5/18/2023 0 Comments Double header schedule creator![]() The code tables help you determine the right-sized header for the opening width and the load it supports in a conventionally framed house. We simply installed the horizontal head and sill boards with the normal stud spacing to box out the rough openings. In those cases, we purposely sized the window units to fit between studs, thereby eliminating headers and jack studs. I’ve framed houses where the design called for accent windows over kitchen cabinets or narrow windows in a corner to cast light into otherwise dark spaces. When a window unit is less than 22 inches wide, the code does not require a header in 24-inch-on-center framing. Stack framing 24 inches on-center-where joists, rafters, and trusses align with studs-has become more common as energy codes call for greater wall insulation and builders opt for 2圆 walls. These are the minimum size headers for that opening in that configuration. In the “Size” column to the left, find listings for 1-2x10 or 2-2圆s (5). Find the span for a 3-3 header (up from 3-2) (4). Find the column for a 30-psf snow load (2), then the column for a 36-foot-wide building (next listing up from 32 feet) (3). Find “Roof, ceiling and one center-bearing floor” in the far-left column (1). Above, we size a 3'-2" exterior header in a 32-foot-wide, two-story building with less than a 30-psf snow load, and with the second floor supported by a center bearing wall. ![]() ![]() Table excerpted from the 2018 International Residential Code Copyright 2017 Washington, D.C.: International Code Council. Besides eliminating the header, you can also skip structural jack studs because there is no load for them to bear, saving even more lumber. And in most cases, you don’t even need to install cripples or blocking between the top plate and the flat rough-opening head board. So we don’t need a structural header unless the walls bear the ends of floor joists, roof rafters, trusses, or a concentrated load. for openings up to 8 feet in width.” There is a limitation that the space between the flat head board and the bottom of the top plate can’t exceed 24 inches. A single flat 2-inch by 4-inch member shall be permitted. It says: “Load-bearing headers are not required in interior or exterior nonbearing walls. Do You Even Need A Header?įor several code cycles, there has been a subsection for nonbearing walls (2018 IRC R602.7.4). But that little bit of extra work pays off in reduced lumber costs, fewer call-backs, and improved energy efficiency. Thoughtful header design does take planning. Another argument is that it’s easier to use the same sized headers throughout a house, regardless of whether a header will be for a large patio door or a narrow window. Some argue that beefier headers appear stronger and impress clients. But home builders and framers are notoriously slow to change practices. When I look at the prescriptive options available right in the code, I’m surprised so many framers still frame the way I did 40 years ago. And large-depth lumber headers are more likely to result in drywall cracks as green wood dries out or as dried lumber expands and contracts with seasonal humidity changes. Oversized or unnecessary headers cost more than properly sized headers or alternative headers. In most cases, there is no structural advantage to installing headers where they aren’t required or to using larger headers than what is needed to support the load. ![]() By doing so, we decreased the thermal bridging, increased the space for insulation, and improved the energy efficiency. In some cases, we moved the headers into the floor framing above the opening, while in other cases, we eliminated structural headers on some openings all together. Like a number of progressive builders, we experimented with reducing the size of the lumber and the number of plies used to build headers based on the loads they needed to support. The openings in the upright wall use a rimboard header, while the nonbearing gable end wall on the slab doesn’t need a header. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |