What is a Door Header?
What is a Door Header?
“Door header” is a term used in building construction. Simply stated, the door header is the area immediately above, or on top of, a door, just like your head is on the top of your body. Since it is a structural member and not an aesthetic one, it is unseen in a normal finished room. But if you are constructing a wall during any phase of building or home improvement, it is essential to understand how to use a door header.
The door header itself is comprised of two pieces of 2×8 lumber with a piece of 1/2″ sheathing sandwiched in between. It is placed at the top of a doorway to provide support for the width of the door span, usually 30-36 inches. The general span for support on a 2×4 constructed wall is only 18 inches, that means there are 18 inches between each 2×4 all the way along the wall. Thus, a span of 30 inches requires more substantial support.
As a rule, the door headers are situated between two full length studs called “king studs” . It is supported on either end by 2 “jack studs” that are cut the height of the rough opening of the door. For instance, a door that is 36″ wide, needsa rough opening that is 38″. the height of the rough opening would be 82″. Therefore, the jack studs are generally 82″ long, and there are two on each side of the rough opening. They are fastened together and then fastened into the king studs. The header rests on top of the jack studs on it’s edge, and thereby provides the structural support for the door span.
The header also provides a firmly supported nailing area for the door trim. These structural components are also found over top of windows, as well.
A door header is a support which is built in above a door, and it may be known simply as a “header.” Windows also have headers. Classically, a door header is about twice as thick as the surrounding framing, and it is supported by the king studs, another integral component of door and window framing. Headers are important for structural integrity, and they are required by law in many regional building codes. The term “header” is also used to describe ornamental molding positioned over the top of a door. When doors and windows are framed, extra reinforcement is required. There are two reasons for this. The first is that doors and windows are points of structural weakness, because studs must be omitted or moved to accommodate the opening. The second is that doors and windows place strain upon a structure as they are used. Doors in particular are weak points, as the opening and shutting of a door puts strain on the surrounding framing. Many building codes have specific regulations about ho
