Construction question

[Godlover]

I would like to replace my two 9 foot garage doors on my back garage with an 18 foot door. The span between the two doors is maybe 18 inches. Is there a way to connect the existing headers with a steel plate or another way? It is a stand alone uninsulated garage with 2x4 walls so there isn't a lot of weight bearing on the wall. Just wondering?

[OrlinEngh]

18 ft is a wide span, I would put a solid header in, by the time you splice it in to make it strong enough so the roof wont sag you could put in a new header.

And if you are in a area that gets alot of snow I would put a metal plate across the inside of the header to keep it from saging.

Orlin

[1joeranger]

Really needs to be a header spanning the entire opening. Tying the two existing ones together really is not gonna do it. This can be accomplished several different ways without having to tear a lot of stuff down. A temporary support system installed supporting the ceiling joists near that end while the existing headers are replaced should do it for you.

 

All that being said keep in mind I am just a lowly construction guy I am sure we have knowledgeable engineers on this website that know a thing or three about this. Also, pictures of what you are trying to do help!

 

God Luck!!

[Godlover]

I figured that I would need a new header and it won't be too hard. The inside walls are not finished and the outside is vinyl siding. Thanks for the insight.

[IronMike]

Depends on the end the door is on, if it is on the end with the peak, its not all that weight bearing and you can splice it in and bolt them together. If it's on the end with roof directly above it as where there would be a gutter, yes that would be a weight bearing wall and above advice would apply.

 

I did mine same way 20 years ago and it worked out great. I did the siding at the same time so it was pretty easy. I just added two 2 x 12s to the header that was there and bolted them all together and ran lag bolts in too.

 

But if it's on the end with roof directly above it, it's a weight bearing wall and thats a lot more complicated to do and would have to pretty much build a temp support and put a new header in. THEN AGAIN, you have to inspect what you have, it could easily be constructed for either one or two doors and just have two doors with a one door header. The only way this would not have a one door header is if they were really being cheapo and wanted to realize the savings of shorter lumber at the expense of extra time and labor.

[Godlover]

  IronMike said:

Depends on the end the door is on, if it is on the end with the peak, its not all that weight bearing and you can splice it in and bolt them together. If it's on the end with roof directly above it as where there would be a gutter, yes that would be a weight bearing wall and above advice would apply.

 

I did mine same way 20 years ago and it worked out great. I did the siding at the same time so it was pretty easy. I just added two 2 x 12s to the header that was there and bolted them all together and ran lag bolts in too.

 

But if it's on the end with roof directly above it, it's a weight bearing wall and thats a lot more complicated to do and would have to pretty much build a temp support and put a new header in. THEN AGAIN, you have to inspect what you have, it could easily be constructed for either one or two doors and just have two doors with a one door header. The only way this would not have a one door header is if they were really being cheapo and wanted to realize the savings of shorter lumber at the expense of extra time and labor.

 

It is the peak end and there are two headers. The small supporting section between isn't solid as I can kick it with my foot and move it. That might be a result of the guy who drove through my garage. I would like to store my trailer in my garage thus the need for a wider door.

[Bob Myers]

If you can't get your trailer through a 9 foot door then it isn't legal to drag around behind you on the road! Most secondary roads/county roads, etc are 96" wide limit.

[IronMike]

That was exactly what I had, Two separate headers, cheapo Sears garage, I just added to what was there, bolted them together gigantic improvement in strength and then I framed out the opening to spec and called a door company who did a steel on both sides insulated door and I went with a Chamberland belt drive quiet as all get out opener. My garage is drive through, in one end, out the other, 4 cars two deem, no one is stuck by another anyone can open a door and either drive or back out.

 

Just buy two header boards to match what you have and a sheet of plywood, level out what you have, lag bolt the new one to the old, then cut the plywood and put first 8' long section in the center and trim out the ends with the rest, using nails, then Lag bolt the other Header to all that using bolts that will go through all of what you have and then Use carriage bolts where you can get them staggered. Put a Horizontal board on the bottom of all that, I used treated, Frame and order door.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

  Bob Myers said:

If you can't get your trailer through a 9 foot door then it isn't legal to drag around behind you on the road! Most secondary roads/county roads, etc are 96" wide limit.

 

 

Correction: 102 inches. (it was increased from 96 to 102 in 1982)

 

Still, thats 8.5 feet, which should fit thru a 9 foot door.

 

 

Edited September 10, 2013 by tx2sturgis

[Godlover]

  tx2sturgis said:

Correction: 102 inches.

 

Still, thats 8.5 feet, which should fit thru a 9 foot door.

 

 

 

I'll have to measure my doors - I assumed they were 9 foot doors -maybe they are less. The bed on my trailer is 80 inches with the fenders on the outside of that. It is an Aluma trailer. Hmmmmm ----time to get the tape measure out.

[Guest tx2sturgis]

  Godlover said:

I'll have to measure my doors - I assumed they were 9 foot doors -maybe they are less. The bed on my trailer is 80 inches with the fenders on the outside of that. It is an Aluma trailer. Hmmmmm ----time to get the tape measure out.

 

Thats a lot of work to get a big flat, (or maybe box) trailer inside that will take up a lot of room.

 

If all you need to do is cover a utility trailer, why not buy a tarp or one of those portable garages or carports?

 

Or how about just widening ONE of the doors?

[Godlover]

  tx2sturgis said:

Thats a lot of work to get a big flat, (or maybe box) trailer inside that will take up a lot of room.

 

If all you need to do is cover a utility trailer, why not buy a tarp or one of those portable garages or carports?

 

Or how about just widening ONE of the doors?

 

 

I will have to take a picture. The only option is to widen the whole door. I don't like tarping things because moisture caught under the tarp often causes more damage than sitting out. It is an Aluma trailer so I don't have to worry about rust anyway. I want to garage it because I have the room in my garage since this is an extra garage - and I live within blocks of I-80 which makes it tempting for someone with bolt cutters to drive off with a nice trailer.

[dacheedah]

Replace the whole thing, important questions are what's above it??

 

If it's a gable end and nothing above it's easy.

 

If it's on a support wall with nothing above we run a 2x4 on the ceiling the length of the wall about 3' from the opening, use 4x4 jackstuds under each joist 1" longer than the height plumb and brace.

 

I like LVL's for the header x2 so no plywood between 2 11 1/2 x 1 1/2 LVL, glued and nailed at 18' long is strait and strong.

 

or 2 2 x 12 yellow pine 18' with 1/2" ply in the middle run on edge glued and nailed crown up.

 

frame a king stud and two jack studs cut strong on each end to set it on. your rough framing should be 1 1/2" taller and 3" wider than the door.

 

Go tall as you can, If you have 9' walls you can end up with a full 8' door height if you shove the header up to the top plate, 8' is becoming standard because of taller vehicles.

[Godlover]

Now I feel like an idiot! I grabbed my tape measure and it will barely fit through my 9 foot door. I still want to install an 18 foot door in the near future. I wish they would have ran the header all the way across. Only 12 inches separate the headers!

[Guest tx2sturgis]

Glad it worked out.

 

[IronMike]

  Godlover said:

I will have to take a picture. The only option is to widen the whole door. I don't like tarping things because moisture caught under the tarp often causes more damage than sitting out. It is an Aluma trailer so I don't have to worry about rust anyway. I want to garage it because I have the room in my garage since this is an extra garage - and I live within blocks of I-80 which makes it tempting for someone with bolt cutters to drive off with a nice trailer.

 

Just Exactly where do you live from I 80, maybe I can help you so much you won;t even need to mess with the doors! And what size ball will I need? 2 inch?

[dacheedah]

You are shooting for a 16' wide opening as a 16' door is standard and standard is much less money. Usually you center in the opening or offset away from a service door. The 16' door is nicer than 2 9' doors, my opinion.

[Godlover]

  IronMike said:

Just Exactly where do you live from I 80, maybe I can help you so much you won;t even need to mess with the doors! And what size ball will I need? 2 inch?

 

funny!!!

[Godlover]

  dacheedah said:

You are shooting for a 16' wide opening as a 16' door is standard and standard is much less money. Usually you center in the opening or offset away from a service door. The 16' door is nicer than 2 9' doors, my opinion.

 

Agree - I kind of thought 18 foot was the standard - I like the idea of offsetting to make one side a bit wider!!!

[dacheedah]

Your rough opening should be 16'3" wide by 7' 1 1/2 " or 8' 1 1/2 " tall depending on your door.

[saddlebum]

OK lets put it this way

1st is it a single peak roof

2nd does the ridge run parallel to the the door (door being on the slope side of the roof)

or does the ridge run 90 degrees to the wall were the door is (door being on gable end of the roof.

3rd are the rafters made up trusses or stick framed rafters.

 

If the door is on the gable end and the rafters are actually made up trusses then no major additional framing other than to frame in the door would be required.

 

If the door is on the gable end and the the rafters are actual stick framed rafters then you should double up the collar ties/ceiling joist place one on each side of the raters and add jack studs one from the peak of the ridge down to the collar tie / joist. then add one jack stud from rafter down to collar tie at least every 24" from the center out towards the wall. Then frame in your door.

 

If the door opening is on the slope side of the roof then put in a header the full length of the door. It should be at least 3-2X8 or 2-2x10 laminated together. (check your local building code for beam span sizes in your area. these tend to differ from area to area based on local roof snow load criteria).

Edited September 11, 2013 by saddlebum

[dacheedah]

What he's sayin is we need more pictures, outside wide angle inside . . .

[Godlover]

Does this help?

[Godlover]

Another

[Godlover]

Here is one more