing screws, and glued together?

This is what I did for my 9x7 door. Menards had the 14" LVLs in the store after I ordered them within 2 days.

What's the deal with the glue? It really doesn't add any to the load bearing capacity. It makes it a bit more rigid in the horizontal direction but not the vertical. All it does is make you feel like you improved it.

 

[johnharris]

I'll either use sandwiched 2x12s or LVL beams.

A local lumber yard does have LVL beams in stock. I checked them out a month ago when I was thinking of making my own rafters. That was due to the trusses cost $4,000 back then. I purchased them last week for $2,400 from the same manufacturer.

 

[mike93lx]

What's the deal with the glue? It really doesn't add any to the load bearing capacity. It makes it a bit more rigid in the horizontal direction but not the vertical. All it does is make you feel like you improved it.

An extra layer of safety for an amateur? If an area doesn't have enough fasteners, it has to add something, no?

Besides, a tube of construction adhesive isn't expensive.

 

[FMB4]

I agree that 2"x12" built up headers is the best way to go.

 

[56Mark]

I am in upper east TN. I have 3 garage doors that are on the eve side with 7/12 pitch and used LVL's. Worth the extra cost I think. Rare here to see more than a few inches of snow at a time. Only a handful of times I have been worried about snow sliding off and damaging gutters, so snow in front of garage doors here is not really an issue. Christmas day here can be zero, snowing, and windy, OR it can be 70 and sunny. Overall mild winters usually. If I built it up, I would go with 2x12's. http://www.southernpine.com/app/uploads/SS_1-6L.pdf

 

[adsinnott1]

What's the deal with the glue? It really doesn't add any to the load bearing capacity. It makes it a bit more rigid in the horizontal direction but not the vertical. All it does is make you feel like you improved it.

I guess why not… I tend to overbuild. Can’t hurt. Attached is a picture of my header for reference

I also attached a picture of my overbuilt header for my through the wall AC to add

 

[mike93lx]

I guess why not… I tend to overbuild. Can’t hurt. Attached is a picture of my header for reference

I also attached a picture of my overbuilt header for my through the wall AC to add

No garage door, but speakers are in. Nice!

 

[adsinnott1]

No garage door, but speakers are in. Nice!

Must have the tunes when working!

This door was actually a retrofit. There were french doors where it is. So the shop was somewhat setup and speakers in before I started on the door.

 

[billconner]

So I had the 2018 IRC open, and looked up table for Header Spans for Exterior Bearing Walls. They give spans for 24' and 36' buildings and you have to interpolate for 28'. Up front, many will say nuts, but look it up, read the notes, and see if you come up different. 3-2x12s is good for 10-1 span for 24' and 8-6 span for 36', so about 9-6 for 28', and 2 Jack studs. 4-2x10s is about the same, but just 1 Jack stud (but a wide one!)

FWIW, 2-2x12 in 28' building is a 7-8 max span.

Do what you wish, but I'd take plans to lumber hard and have them size an lvl.

Rotate roof and basically no header required, except for mounting overhead door.

 

[jkuro]

Use a steel flitch plate between your 2x12s instead of plywood. Also Hemlock or Doug fir would be better than Yellow Pine.

 

[mike93lx]

Use a steel flitch plate between your 2x12s instead of plywood. Also Hemlock or Doug fir would be better than Yellow Pine.

Curious, Where in the US do you find hemlock dimensional lumber?

I've only ever come across SPF or SYP. Fir has only been for appearance grade

 

[jkuro]

Any good lumberyard.

 

[johnharris]

The front wall will be last one installed. As stated earlier I'll either make it with 2x12s or get an LVL at local lumber yard. I'll talk with the owner of lumber yard tomorrow. Got the rear wall up with temp braces today.

 

[Jeff C]

Curious, Where in the US do you find hemlock dimensional lumber?

Around here it’s common to find 2x8, 2x10 and 2x12 in hemlock in lumber yards. It’s frequently shipped interchangeably with SPF. Wouldn’t think it’d be much different in VA.

 

[mike93lx]

Around here it’s common to find 2x8, 2x10 and 2x12 in hemlock in lumber yards. It’s frequently shipped interchangeably with SPF. Wouldn’t think it’d be much different in VA.

Interesting. Haven't been to any yard but the despot since moving here. I'll keep an eye out

 

[Glemon]

Code for my garage was triple 12"s. 9 x 7 door, 22' span. We get a little more snow than you guys. I installed 2 2 x 10', which I had seen on other similar set ups. Code guys said the had upped the standard a few years back.

 

[johnharris]

I decided to go with 2x12s. I sandwiched 1/2" plywood between two 10' long 2x12s. Used a good amount of construction glue and framing nails. I'll post pictures within the next day or two after they're mounted within the wall.

With the garage detached from the house the only code I need to follow here in the county is having the electrical lines 2' deep.

 

[billconner]

No permit required or does not have to be built to code? Usually buildings exempt from permits still are required by law to be built to code.

 

[johnharris]

No permit required and the only building code is the electrical lines trench needs to be 2'. If it was attached to house there would be more building codes.

A neighbor built an attached garage using fresh sawmill wood. A building code requires all wood in residential structures needs to be kiln dried so he was forced to take it down. Being detached I could of used non kiln dried lumber but didn't want to risk it warping.

 

[billconner]

Just for fun, this is typical code text:

[A] 105.2 Work Exempt From Permit:
Exemptions from permit requirements of this code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction. Permits shall not be required for the following:

Building:

1. One-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses, provided that the floor area is not greater than 120 square feet (11 m2).

2. Fences not over 7 feet (2134 mm) high.

3. Oil derricks.
.......

13. Nonfixed and movable fixtures, cases, racks, counters and partitions not over 5 feet 9 inches (1753 mm) in height.

 

[mike93lx]

Just for fun, this is typical code text:

[A] 105.2 Work Exempt From Permit:
Exemptions from permit requirements of this code shall not be deemed to grant authorization for any work to be done in any manner in violation of the provisions of this code or any other laws or ordinances of this jurisdiction. Permits shall not be required for the following:

Building:

1. One-story detached accessory structures used as tool and storage sheds, playhouses and similar uses, provided that the floor area is not greater than 120 square feet (11 m2).

2. Fences not over 7 feet (2134 mm) high.

3. Oil derricks.
.......

13. Nonfixed and movable fixtures, cases, racks, counters and partitions not over 5 feet 9 inches (1753 mm) in height.

My county allows up to 256 sq ft. Makes doing sheds so much easier.

Just still subject to setback requirements

 

[johnharris]

Got he headers mounted today. They fit good. The front wall is very solid.



Picking up wall sheathing this afternoon.

 

[jkuro]

Why didn't you sheath the wall before you raised it ?