The garage door header on my 20' x 22' attached garage is termite damaged on one end. The first 12" of the left side of this 4x12 header is totally chewed up. The 4x6 posts that the header is supported by on each side are going to be replaced. The walls of the garage are stucco with line wire, so basically there is the frame, then line wire, felt paper and then stucco right on top of that. If I have to remove the entire header it would be a lot of work because I would have to tear it away from the stucco, replace felt paper, screw into the new header through the stucco again and then stucco patch. I want to know if it's possible to cut out only the damaged part of the header (the first 18") and then somehow join it in to the rest of the header with some sort of metal plates etc.. ?
repairing termite damaged garage door header
- Thread starter azone
- Start date
rburke65
Well-known member
I have no idea, but you are probably going to need better pictures than what you have posted to invoke some responces.
D.J.
Well-known member
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Falcon67
Well-known member
I'm going to say "not really", especially if the load carried requires four 2x12s. You MIGHT be able to glue a pair of 2x12's to the back of the patch to stiffen the beam and extend out the support posts on the ends appropriately, but you'd (or an engineer) would have to figure out the load on the header and how it's distributed. You don't say how big/wide the door is, the span involved, etc.
We've had a LOT of termite damage around this place because of POs lack of maintenance and it's all a PITA to repair. Try door sills and perimeter plate under the back of a house backed up to a big concrete porch. Might even make Mike take a walk.
We've had a LOT of termite damage around this place because of POs lack of maintenance and it's all a PITA to repair. Try door sills and perimeter plate under the back of a house backed up to a big concrete porch. Might even make Mike take a walk.
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Torque1st
MEMBER EMERITUS
It looks like you will need to replace the entire header and frame. Just get it done.
neverenoughtools
Well-known member
I'd be inclined to replace that damaged wood with steel.
rsanter
Well-known member
first thought is no
you may be able to get away with replacing the top (chewed up portion) of the upright post if you can lag bolt them together such that they will not shift.
the beam across the opening needs to be replaced unless you can transfer the load somewhere else.
my dad had to change the beam over one of the garage doors because it cracked and was sagging. labor was under $1000 and they did not disturb the outside of the garage.
1 remove the garage door to get it out of the way
2 make a temporary wall to hold up the structure
3 use a sawsall with a long blade to get between the buildings face and the beam to separate the two.
4 remove the beam. some people think its easier to remove it in pieces, other try to take out the whole thing at once
5 remove the old support posts, put in new ones
6 install new beam
bob
you may be able to get away with replacing the top (chewed up portion) of the upright post if you can lag bolt them together such that they will not shift.
the beam across the opening needs to be replaced unless you can transfer the load somewhere else.
my dad had to change the beam over one of the garage doors because it cracked and was sagging. labor was under $1000 and they did not disturb the outside of the garage.
1 remove the garage door to get it out of the way
2 make a temporary wall to hold up the structure
3 use a sawsall with a long blade to get between the buildings face and the beam to separate the two.
4 remove the beam. some people think its easier to remove it in pieces, other try to take out the whole thing at once
5 remove the old support posts, put in new ones
6 install new beam
bob
djjsr
Well-known member
Splicing a header doesn't seem like a very good idea. Your house will be on "Holmes on Homes" someday.
I've attached a couple more pics of the header area. I've finished replacing all the bad wood except for the header and the supporting studs on each side of it.
Replacing the wood on the right side of the garage took a whole day because I had to build a temporary wall before replacing the supporting pieces. Now that I'm ready to go for the header I'm trying to figure out exactly where to jack the ceiling so that I can take it out. As you can see in the pics the ceiling joists run parallel to the garage door so I can't simply jack up under each joist like I did on the other wall. There's no way to jack up the ceiling right at the header (above it) because then I wouldn't be able to actually replace it and get the new beam in. Where exactly should I support the upper wall/ceiling while replacing the header?
Replacing the wood on the right side of the garage took a whole day because I had to build a temporary wall before replacing the supporting pieces. Now that I'm ready to go for the header I'm trying to figure out exactly where to jack the ceiling so that I can take it out. As you can see in the pics the ceiling joists run parallel to the garage door so I can't simply jack up under each joist like I did on the other wall. There's no way to jack up the ceiling right at the header (above it) because then I wouldn't be able to actually replace it and get the new beam in. Where exactly should I support the upper wall/ceiling while replacing the header?
Attachments
That header is so big because of the load it is carrying.
It is supporting the second story wall above it.
You need a way to support that wall while working on the header.
I would expect a temp wall inside and outside with bridging between them.
If the plate for the second floor is resting in the header, you are going to have to cut notches in the top of the header to get the bridges through.
When you have the wall supported, cut the header out and replace it with steel.
The steel will be smaller for the same strength.
You bring the steel up to the bottom of the bridges, slip in spacers on top of the steel and between the bridges to support the bottom plate of the wall.
Then you can pull out the bridges and remove your temp walls and seal the holes where the bridges were.
You might want to find a house moving contractor for this kind of bridging support.
They do it all the time and can have a good feel for what to use and how fast they have to work.
They have jacks to correct any sagging that may have happened also.
BTW
The stucco is the least of your worries.
It is supporting the second story wall above it.
You need a way to support that wall while working on the header.
I would expect a temp wall inside and outside with bridging between them.
If the plate for the second floor is resting in the header, you are going to have to cut notches in the top of the header to get the bridges through.
When you have the wall supported, cut the header out and replace it with steel.
The steel will be smaller for the same strength.
You bring the steel up to the bottom of the bridges, slip in spacers on top of the steel and between the bridges to support the bottom plate of the wall.
Then you can pull out the bridges and remove your temp walls and seal the holes where the bridges were.
You might want to find a house moving contractor for this kind of bridging support.
They do it all the time and can have a good feel for what to use and how fast they have to work.
They have jacks to correct any sagging that may have happened also.
BTW
The stucco is the least of your worries.
thanks for the response.
There's nothing above the garage, just the ceiling joists, then 1x6 pine and then the roofing, so the header is supporting itself and some of the load from the roof. The roof itself is flat with a 3-4 degree drop-off front-to-back for drainage.
I mentioned earlier in the thread it has been used as a deck for years though, and I'm considering upgrading the ceiling to support a permitted deck in the future.
There's nothing above the garage, just the ceiling joists, then 1x6 pine and then the roofing, so the header is supporting itself and some of the load from the roof. The roof itself is flat with a 3-4 degree drop-off front-to-back for drainage.
I mentioned earlier in the thread it has been used as a deck for years though, and I'm considering upgrading the ceiling to support a permitted deck in the future.
I have a 10x 8 that went into a brick wall as a support for two spans of roof. Center post and beam that ended in the back of the building. Mine was rotten out and not going to hold anything for long.
I supported the beam, and took a 3/4 in think steel plate as wide as the beam and about 30 inches long and attached it under the beam. I suspended the steel beyond the beam into the brick wall. (your post or wood wall)
I hung the plate underneath by attaching 3/8 x 2 inch wide straps welded to the back and 1 foot from the back of that that plate. They went up the side of the beam where I drilled 1 inch holes though the beam about 2 inches from the top. 1 inch threaded rods with through the beam.
The made it where the plate would have to bend, or the 1 inch bolts would have to rip through the entire beam to tear out the plate.
Add gusseting sides make it channel, or whatever. I didnt want to have to take this out of the back of my building and replace it. It would have been a NIGHTMARE to replace my beam. I would have had to have supported too much roof and other beams and the exterior walls might have been pushed from all the jacking around. This old brick structure just didnt need to treated that way.
That in the drawing works great.
I supported the beam, and took a 3/4 in think steel plate as wide as the beam and about 30 inches long and attached it under the beam. I suspended the steel beyond the beam into the brick wall. (your post or wood wall)
I hung the plate underneath by attaching 3/8 x 2 inch wide straps welded to the back and 1 foot from the back of that that plate. They went up the side of the beam where I drilled 1 inch holes though the beam about 2 inches from the top. 1 inch threaded rods with through the beam.
The made it where the plate would have to bend, or the 1 inch bolts would have to rip through the entire beam to tear out the plate.
Add gusseting sides make it channel, or whatever. I didnt want to have to take this out of the back of my building and replace it. It would have been a NIGHTMARE to replace my beam. I would have had to have supported too much roof and other beams and the exterior walls might have been pushed from all the jacking around. This old brick structure just didnt need to treated that way.
That in the drawing works great.
Teken
Well-known member
All I have to say is good luck!! I can't even imagine the hard work, sweat, and fustration you're going through.
That is probably the only saving grace in living in the great white north. No Fracking bugs like that !!!
Regards
EVIL Teken . . .
That is probably the only saving grace in living in the great white north. No Fracking bugs like that !!!
Regards
EVIL Teken . . .