Headers 12 x 12 ?

House Repair Talk

Help Support House Repair Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

bryce

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2010
Messages
154
Reaction score
3
I am planning to take down a wall and also replace a window with a sliding door. I founds some good information about headers and i would need 2 x (2x12") headers to support it about 6' entrance.
FH00SEP_DORHEAD_02.JPG

I'm thinking use 12x12" solid piece so it will be viable. Then another 2 x 12x12 x8' pillars supporting the sides. Steel footers in the basement.
Is a 12x12" Piece stronger that 2x12's ? I guess it has to be against the grain would be important? I guess 8"x8" would be enough too?
$%28KGrHqF,!gsE9wDBRH6wBPmc95yq8Q~~48_20.JPG
 
Last edited:
Yup that's what you would call a beam.
A six foot window opening will usually require 2 2x10s,but sometime with weight loads above, more is needed and the wall removal. You will need to figure the weight loads on that wall and then you can figure the size of beam required, there are charts for such things but now your getting into engineering and I find that best left to an engineer. When you sell the home a smart buyer will ask for an engineers report on a beam that has been added so just bite the bullet and have an engineer look it over and tell what to do.
 
Hi Neal, I ask the house inspector specificity if he thought i should hire an structural engineer and he said no a carpenter would be fine. I also asked my uncle who said the same thing.

Having said i called around some local ads in the paper and way pay an engineer to come and give a consultation. I think 2-$300 ?
What i can tell the center of the house around the staircase is not sinking but the sides of the house are causing the center to bow a little bit. The one guy said he wouldn't try to raise it up because of cracking.
Since the porch has so much water damage the concrete shifted down, so maybe some of the foundations have sunk a bit on the sides. I'm thinking that once all the problem are corrected at least there won't be much more shifting.
 
I an sure some contractors will be able to figure live and dead loads and design the beam requirements and check the age of the house and check to see what the standard footing were at that time and determine whether or not they will be substantial or not, and what if anything will have to be done to bring them up to standards. Up here the permit dept. at the city would just request the engineers report and they would need him to sign off on that aspect of the job when it is done.
If you get three quotes from three contractors, you will find that they don't come up with the same solution, now what do you do?
 
Back
Top