Header Size For French Doors

Most door frames that are 4 feet wide or less require a 2 by 6 header.

Header size for french doors.

Framing rough opening sizes are really quite simple. Measure the width of your door frame. If you are putting in an opening between 4 and 5 feet wide then you ll need two 2 by 8 headers. You should add 2 1 2 to the height of the actual door.

My first job as a carpenter s helper was to construct headers for the tract houses we were building. 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 header thickness and height is the only real difference between standard and french door framing. 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.

The right header size. 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. Window door garage door headers supporting roof wall floor loads. Without headers of the proper size your walls could fall in.

Just add 2 to the width of the actual door size. Header size required to support the roof ceiling and one center bearing floor of a 28 ft. This will give you room to space the door frame off of the sub floor. 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.

The header supports the framing above the opening and is also used for windows or any opening. If the opening will be 5 to 6 feet wide such as for double doors then you will need two 2 by 10 headers. 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. Window headers support the roof and other structure above a window.

If you choose a header that is too small its weakness could lead to a collapse. The international building code ibc dictates the sizes of headers to ensure that they. 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. Emily when deciding what size header to install above your new french doors you must first consider the size of the load being supported by the header and wall framing.

Window door garage door headers supporting roof loads only. The opening for the new french doors requires a header that spans the opening and carries the weight of the rafters above it. Getting the rough opening size right the first time will save you from frustration when installing your doors. 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.