Header

[redhead2]

When you install header for garage doors, (7' h x 9' w) is header placed between post, or is header placed on outside, and inside of posts?

 

[The Cobbler]

king stud(s) from base to the top plate, header nailed between that then jack stud(s) beneath the header to the base plate

 

[Doug B]

like this

 

[T_R]

2 jack studs under the header, 1 kind stud outside the header. 1/2" plywood is used as a spacer between the 2x12s that make up the header.

 

[Cyberbear]

Where I'm located, a 4x10" solid one piece DF construction header would be appropriate for a 9' span, better to over build than under. Also read once that a single beam/header is stronger than two 2xs spiked together, although it is done often. When in college, our Building Practices instructor said the building code was designed for 300% of what was actually needed, this due to the lack of skill by those w/o out proper building experience.

 

[David C]

If this guy actually said this

the building code was designed for 300% of what was actually needed,

He is seriously in error and irresponsible as well.

 

[bczygan]

Size and material for header is entirely dependent upon loads it must support and span of opening.

Same for columns supporting the header.

 

[kbs2244]

I like to put the header up snug against the top plate and have the false wall hang down under it.
That way if you ever want a higher door it is a whole lot easier.

 

[nehog]

If this guy actually said this

the building code was designed for 300% of what was actually needed,

He is seriously in error and irresponsible as well.

It may have been some time ago, and it may have been true at that time.

 

[atthebeach]

I like to put the header up snug against the top plate and have the false wall hang down under it.
That way if you ever want a higher door it is a whole lot easier.

My house was built that way unfortunately. My 16' wide garage door opening is now sagging about 1/2" in the center. I have several wide sliding glass doors where the stud placement limits where drapes can be hung. A real pita. I wish my house wasn't built that way.

 

[David C]

It may have been some time ago, and it may have been true at that time.

This was never true

the building code was designed for 300% of what was actually needed,

It was his opinion based upon prejudice and ignorance and saying something like that to a classroom of students, who will find their way into the trades, is completely irresponsible.

This is completely true:
Size and material for header is entirely dependent upon loads it must support and span of opening.

Same for columns supporting the header.

Additionally the elevation detail of the header installation does not provide out of plane wind loading support to the header to king stud connection.

I don't see how anyone can say something like this:

4x10" solid one piece DF construction header would be appropriate for a 9' span

What if there is 4 stories of floor loading and a roof load on this 4x10 header.

I know you guys mean well but advice like (some of the above) could cause someones structure to fail resulting in serious damage to the building or injury to an occupant.

It does remind me of when I first started out. My boss was asked to inspect an owner built residence in which one of the headers was failing even though the building was not yet completed. The owner builder kept repeating, "but this is a 6x12" , and "how could a 6x12 fail?" A 6x12 was as large a beam as this guy could imagine and as such had unlimited capacity.

 

[dlcwent]

like this

This is what I've always known to be true. But I'm not a carpenter, or an engineer.

 

[JIMBETHYNAME2]

It may have been some time ago, and it may have been true at that time.

This was never true

the building code was designed for 300% of what was actually needed,

It was his opinion based upon prejudice and ignorance and saying something like that to a classroom of students, who will find their way into the trades, is completely irresponsible.

This is completely true:
Size and material for header is entirely dependent upon loads it must support and span of opening.

Same for columns supporting the header.

Additionally the elevation detail of the header installation does not provide out of plane wind loading support to the header to king stud connection.

I don't see how anyone can say something like this:

4x10" solid one piece DF construction header would be appropriate for a 9' span

What if there is 4 stories of floor loading and a roof load on this 4x10 header.

I know you guys mean well but advice like (some of the above) could cause someones structure to fail resulting in serious damage to the building or injury to an occupant.

It does remind me of when I first started out. My boss was asked to inspect an owner built residence in which one of the headers was failing even though the building was not yet completed. The owner builder kept repeating, "but this is a 6x12" , and "how could a 6x12 fail?" A 6x12 was as large a beam as this guy could imagine and as such had unlimited capacity.

This guy knows what he's talking about. An architect or structural engineer is your best friend in situations like this.

 

[bczygan]

There are two dangers in designing beams.

The first is using rule of thumb or standard practice or an anecdotal example.

This is because there may be other contributing factors that need to be taken into account.

Here is an example. A header in the gable end wall for a particular span may need to be a certain size. But what happens if the ridge is a ridge beam rather than a ridge board? The load can increase dramatically.

The other gottcha is using span tables. They are great in the right hands. In addition to the contributing factors that need looking for, you need to decide on allowable deflection, species or strength of the material, and things like wind loads and earthquake resistance and deal with shear walls in some cases. And this isn't everything.

One other thing a good qualified professional will provide. That is the most appropriate and economical solution for your situation. He (Or she) will question you about your needs and design structure to fit those needs. They will sometimes point out things you never thought of considering, like a guy who is building a pole barn, but later intends to hang things from the trusses, or will want a finished ceiling. The pro will find out your potential uses and help you make decisions to accommodate them. The value of a pro is in all these things and more.

Bill

 

[bczygan]

One more thing.

The post that suggested placing the header at the top of the wall, to allow for future taller doors, was a good one, except for one thing. The portion of wall below the header is a load, and the bottom member of this wall is a header or beam. This member needs to be sized to support this portion of wall. Either that, or that portion of wall must be securely fastened to the header beam above it, so it can hang from it, and it's load added to the headers load calcs. And it is even more important if the doors are fastened to this area.

Bill

 

[Wherem I Now]

Mine was just set earlier today. Two LVL boards stacked together for the header with jack studs and a two foot wall between the two doors. The wall to establish the door height was built as an assembly and put below the LVL header then supported with its own jack studs.