I am building a small addition and am looking to put a garage with a 9′ wide door underneath. Does anyone have an idea as to the type of header I can use to span the opening? I am trying to keep the depth down since I need most of the 8′ height to get a truck in and am think of a flitch beam or maybe steel I beam.
Thanks,
Allen
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Replies
If your garage is only 20' deep, you can look up the header size in your code book.
I suspect 4x10 would work. (I know nothing about your particular loading conditiond. This size is what I would use for my particular loading.)
It depends whether the floor(s) above have joists landing over that header and whether the roof loads on that wall.
It is not possible to size the header based on the openning below ( the nine feet) only.
A structural member is sized according to the load it carries above it.
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I forgot to give the load above. The structure is a single story with the garage below. The header is actually running parallel to the floor joists.
OK, we have eliminated the floor load.Now, which way does the roof run? will it laod to that wall? Trusses or stick framed? Did you give dimensions of this addditiopn yet?
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The roof will rest on this wall. The addition is 11.5' X 21'. the 9' opening is in 11.5 wall.
OKthis is like fishing.. sometimes all you get is nibbles...So, the roof loads on it, but how is the roof framed?These are all important questions. If the roof will be trusses, The eara load transferred to that header will be based on half of the total sq ft, but if there is a structural ridge beam, that load changes to a forth of that area.
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Sorry for the teeth pulling. The roof is stick framed 16'O.C. the roof is an 8/12 pitch so 150 sq ft per side. No structural ridge beam.
and the snow load?
If the header is running parallel with the joists, but is carrying a stick framed roof.... with no ridge beam..... what's going to keep the walls from bowing out and the ridge from dropping? Something's not adding up here.View Image
The second floor will have ceiling rafters connecting the top plate of each wall.
Something still isn't adding up. In your first post you described the building as a "single story structure". Now you're referring to second floor walls. I'm sorry man, but nobody can help you here if you don't accurately describe what it is you're trying to build.
EDIT... It's slowly coming to me. I think that you're actually talking about a two story structure.... living space over a garage. So the living space (2nd floor) will have full height walls. So now your garage header is carrying the wall above it which is carrying a roof load as well as the ceiling load. Is this correct?
I'd take the drawings down to a lumberyard. They can see first-hand what you're trying to build and will probably run the calcs for you for free if you buy the stock from them.
View Image
Edited 8/21/2006 10:03 am ET by dieselpig
Edited 8/21/2006 10:06 am ET by dieselpig
now I'm confused... and I thought I had it all figured out.
yup that's the best advice. take it down to the yard - for no charge, they'll tell him what to buy for top dollar.
but it will be worth it, in my books.
Two 11 7/8" LVLs,
Thats my Final answer!
If I understand you correctly, it's a garage with a living space above. "header is parallel to floor joists" So you have a full wall plus a roof load. SWAG- double 11 7/8 lvl should be more than enough, 4x10 parallam- probably. I'm sure your local building inspector also has an opinion, I'd call him first.