Garage Door Header Construction

That means you will place wall studs every 16 inches.

Garage door header construction.

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. This is a typical spacing for most residential construction. Last pull a measurement from the top of the 2 x 6 piece of lumber that you just installed to the ceiling of the garage. Header the header is ideally a minimum 12 wide micro laminated beam that spans the width of the garage door opening.

Place your door openings where you want them and layout the correct rough opening size. Local and national building codes have specific structural requirements pertaining to beam sizes to span specific wall openings relative to the wall loads so consult your local building department before beginning this. This beam is suitable for garages with a second floor above. The width of the rough opening should be 3 inches greater than the width of the garage door you are purchasing.

These fabricated wood products can span longer distances and carry greater loads. For instance if the width of the garage door is 8ft the rough opening should be 8ft 3 inches wide. If it s 9ft the opening must be 9ft 3 inches and so on. 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.

Attach lumber to the face of the garage wall to the edge of the garage door header. The procedure for constructing a header for 6 inch exterior wall framing can be modified for any wall thickness. Cut a 2 x 6 piece of lumber and nail to the face of wall exactly in the center of the garage header. Layout the bottom plate and one of the top plates at 16 on center.

You get the picture. Big headers for big openings garage doors and other large openings require headers too beefy to be made from standard lumber.