Doorway Construction Questions

[Sonny]

As to 1) header and 2) jack studs.

I want to widen a 4' wide doorway, to 55" wide.... on a 6" support wall (in the interior, back end of my garage). I constructed the original doorway framing with 4X6 king studs and installed two 2X6 jack studs on each side o f the doorway. I suppose two jacks studs on each side is overkill, but I often over-build, as that, since I am not an expert (it passed Metro-Code i nspection, so that's good enough for me). The header is a 6X6.

I have a (salvaged) 6X12 header, 7' long. I thought to install this (shor tened) larger header. Is a 6X6 header sufficient for the 55" span or does it really need to be replaced with a larger header? If 6X6 is sufficient, then I won't have to trim the cripple studs, above.

Other info: The ceiling joists above this door, which is floor joists for upstairs, are 2x6s, 16" on center. To date, there is no evidence of the present 6X6 he ader being insufficient. On one side of the doorway wall, 10' from the do orway, is a 6X12 beam supporting the ceiling. On the other side of the do orway, 12' away, is a **6" exterior (support) wall. The concrete footings are 2'X2' and the slab is 6", i.e., no foundation failure, anywhere.

**On this 6" exterior wall is another 4' wide doorway. I will be, similar ly, widening this doorway, also, later. At the moment, I don't recall, ex actly, its framing/rough construction (i.e., header & jack studs). The roo f profile above this wall is a gable roof.

Also, do I really need 2 jack studs on each side of the doorway, for this a dditional span? If I can eliminate 1 or 2 of the present jacks studs, this will allow less work of modifying other aspects of the rough framing, as w ell as the interior wall's finishing, etc.

Thanks. Sonny

[-MIKE-]

I don't think you ever needed two jack studs for a span that short. The 6" non-engineered lumber headers would concern me. This is where I would advise you consult an architectural structural engineer.

[John Grossbohlin]

Assuming you have studs on 16" centers; don't actually have doors, just an opening; and want to use the materials on hand:

With temporary supports for the floor joists above, I'd remove the existing header, cripples, jack studs, and any full studs such that you have an open span roughly 62.5"/78.5" wide (i.e., the space between two studs on 16" centers with 2 or 3 studs removed between them). A tiger saw can be used to cut all the nails/screws for the interior drywall, jack studs and cripples.

I'd use the 6x12 as a header and put it all the way up against the top plate. Put a jack stud on each end. Then position a couple jack studs to locate the door opening in the space where you want it. Lastly a put a nailer in above the door (parallel to header) for your drywall--all it's doing is holding the drywall so no real need for cripples above it. An advantage of using the 6x12 is it is already aged and dried so shrinkage isn't a problem.

That should meet your "over built" criteria and is less tedious than trying to work around the existing cripples (trimming and/or re-nailing them).

A similar approach can be used with the other door opening with at least

2x8s for the header. Reclaimed wood would be good here too to avoid the shrinkage problem.

[Sonny]

On Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at 6:56:24 PM UTC-6, John Grossbohlin wrote :

Yeah, John, without citing your recommendations, sizing up the general thou ghts, I best not skimp with this remodel. I was hoping to avoid some work .

The drywall isn't a problem... it's the 1/2" ply backing, nailed every 4" o r so. I'm getting sick of pulling all these nails (using a Cresent nail pu ller). It's difficult, for me, working overhead, that way.

On one side of the doorway is a light switch and outlet, which restricts pl acement of repositioned king stud to 3" further to that side, if I move it at all. On the other side, the doorways's 4X6 king stud can be moved abou t 5", before butting against the next stud.

My salvaged header is engineered, a cutoff from a previous job. Once I pre p for installation, I'll get a nephew to help lift it in place.

This job is for installing these new doors:

The double doors that were originally in this doorway will be modified (wid ened) to be installed on the exterior wall. Presently, this is the door t hat's on that exterior wall:

7111346/in/photostream

Sonny

[John Grossbohlin]

From what you describe, me personally, I'd approach it as I described. This is one of those cases where trying to not disturb things makes the job so much more difficult. Given that you can work from the "outside" cut all those blasted nails off with a reciprocating saw rather than pull them... the plywood backing will facilitate that as you don't have to worry about blowing through the drywall. Use a long blade, either metal cutting or demo type. By taking out studs and putting in a longer header you can put the door wherever you want in the opening and then open up the inside ply/rock to match the framing. Since you have ply backing nailing it to the jack studs next to the door will give it adequate support to hang the doors. The electrical sounds pretty straight forward.

John

[nailshooter41]

Sonny - since you didn't note where you are, here are tables that let you k now how your structure should be framed if you have snow loads on the 2nd s tory roof. Note too, that it takes all kinds of conditions into considerat ion so I would think you would easily find what you need in the form.

According to that form (which is commonly used) based on a 6' opening (alwa ys round up for length) using #2 SYP for headers, you should have a sandwic h beam of 2-2X10s to rest your upper structure on. This is a good chart as it has drawings to assist you to find exactly what you need. Somewhere in there it even has details on the mechanical fastening of the members to on e another to build the beam. In your case, you have what you need with tha t monster beam hands down.

I would go 110% with John G's assessment of getting the structure ready to install the new header and supports. He described exactly the way I do it myself, and I am known to jack up what I need, drill a hole big enough to g et my recip saw blade in the right area and saw out the unneeded material. I saw through nails, wood, sheathing, etc.... all of it and let the discon nected parts fall away. What a time saver. You can also make your support s about 1/8 to 1/4" long to support the structure, that way you can slip yo ur replacement supports in the wall framing and ease the ceiling/wall on to them instead of cutting them to exact length and pounding them in with a s ledge.

Robert

[Sonny]

know how your structure should be framed if you have snow loads on the 2nd story roof. Note too, that it takes all kinds of conditions into consider ation so I would think you would easily find what you need in the form.

Thanks Robert. No snow, here, in Lafayette, La. I finally got a call ba ck from MetroCode. A 6X6 header is okay for my increased span, and I thoug ht to use the 6X12 header on the exterior wall.... And since I have to make a new header for the interior wall, I've made a 6X10.

For the scenario, there was no way to saw many of the ply nails, as John sa id. I was able to saw the nails near the edges. Once the framing was expo sed, I surmised, installing a larger header might not be so difficult, afte r all, hence going with a 6X10 replacement for the interior.

I've moved one king stud over and installed the jack stud.... left in pic.

/ My rough space is not quite large enough for the door frame, unless I settl e with using 3/8" door jams. I'll have to move the other king & jack stud, on the light switch & outlet side, which means more nail cutting and ply t r****ng. Hope to get that done today.

Sonny

[John Grossbohlin]

Sonny

The photo is helpful to see the constraints... I'm late in seeing this but it looks like moving the other studs was (is?) your best move.

RE sawing the nails, I use a 12" blade for that kind of work and bend it as needed to reach the nails. But even doing that I can see where it would be tough to reach some of the nails due to the stud spacing.

Please do post some more photos as things progress!

John

[J. Clarke]

Just a note with regard to sawing nails, I find that an oscillating tool (Fein Multimaster and clones) works very nicely for this. Just make sure that you have one of the metal-cutting blades on it--a nail will chew up a wood cutting blade real good. They won't touch hardened nails or hardened screws though.

The real benefits are that the blades are long enough to get behind anything up to a 4X (plunge depth 2 inches--for 4x you have to go from both sides), the direction from which they extend from the tool can be adusted through a wide range, the blades are very thin so they often fit into the crack without doing more than cosmetic damage, and they are designed to cut flush.

[nailshooter41]

back from MetroCode. A 6X6 header is okay for my increased span, and I tho ught to use the 6X12 header on the exterior wall.... And since I have to ma ke a new header for the interior wall, I've made a 6X10.

Just a couple more thoughts. I often design and write out framing specs, e specially for repair/remodeling. MetroCode (assuming that is your local co de compliance) only verifies that minimal code compliance issues are satisf ied. They are not engineers, framers, contractors, and in most cases never have been. They simply make sure that your specs match the ones in their reference books. For OPTIMAL performance, follow your gut and make the hea rer two sizes larger, just like you planned. You should know that the spec s observed by the code inspectors for beams and headers only take into cons ideration compressive live and dead loads, not for lateral loads that can b e a consideration on certain perimeter walls. In other words, good call on your part.

Wood is cheap. Structure repair is not. When I am designing or writing sp ecs, when there is the slightest question of structural integrity I always err on the side of "one size larger" header than needed.

tle with using 3/8" door jams. I'll have to move the other king & jack stu d, on the light switch & outlet side, which means more nail cutting and ply trimming. Hope to get that done today.

Looking at the pic, and looking at your post, you are calling this out as a doorway. But seeing more walls on the other side of your work, is this ac tually a cased opening (no door, just a finished opening)?

Robert

[Sonny]

I was suppose to post this Sunday, but forgot to click the post button. B een away, since then.

a doorway. But seeing more walls on the other side of your work, is this actually a cased opening (no door, just a finished opening)?

The background, in the pic is my garage. I have a 12X20 room behind/attac hed to the garage, all under the same roof. Probably some of the stuff you see in the garage are the 6X12 beams spanning the garage.

The doorway, between the garage and the room (originally my hand tool shop) originally had 24" wide double doors. I'm replacing them with these, 27" wide:

I'll make another set of double doors for the back exit, the exterior wall doorway.

I got the other king and jacks studs moved. Moved one of the light switche s to the room side of the wall... wired it wrong and tripped a breaker. To ok 1.5 hours to figure out what was wrong. I still need to replace the ply . While the power was down, I replaced the T-12 light fixture (no longer w orked) under the stairway (storage area adjacent to this doorway, garage si de).

In the meantime, I got 2 of the 5 hickory logs delivered to the mill. Hop e the get the others delivered and all milled this week.

Sonny