Replies

1. 
   Matt | May 20, 2006 02:16pm | #1

   At first I found your post a bit confusing because you said "regular garage door" but then mentioned a double 3-0.  Would that be a regular garage door for golf carts? ;-)Maybe you are saying your filling in the garage door opening to make it a smaller opening?  Also, am guessing you mean a double LVL ?...  I don't know what an LDL is...

   I'll just focus on a 6' wide opening.

   The thing is nobody can answer your question unless they know what all is above this header.  Heck - we don't even know if it is a load bearing wall. 

   To cut to the chase though, a 4x4 (double 2x4?) would not be appropriate for a header above a 6' wide opening in any load bearing wall.  Maybe for a non load bearing wall closet door that had zero load on it other than the sheetrock attached to the wall and the lumber above the header but even that is border line. 

   If it's an exterior wall, just go with the architect's specification.

   Or, maybe you are saying that the original garage door header is staying and you are just filling in below it...?

    

   Question to all: does anyone actually use 4x4s for headers in any application?  Here, on the east coast, we always build up headers out of 2x? material.  I've never actually seen a header made of 4x? material except maybe on a rather old house although from looking at Larry's Haan's material, see they use some solid headers on the west coast...  Myabe that is out dated too?

1. 
   criddle | May 20, 2006 06:21pm | #3

   Sorry about all the confusion, I did mean LVL.  And there was a real size garage door originally there and I am closing in the space.  It is a load bearing wall, but it is just a single story structure and no storage or anything above.  What is sitting there now is a true dimension 2 X 6 X 17 redwood beam.   

1. 
   DaveMason2 | May 20, 2006 07:56pm | #4

   All of my exterior wall openings have at least a 4x10 header in them. Thats just how it is in my neck of the woods.  You have to consider dead and live load even if you just have a gable end above it, it's still alot of weight

2. 
   Piffin | May 20, 2006 11:03pm | #6

   Let's try again.What size is a "real garage door"?
   The one inmy shop is 8' x 8'
   I had one in my house that was 10' x 7'
   The last garage I built had a 16' x 8'Another question you didn't answer was about what loads this is expected to bear. You stated the dead load but wavered and wandered around the live load - wind, snow, earthquakes - things like that....OK, I'll ease up on you now. I can suppose that maybe the existing one indicates that the old door was 16' wide.but there is no way in hell or cailifornia that a 2x6 will span 16' even in a non bearing wall as a header! The only way it could have been functioning without failure is if it was built as a gable end truss in place with other attachments sharing the load.so let's just start with the basic question - The right answer is to either follow the archie's instruictions, or ask him if an alternate solution could work. If you change or ignore his work, you by the liability and insult him all in one move. second answer - I would never build this wall as described with less than a 4x6 for a header. i'd have to be scrounging material and on my last dime to do less than 4 x 8.Somebody mentioned headers as doubled two by verses full four by - the full four by is more common on the west coast, and since you mentioned redwood, I place you out there. Codes and li8censing are more strict on that left coatst so playing around with changing the plans becomes more fraught with danger. You have seismic standards to adhere to, right? The continous long beam may be a part of a shear wall. 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!

2. 
   bushman_cletus | Sep 07, 2013 09:27pm | #9

   LDL:  in the Midwest, and ten years ago; stood for "laminated deminsional lumber." I bought some today, as LDL; LVL, laminated veneer lumber is redundant.

2. 
   FastEddie | May 20, 2006 03:01pm | #2

   Agree with Matt.  Something's missing in your description.  If you are closing in the garage door opening, just leave the existing header in place.  If you are creating a new 6 ft wide opening,  ...  Well, never mind.  Since there seems to be an archy involved, ask him for clarification, and follow his written instructions.  Then you can't be wrong.

    

    

   "When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it."  T. Roosevelt

1. 
   criddle | May 22, 2006 06:17pm | #8

   I'm glad I asked the question 'cause the reaction from everyone really told me I was barking up the wrong tree.  This was probably an old barn 60 years ago and the 2 X 6 header that is there worked fine for all this time, but now it needs to be beefed up since it will be more than just storage space.  I bought a pair of 1 3/4 X 9 1/2 LVL's to double up and do it right.  Thanx for all your input and setting me straight. 

3. 
   xxPaulCPxx | May 20, 2006 08:06pm | #5

   I would think that the architect is planning for the long term on that house.  If the next resident doen't like that separation, then taking it out would not compromise the existing structure.  Just a thought.

   Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA

   Also a CRX fanatic!

1. 
   Piffin | May 20, 2006 11:05pm | #7

   sometimes when you quit screwing around, you come up with a good thought or two!;) 

    

   Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!