Building Homes or Extensions/garage door header

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Expert: - 1/13/2010


Question
I am building a 28x32 garage with 8 ft walls. There will be a 16x7 door and a 9x7 door what do I need to use for headers?

Answer
Hi John, I would use a double 2x12  with a 1/2" plywood center for each header..based on your wall height you can't go much heavier..your wall height is 96"..minus your top plate..1 1/2"= 94 1/2"..minus 11 1/2" for your header..equals 83"..which works good for a 7 foot overhead door..Chances are that your garage slab slopes toward the outside so this may add a few inches to your wall height at the door location..If this is the case then I suggest a  double 1 3/4" x 14" LVL header..they are awesome..I hope this information helps, please feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely, bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com

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Bruce E. Johnson

Expertise

I can answer any construction related question in regards to carpentry, concrete, drywall, masonry, structural elements of any type of building, residential or commercial. Interior or exterior.

Experience

Custom Commercial and residential buildings. Churches, theaters, schools and auditoriums. Most recently I am working with the Catholic Church on several design build committees. I have a website related to scheduling and project supervision. Although my expertise is more related to multimillion dollar commercial, educational and theatrical projects my generous credentials in residential and remodelling construction make me a viable source of information regarding all forms of building questions.

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