Contractors can’t always foresee every possible scenario when they bid a job, and they often have to assume that previous tradesmen have done their work appropriately. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case, and even simple jobs became much more involved. Professional contractor and carpenter Steve Wartman and his crew began the process of replacing a patio door when they uncovered a poorly built header. Steve couldn’t in good conscience continue with the project until they replaced the header, and here’s how they did it. If you’re new to One Project Closer, this article is one of many Pro-Follows, derived from shadowing licensed, professional contractors on actual job sites. Every Pro-Follow is chock full of tips and experience straight from the contractor. If you enjoy seeing the pros in action, check out our completed Project Guides section and become an email or RSS subscriber. Calculating window and door header requirements is complicated because they depend on a variety of factors including the size of the opening, the weight of everything above it, snow loads, if it’s an interior or exterior wall, and more.
One rule of thumb says 2″ of header for every 1′ opening width which means a 6′ opening should have a 2×12″ header. However, it’s often necessary to involve a structural engineer as Fred and Kim did when they removed a load bearing wall. An engineer will be able to determine the necessary size of the header, type of wood, and the number of king studs and jack studs. Non load bearing windows and doors do not require a structural header. For instance, in the basement remodel, all the doors have simple 2×4″ framing around them. Pro-Tip: You can access a free copy of the 2012 International Building Code here. Section R502.5 shares allowable girder and header spans. Steve and his crew began the process of removing the old double-doors leading from a basement to the outdoors. After removing some trim, it quickly became apparent that the header was not built to code. What you’re seeing here is a header built with a 2×6″ bottom plate, 2×4″ cripple studs, and a 2×4″ top plate resting on the adjacent block walls.
This header spans a 6′ opening and supports 4 floor joists (with 2 stories and a roof above it). The lowest point is at the middle and it sags down about 1/2″. Wait, it gets worse. The guys quickly found that the header wasn’t supporting very much weight as it moved about with only a small amount of pressure. It seems the band board was doing all the work, and on closer inspection, Steve found two cuts in the band board on either side of one of the joists. From the picture, you can see they measured the depth and found each cut was over an 1″ deep! Before removing anything else, Steve and his crew built a temporary wall to support everything above the opening. They used 2×4″ studs with a stud underneath each floor joist and a total of six studs. Pro-Tip: When building a temporary structure, fasten everything with screws to make disassembly easier. First, the guys moved the top plate and bottom plate into position about 2′ away from the foundation. Next, they put in a few screws to hold the top plate against the floor joists.
They measured each stud individually. The goal was not to raise the floor joists, just to achieve a super-tight fit at the current height. They also made sure each temporary stud was plumb. The old header came free without too much trouble. The new header will consist of three, pressure-treated, 2×10″ boards, supported on either side by the block wall. Steve needed to cut away a portion of the block wall, and they marked off an area 7″ wide x 9-1/2″ tall x 4-3/4″ deep on each side. Pro-Tip: Pressure-treated lumber measures slightly larger. For instance, the true dimensions of an untreated 2×10″ are 1-1/2″ x 9-1/4″. However, a pressure treated 2×10″ measures up to 1/8″ taller and thicker. Using a grinder and masonry cutoff wheel, they made cuts along the lines. While not big enough to cut the entire depth, this helps prevent the block from cracking. They followed the grinder with a rotary hammer and chisel bit. The guys cut the 2×10’s to length and checked the boards for a crown (up and down curve).
Orienting the boards crown-side-up, they nailed two of them together placing four nails every 16″ on center (oc). Since Steve knew the floor joists above the door opening were bowed, he decided it would be better to fit two of the 2×10’s in place and add the third one later. This allows them to more easily maneuver and still prevents the new header from bending under the pressure. Pro-Tip: These framing nails are 3″ long, and when nailing two pieces of 2x together, angling the nail gun prevents the nail tip from protruding on the opposite side. To slide the header in place, Steve used a spare 2×6 to push the header up and a maul sledge-hammer to push the header over. The guys repeated the process for the last 2×10, and put four nails every 16″ oc. Steve’s crew finished the header by driving nails into the floor joists. With this unexpected twist resolved, Steve turns his attention back to installing the new patio doors. Look for that Pro-Follow article in the next few days.
FREE SHIPPING ON QUALIFYING ORDERS $49 OR MORE Prices, promotions, styles, and availability may vary. Our local stores do not honor online pricing. Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Lowe's reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted.We heartily thank the Company for allowing us to reprint this slightly modified instructional article onObviously, these instructions are designed specifically for their own doors. But if you own another brand and don't have access to the original instructions, you may find this information useful as general information or as a general reference for adjustment and safety issues. Please read and understand these instructions completely before proceeding with the installation of torsion springs. Carefully follow these instructions to
avoid personal injury or property damage. Torsion springs can be very dangerous if they are improperly installed or mishandled. Do not attempt to install them yourself unless 1) you have the right tools and reasonable mechanical aptitude or experience and 2) you follow these Instructions very carefully. Materials Required for Torsion Spring Installation: 1. Two 9/16" box wrenches 2. 7/16" socket wrench 3. Two 1/2" diameter, 18" long cold rolled solid steel winding bars (NOTE: Winding bars are available at most hardware stores) 5. Wood Anchor Pad It is important that the torsion spring assembly be firmly and securely attached to the frame of the garage. Refer to Figure TOR-1 for the configuration of 2" x 6" wood jambs. Important: The wood anchor pad must be made of a Grade 2 or better southern yellow pine (also known as southern pine or yellow pine). acceptable types of wood for this application are beech, birch, hickory, and
The wood must be free of splits and cracks. Do not use wood labeled as spruce pine fir (or SPF). Each side jamb and the center anchor pad should extend 12" above the top of the opening for 12" radius horizontal track and 15" above the top of the opening for 15" radius horizontal track. The wood anchor pad must be attached to the frame of the garage with at least four 3/8" x 4" long lag screws for wooden frames or four 3/8" x 4" long sleeve anchors for concrete frames. (one at each corner). The four fasteners must be installed no closer than 1-1/2" from the sides and the ends of the anchor pad. These fasteners must be embedded into the frame of the garage, not the drywallThe wood anchor pad and fasteners are not supplied. NOTE: The wood anchor pad can be off-center to the width of the opening by up to 10" in either direction. Click HERE for larger version of the above graphic for printing (TOR-2) Lock the door in the down position securely using
door lock or locking pliers. This must be done to prevent the door from prematurely opening which could cause an injury. NOTE: You need an assistant in Step 4. If your garage has only one entrance, be sure you, the assistant, and the tools you need are inside before you lockYour door will have either one or two torsion springs. spring consists of spring coils, stationary cone, and a winding cone (FIG.The spring coils are color-coded depending on the spring size and the winding cone is color coded separately, either red or black. The color on the winding cone is to help identify on which side of the door the spring is to be Black winding cone torsion springs are used on the right side of the door and red winding cone torsion springs are used on the left side of the door when viewing the door from the inside looking out. Failure to install the torsion springs on the correct side will cause your door to function improperly and could result in serious injury.
(NOTE: If you have low headroom, these instructions DO NOT APPLY. Consult supplemental low headroom instructions.) Slip the torsion springs onto the spring tube, the red winding cone on the left end, the nylon center bearing, center bearing plate, and the black winding cone torsion spring on the right end (FIG. Cable drums go on next, the red drum on the left, black drum onThe set screws on the drums face the springs. Fasten the bottom of the end bearing plate to the horizontal angle with (2) 3/8" x 3/4" long hex head bolts and hex nuts. The bottom of the end bearing plate is identified by two parallel rows of two slots. Please make sure to use the bottom two slots for 12" radius horizontal track, and the upper two slots for 15" radius horizontal track. When properly mounted the torsion tube is level Before installing any lag screws, it is important to drill 3/16" pilot holes where the lag screws are to be attached. Fasten the wall flange on the end
bearing plate to the wood jamb with (1) 5/16" x 1-5/8" long lag screw. 3/16" pilot holes where lag screws are to be installed. On 12" radius horizontal track, each end bearing plate should also be attached with 3/8" x 3/4" carriage bolts and 3/8" nuts (FIG. With an assistant, lift the complete torsion spring tube assembly and slide the ends of the tube into the bearing on the end bearing plates. level, mount the center bearing plate to the center anchor pad using (2) 5/16" x 1-5/8" long lag, red-coated screws. NOTE: Red-headed fasteners must be installed for the attachment of center bearing plate to indicate this part will be under extreme tension once spring is wound (FIG. Before mounting the center bearing plate, drill (2) 3/16" pilot holes for theThese pilot holes must be no closer than 1-1/2" from the sides and ends of the wood anchor pad. The center bearing plate resists the considerable counter torque of the springs.
This wood anchor pad must be installed to the frame of the garage as stated in Step 1. The cable that is attached to each bottom bracket is brought up between the wall and roller shafts to the cable drum. This cable is placed in the notch onTurning the cable drum and sliding it up tight against the end bearing plate removes the cable slack. Make sure the cable follows the grooves in the cable drum. The set screws on the cable drum should be tightened with a 3/8" box wrench while holding the cable taut. clamped to the torsion spring tube maintain tension on the cable (FIG. This procedure should be repeated on the opposite side. Check for a straight line drawn across the length of the spring(s). line is present, draw one using a piece of chalk. This will be used to indicate the number of turns on the spring(s). After inserting the two winding bars all the way into the winding cone, wind the springs 1/4 turn at a time in an upward
direction as shown in FIG. The number of turns is shown in the table inThe tail of the torsion spring coil points in the direction that the NEVER use screwdrivers or other substitutes forStand to the side of bars. Be sure to insert the bars all the way Secure each spring with the set screws on the winding cone. Set screws should be turned from 3/4 to one full turn after they have made contact with the tube.) On doors with two torsion springs, each torsion spring should be wound the same number of turns. Remove the locking pliers. Unlock the door, slowly raise the door and prop it about halfway open. This is the first time the new door is being opened. If the tracks are not correctly aligned or the back hangers are not strong enough, the door may fall. Proceed slowly and carefully. Check to be sure the horizontal tracks are parallel with each side of theMake sure all the lag screws are securely fastened. With the door about halfway open, make sure the rollers do not come out of the top brackets more