Header Size For French Doors

The right header size.

Header size for french doors.

Header size required to support the roof ceiling and one center bearing floor of a 28 ft. 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 clever way i used to build headers. Window door garage door headers supporting roof wall floor loads.

The header is supported on both ends by two shorter studs called trimmers or jack studs see illustration which are placed inside the king studs see image. Framing rough opening sizes are really quite simple. For example if you are installing the doors in an exterior bearing wall that is directly supporting the weight of the roof and possibly a second floor then double 2 x 10s. The opening for the new french doors requires a header that spans the opening and carries the weight of the rafters above it.

If you are putting in an opening between 4 and 5 feet wide then you ll need two 2 by 8 headers. Getting the rough opening size right the first time will save you from frustration when installing your doors. Without headers of the proper size your walls could fall in. The header thickness and height is the only real difference between standard and french door framing.

So if you re on the top floor you can use 2 2x4 s unless the building is 36 wide in which case you ll need 2 2x6 s. Tables providing size selections for various beam spans and loading combinations for southern pine dimension lumber and southern pine glued laminated timber are available for the following applications. Most door frames that are 4 feet wide or less require a 2 by 6 header. Just add 2 to the width of the actual door size.

Window headers support the roof and other structure above a window. Measure the width of your door frame. This will give you room to space the door frame off of the sub floor. Window door garage door headers supporting roof loads only.

If you have a floor above you ll need 2 2x6 s unless the building is 36 wide in which case you ll need 2 2x8 s. The international building code ibc dictates the sizes of headers to ensure that they. If you are creating an opening no wider than 4 feet for a door or smaller window then you need a 2 by 6 header. If the opening will be 5 to 6 feet wide such as for double doors then you will need two 2 by 10 headers.

For header spans see tables r502 5 1 and r502 5 2. If you choose a header that is too small its weakness could lead to a collapse. When in doubt use 2 by 12 inch headers. The header supports the framing above the opening and is also used for windows or any opening.