Hi: It's a load bearing interior wall (2nd floor if that matters)
1) Is the header just two 2x4's or 2x6's fastened together on their side attached to the top plate? 2) Is there one jack stud under each side of the header (or two?) and then full studs next to that?Thank you.
For load bearing I use 2 - 2X6" on their edges as a header. I place 2 king studs and a jack stud on each side of the door. the Header rests on the Jack studs.
If it's load bearing, then you have to figure out what load it's bearing. If there's a post coming down on it from above, move the door. If it's just one or two joists, for the floor or ceiling above, use two peices of lumber the same size as the joists, with 1/2" plywood between to make the thickness work out right. For a normal sized doorway, just doubling the studs at the doorposts is enough, but the lintel sits ON the second stud, it's not toenailed to it. If there's another load-bearing wall above, use the biggest lumber for the lintel you can make fit, up to a pair of 2x12s.
Exactly.
Not so exactly. The OP didn't mention the size of the doorway, but I'd assume it's 4' or less - 2x12s is way overkill even if there is another load bearing wall above.
The wall is an interior wall, so while possible, it's unlikely that there are any roof loads being carried by that wall - check to be sure, of course. The extra depth of the dimensional lumber header, beyond what is required structurally, is a liability and not an advantage. Besides the lumber costing more, it will shrink more as it ages/dries. The additional shrinkage will be more likely to cause cracking.
For structural remodeling work it's preferable to use materials that won't shrink the way dimensional lumber does. Another advantage is that the thickness is 1 3/4" so two laminations is the same thickness as the wall (assuming 2x4 construction) with no need to shim.
The smallest engineered header (paralam, microlam, etc.) your local supplier carries, probably 9 1/2", will be more than enough to carry the load even if there is another floor level or roof load. The engineered header is also overkill most likely, but the advantages make it a worthwhile consideration.
While the engineered lumber is preferable to a really deep dimensional header, in all likelihood 2 @ 2x6 spanning 3' or less is all that would be needed. Check the Canadian Wood Council's online span tool, SpanCalc:
Great site, thanks.
I should have specified it was a regular aprox. 30 - 36 inch door.
I'm curious though for future reference what a "roof live load" is and how to calculate it.
How many criple studs do you need above the header? Every 16 inches or more?
Thanks.
Two or three with your size opening.
Live load refers to load that can change (rather than just the load of the roof itself). A roof live load considers mostly snow, but also the occational person or three walking on it, wind I suppose, etc. You calculate it by asking your inspector what the roof live load per square foot is for your location. It also depends on pitch, I think, too.
-Kevin
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