Header under a door question

Posted by Dioclese on December 2, 2008, 7:24 am

> wrote:

> >I have to put a door in a wall midway between two floors. I know that the
> >framing over a door or window is called a header. I know I'll have to
> >build
> >a "header" under the door in this case. Anyone know what it is called
> >when
> >it under a door?

> Let's see, walk though the door, and your top half goes to the floor
> Footer?

It's a garage with a loft in a 12/12 roof above it that I'm placing
next to an existing deck/house. To keep the same elevation I will end
up with a door part way between the garage floor and the loft. The
door will open to a landing with stairs going down to the garage floor
and stairs going up to the loft floor. The bottom wall framing will
need to have a door opening that begins about 4 feet off the garage
floor.

----------

If I understand what you're describing, its not a header. There's no
dedicated opening below it. More inline with a subfloor beam description,
even though not completely accurate.
--
Dave

Posted by PeterD on December 2, 2008, 9:50 am

On Tue, 2 Dec 2008 06:24:54 -0600, "Dioclese" <NONE> wrote:

>> wrote:

>> >I have to put a door in a wall midway between two floors. I know that the
>> >framing over a door or window is called a header. I know I'll have to
>> >build
>> >a "header" under the door in this case. Anyone know what it is called
>> >when
>> >it under a door?

>> Let's see, walk though the door, and your top half goes to the floor
>> Footer?

>It's a garage with a loft in a 12/12 roof above it that I'm placing
>next to an existing deck/house. To keep the same elevation I will end
>up with a door part way between the garage floor and the loft. The
>door will open to a landing with stairs going down to the garage floor
>and stairs going up to the loft floor. The bottom wall framing will
>need to have a door opening that begins about 4 feet off the garage
>floor.

I still think footer would be the best term. The door is a typical
split-entry type doorway, in fact I have one in my house, however,

since I didn't build it, I don't know that piece's name! <g>

>----------
>If I understand what you're describing, its not a header. There's no
>dedicated opening below it. More inline with a subfloor beam description,
>even though not completely accurate.

Posted by HerHusband on December 2, 2008, 11:18 am

> It's a garage with a loft in a 12/12 roof above it that I'm placing
> next to an existing deck/house. To keep the same elevation I will end
> up with a door part way between the garage floor and the loft. The
> door will open to a landing with stairs going down to the garage floor
> and stairs going up to the loft floor. The bottom wall framing will
> need to have a door opening that begins about 4 feet off the garage
> floor.

I would still call it a header, though it's not really serving the same
purpose in your case. The header "above" the door will carry the weight of
the structure above the door and distribute it to the studs on the sides of
the door. The only weight you would have "under" the door would be the
floor and any live load. The stud wall under the door should support this
fine without the need of a header, but there's no reason you couldn't add
the second header under the door if you wish. If nothing else, it might
give you some structure to tie into later if you need to attach a ledger on
the outside of the building or something.

Anthony

Posted by Wayne Whitney on December 2, 2008, 12:06 am

> I have to put a door in a wall midway between two floors. I know that the
> framing over a door or window is called a header. I know I'll have to build
> a "header" under the door in this case. Anyone know what it is called when
> it under a door?

Hmm, I don't see it. A header in this context is a horizontal element
that takes a distributed vertical load and spreads it across to two
point loads at either end, to allow an opening underneath the header.
Your doorway will have a header above it. Below it, whatever load you
have from the landing or whatever is in front of the door can be
carried by the wall segment that is still there, there is no need for
a header.

Cheers, Wayne

Posted by PeterD on December 2, 2008, 9:51 am

On Tue, 02 Dec 2008 05:06:41 GMT, Wayne Whitney

>> I have to put a door in a wall midway between two floors. I know that the
>> framing over a door or window is called a header. I know I'll have to build
>> a "header" under the door in this case. Anyone know what it is called when
>> it under a door?

>Hmm, I don't see it. A header in this context is a horizontal element
>that takes a distributed vertical load and spreads it across to two
>point loads at either end, to allow an opening underneath the header.
>Your doorway will have a header above it. Below it, whatever load you
>have from the landing or whatever is in front of the door can be
>carried by the wall segment that is still there, there is no need for
>a header.

I can see what he is thinking, however... He's transfering the load
from above via cripple studs, and then wants to re-distribute the load
below the door, rather than having it rest on single studs.

>Cheers, Wayne

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Header under a door question - Page 2