What size should a French door header be?

A typical header can be a four-by-eight or four-by-ten inch beam for two-by-four walls. But many builders make headers by using boards faced by dimensional boards to match the thickness of the wall.

What size should a door header be?

Most door frames that are 4 feet wide or less require a 2-by-6 header. 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. When in doubt, use 2-by-12-inch headers.

What size header do I need for a 36 door?

A typical header width with single jack studs is cut 3″ larger than the rough opening. An example: A 36″ door has a rough opening width of 38″ so your header is cut at 41″.

What size header do I need for a 6 foot span?

Since the architects and engineers who designed the houses had calculated that 2×12 headers were deep enough and sturdy enough to span the longest (6-ft.)

What are the dimensions of a door header?

Measure the width of your door frame. Most door frames that are 4 feet wide or less require a 2-by-6 header. 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. When in doubt, use 2-by-12-inch headers.

How to calculate the height of a double header?

It went like this: Measure the span in feet and add 2 to that number. The sum will be the height of your double header in inches. For example, if the span is 4 feet, add 2 to 4 for a sum of 6. Therefore, the header would need to be made from doubled 2x6s.

What’s the rule of thumb for sizing headers?

Back then, I used a rule of thumb for sizing headers that either someone had told me about or I’d read about somewhere. It went like this: Measure the span in feet and add 2 to that number. The sum will be the height of your double header in inches. For example, if the span is 4 feet, add 2 to 4 for a sum of 6.

How big of header do I need for attic door?

So if you’re on the top floor, you can use 2 2×4’s (unless the building is 36′ wide, in which case you’ll need 2 2×6’s). If you have a floor above, you’ll need 2 2×6’s (unless the building is 36′ wide, in which case you’ll need 2 2×8’s). Just the attic above, so perfect.