Framing A Garage Door Header

Nail or screw 2 x 6 jambs to the framing on the top first and then the sides of the rough opening.

Framing a garage door header. The pale yellowish look of pine also gives it an extra edge and something to consider. The king studs nailed into the end of each header and the trimmers that butt just under the header combine to create a sturdy vertical support column. Header the header is ideally a minimum 12 wide micro laminated beam that spans the width of the garage door opening. Install the header on top of the trimmers and nail.

The procedure for constructing a header for 6 inch exterior wall framing can be modified for any wall thickness. The beam they have specified now is 3 1 2 x 12 x 18 9. Woodworkers prefer it because they are lightweight effortless to cut stain and hit a nail into. 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.

Cut the header from 2 x 12 lumber and to a length of the rough opening plus 6 inches. The person doing the takeoff had interpreted my request for an 18 9 garage door header to the least expensive 20 long beam. The irc details related to the header are often misunderstood and misapplied leading to an installation with unintended structural consequences. Portal frames are one of the bracing techniques specified utilizing the garage door header as a component.

They are also rot resistant which means it will take decades to breakdown. Pine is an excellent choice for a garage door frame. Cut a 2 x 6 piece of lumber and nail to the face of wall exactly in the center of the garage header. 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.

On previous projects i have been supplied a glu lam boise makes specifically for garage door headers that was 3 1 2 x 11 1 4 x 18 9.