How To Frame A Garage Door Header

In all but the most bizarre situations they ll easily carry the weight for 4 ft.

How to frame a garage door header. Most door frames that are 4 feet wide or less require a 2 by 6 header. When in doubt build a double 2 12 header sandwich like we explain next. Attach lumber to the face of the garage wall to the edge of the garage door header 7. In an attempt to construct portal frames some garages are built with one continuous garage header extending over two or three garage door openings as.

I suggest you go through the entire article at least once before you start. Measure the width of your door frame. Frame the rough opening for the garage door to 3 inches wider than the garage door you have selected. I ll explain the process more extensively as we proceed.

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. A portal frame is defined as two uprights connected at the top by a third horizontal member the header. When in doubt use 2 by 12 inch headers. Cut a 2 x 6 piece of lumber and nail to the face of wall exactly in the center of the garage header.

Cut four 2 x 4 trimmers to this length and nail two each to either side of the rough opening. 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. Install the header jambs and center pad of the frame using a 2 x 6 lumber for the header jambs and center pad leave at least 5 of space on the sides of the door. Measure the distance from the bottom plate of the wall to a point that is 1 1 2 inches higher that the garage door height.

Header the header is ideally a minimum 12 wide micro laminated beam that spans the width of the garage door opening. Between 4 and 5 feet the header should be built 2 inches wide and 8 inches long while a larger opening needs a header that is 2 by 12. The procedure for constructing a header for 6 inch exterior wall framing can be modified for any wall thickness. 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.