Metal Framing Door Headers

To cut individual steel studs and tracks use straight cut aviation snips photo 1.

Metal framing door headers.

Most door frames that are 4 feet wide or less require a 2 by 6 header. Unlike wood framing steel framing doesn t rot due to moisture and it resists rust. When in doubt use 2 by 12 inch headers. You will need to add 1 2 of plywood between the 2x4 s to get the right wall thickness of 3 1 2.

Between 4 and 5 feet the header should be built 2 inches wide and 8 inches long while a larger opening needs a header that is 2 by 12. Together the headers king studs and trimmers act as a system that transfers weight from above down and around the window and door openings to the floor and foundation below. Step 1 measure and mark the door jambs from the floor to the desired height of the header. Set your store to see local availability choose options.

Measure the width of your door frame. If you are using metal stud framing you can buy an easy to install one piece factory fabricated header or you can build your own. Fire rated gray right hand flush steel prehung commercial door and frame with panic bar and hardware 679 00 699 00. Large openings in the wall are made for windows and doors.

When the opening is greater in width than the stud spacing and most windows are wider than 24 in. Then a header must be inserted to carry the load of the interrupted stud s. Cut the door header. The longer the distance a header spans and the heavier the load it supports the more substantial it needs to be.

Infill stud sill angle header tracks infill stud jamb additional anchorage jamb base track cripple stud cripple stud use of cripple stud to receive head sill tracks at the. This is the actual thickness of a 2x4. To make the door header the top of the door frame cut two 2x4s to the same length as the width of the original opening and nail them securely together. Armor door 36 in.