Garage Door Header Framing

The width of the lumber should be between 6 and 8.

Garage door header framing.

Frame the rough opening to a height that is 1 5 taller than the door that you have selected. Frame the rough opening to 3 inches wider than the garage door size you have selected. 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. Framing nails are highly recommended.

Interior and exterior doors are framed basically the same way but interior doors are. The procedure for constructing a header for 6 inch exterior wall framing can be modified for any wall thickness. The first thing to know when framing and building walls is that you will need a bottom plate and two top plates to attach the wall studs to. Framing for a non load bearing door header.

If you are installing a 9 wide door the opening will be 9 3 wide. Header the header is ideally a minimum 12 wide micro laminated beam that spans the width of the garage door opening. All doors are set into a frame an opening inside the wall. Ideally 2 x6 is the most used header 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. If the door is 7 tall frame the opening 7 1 5. Layout the bottom plate and one of the top plates at 16 on center. If you go with a raised panel door it is even more noticeable if there s any sag.

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. Code requires a double top plate for load bearing walls.