Size Garage Door Header

Measure the width of your door frame.

Size garage door header.

The span above the door opening is framed with a long header that supports the wall area above the door and this header will need to be raised or rebuilt in order to increase the overall door size. The standard size for double garage doors is 16 feet wide and 7 to 8 feet high. 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. Many homeowners have two cars and need garage space to shelter them both.

If there isn t enough room above the opening this can t be done without raising the roof of the garage. Many home builders do not consider this a structural necessity but a style and price choice for the homeowner. Many 16 x 7 garage doors will be designed with a pair of single 8 foot garage door bays separated by a central post or column. Window door garage door headers supporting roof wall floor loads.

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. 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. The procedure for constructing a header for 6 inch exterior wall framing can be modified for any wall thickness.