Garage Door Header Framing

Layout the bottom plate and one of the top plates at 16 on center.

Garage door header framing.

Use 2 inch lumber for the jambs as well and ensure they are appropriately nailed to the door opening with the help of a nail gun or hammer. If you are installing a 9 wide door the opening will be 9 3 wide. 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. Framing for a non load bearing door header.

The double top plate is needed to comply with building code. The width of the lumber should be between 6 and 8. If the door is 7 tall frame the opening 7 1 5. Frame the rough opening to 3 inches wider than the garage door size you have selected.

Header the header is ideally a minimum 12 wide micro laminated beam that spans the width of the garage door opening. 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. All doors are set into a frame an opening inside the wall. 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.

Code requires a double top plate for load bearing walls. The procedure for constructing a header for 6 inch exterior wall framing can be modified for any wall thickness. Frame the rough opening to a height that is 1 5 taller than the door that you have selected. Interior and exterior doors are framed basically the same way but interior doors are.

If you go with a raised panel door it is even more noticeable if there s any sag. 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.