Why Is There an Angled Header Over My Door? - Fine Homebuilding FHB Logo Facebook LinkedIn Email Pinterest Twitter Instagram Plus Icon Close Icon Navigation Search Icon Arrow Down Icon Video Guide Icon Article Guide Icon Modal Close Icon Guide Search Icon Skip to content
Main Menu
Subscribe

In every issue you'll find...

  • Expert insights on techniques and principles
  • Unbiased tool reviews
  • Step-by-step details to master the job
  • Field-tested advice and know-how
Subscribe Now!
Subscribe
  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Videos
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcast
  • Join
  • Log In
Main Menu Subscribe
Ask the Experts

Why Is There an Angled Header Over My Door?

Diagonal braces above openings in bearing walls are old-fashioned but still functional solutions.

Issue 293 - Aug/Sept 2020
Article Image
Alternative header. The installation of angled braces above openings in bearing walls is no longer common practice, but it’s still a functional solution.

In an older house in Minneapolis, I found what looks like two angled studs instead of a header above a door. Should I replace them with a header while the wall is open?

—Danny via email

Andy Engel, a carpenter with Roxbury Cabinet Co. in Roxbury, Conn., replies: Those two angled “studs” (or braces) have been carrying the floor load above down to the studs around the door for a long time. Unless you’re adding to the load above or there are indications of a problem (cracked wall plaster in the room above, for example), I’d follow my father’s advice in similar situations: If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. At most, I’d consider driving structural screws between the braces and the door studs to improve the shear connection between them.

If there is a problem above, or if the loading will increase, then I’d cut out the braces and the studs just above the door, turning the studs into jack studs. I’d then add a new king stud that runs from plate to plate on each side along with an engineered-lumber header. While a double 2×10 would handle most loads over that span, dimensional lumber will shrink and leave gaps in the load path. Engineered lumber won’t. At the same time, I’d take a look in the basement or crawlspace below that door to be sure there’s an uninterrupted load path there as well.

From Fine Homebuilding #293

More about fixing old framing

Clever Fix for a Sagging Floor – Learn how to level floor framing in an old home by lifting joists with temporary walls, installing a midspan beam, and adding new studs to distribute the load down the the foundation.

Where Do You Want the Blocking? – Five tradesmen weigh in on where to put solid blocking for stair skirts, grab-bar anchors, and everything else the code leaves out.

How to Fix a Failing Bathroom Floor – From demolition to installation, how to repair old, water-damaged floor joists.

Sign up for eletters today and get the latest how-to from Fine Homebuilding, plus special offers.

Sign Up

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

×
X
X

New Feature

Fine Homebuilding Forums

Ask questions, offer advice, and share your work

Comments are closed.

More Ask the Experts

View All
  • bathroom with curbless shower and freestanding tub

    Wet-Room Drainage

  • 3-prong 240V dryer plug

    Do Dryers Need Three- or Four-Pronged Cords?

  • two people in hazmat suits removing asbestos floor tiles

    Handling Asbestos Tile

  • environmentally friendly spray foam

    Is There Environmentally Friendly Spray Foam Insulation?

View All

Up Next

Featured Story

2021 International Builders Show online experience

Attending in Sweatpants: The Virtual 2021 International Builders' Show

A pre-show primer on the first-ever online IBS trade show. Stay tuned for upcoming podcasts, product features, and more.

Featured Video

Install Cable Rail Around Wood-Post Corners

How to Install Cable Rail Around Wood-Post Corners

Use these tips to keep cables tight and straight for a professional-looking deck-railing job.

Related Stories

  • Phenomenal Fenestration

  • Temporary Door Control

  • The Cornerstones of Comfort: How To Choose the Right Windows and Doors for Your Climate

  • Efficient Methods for Installing Wall Sheathing

Discussion Forum

Recent Posts and Replies

  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
  • |
View More Create Post

Highlights

  • Fine Homebuilding All Access
  • Fine Homebuilding Podcast
  • Tool Tech

    Plus, get an extra 20% off with code GIFT20

  • "I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.

    Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

    Sign Up See all newsletters

Video

View All
  • Podcast 193: Understanding Permeability, Insulating Behind Fiberboard Sheathing, and Building a Patio Door

  • How to Frame an Arched Doorway

  • How to Test Paint Stripper for Your Next Refinishing Project

  • Video: Build a Dutch Door

View All

Doors

View All
  • how to choose the best windows and doors

    The Cornerstones of Comfort: How To Choose the Right Windows and Doors for Your Climate

  • Help with Heavy Doors

  • Replacing a Basement Door

  • Simple Technique for Round Corners

View All

BOOKS, DVDs, & MERCH

Shop the Store
  • Code Check Building 4th Edition

    Buy Now
  • 2020 Fine Homebuilding Archive

    Buy Now
  • Musings of an Energy Nerd

    Buy Now
  • Fine Homebuilding Magazine Slipcase

    Buy Now
  • Shop the Store

Fine Homebuilding Magazine

  • Issue 297 - Feb/Mar 2021

    • Foundations for Success
    • Staircase Renovation
    • Ditch the Hose
  • Issue 296 - Dec 2020/Jan 2021

    • Insulating Glass Keeps Getting Better
    • Simple Way to Make Old Walls Straight and Plumb
    • Making Sense of Minisplits
  • Issue 295 - Kitchens & Baths

    • Condo Kitchen Reimagined
    • Row-House Remodel
    • Rise of the IAQ Monitor
  • Issue 294 - Oct/Nov 2020

    • Schoolhouse Reimagined
    • Tool Test: Folding Sawhorses
    • A Better Way to Build Tall Walls
  • Issue 293 - Aug/Sept 2020

    • A Practical Guide to Fall Protection
    • Installing Frameless Cabinets
    • Make Any Tablesaw Safer

Fine Homebuilding

Follow

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Sign Up See all newsletters

Membership & Magazine

  • Online Archive
  • Start Free Trial
  • Magazine Subscription
  • Magazine Renewal
  • Gift a Subscription
  • Customer Support
  • Manage Preferences

Taunton Network

  • Green Building Advisor
  • Fine Woodworking
  • Fine Gardening
  • Threads
  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Careers
  • Copyright
  • Terms of Use
  • Accessibility

© 2021 The Taunton Press, Inc. All rights reserved.

    Main Menu

  • How-To
  • Design
  • Tools & Materials
  • Video
  • Blogs
  • Forum
  • Reader Projects
  • Magazine
  • Members
  • FHB House
  • Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk
  • Account

  • Log In
  • Join

    Podcasts

  • FHB Podcast
  • ProTalk
  • Popular Topics

  • Kitchens
  • Business
  • Bedrooms
  • Roofs
  • Architecture and Design
  • Green Building
  • Decks
  • Framing
  • Safety
  • Remodeling
  • Bathrooms
  • Windows
  • Tilework
  • Ceilings
  • HVAC

    Magazine

  • Current Issue
  • Past Issues
  • Magazine Index
  • Subscribe
  • Online Archive
  • Author Guidelines

    All Access

  • Member Home
  • Start Free Trial
  • Gift Membership

    Shop the Store

  • Books
  • DVDs
  • Taunton Workshops

    More

  • FHB Ambassadors
  • Reader Projects
  • Podcast
  • Customer Support

    Account

  • Log In
  • Join

Newsletter

Get home building tips, offers, and expert advice in your inbox

Sign Up See all newsletters

Follow

Join All Access

Become a member and get instant access to thousands of videos, how-tos, tool reviews, and design features.

Start Your Free Trial

Subscribe

FHB Magazine

Start your subscription today and save up to 52%

Subscribe

We hope you’ve enjoyed your free articles. To keep reading, become a member today.

Get complete site access to expert advice, how-to videos, Code Check, and more, plus the print magazine.

Start your FREE trial

Already a member? Log in