How much weight can a double 2×6, 2×8 & 2×10 header support depends on types, grade and species of wood, load, design and construction requirements.
A header is a horizontal beam generally made of timber that provided along the opening in exterior wall and interior load bearing wall in full length for doorway, window, skylight or stairway. Wood header provide structural support in wood frame construction.
Typically header is provided at least twice size then any other surrounding members such as rafter purlin and stud. It is often made of two to four joists, rafter or studs. It runs between full length supports and along its length and carry the load of shorter studs, joists or rafter that terminate at the opening.
The header helps to provide support, stability and strength to the top and side sections of the door frame. The header for a window & door is seems like a bridge that transferring the weight above it to the floor and foundation below.
Doors in a load-bearing wall that holds the weight of the house, created by beams and trusses, need a larger header than those in non-load-bearing walls. The header is usually made out of dimensional lumber installed on its edge. Calculating and know the size of the header depends on what the header needs to support.
Headers carry the weight of the structure above and transfer it to the trimmers down to the floors and foundations below. Longer openings such as in garage require larger headers. Load bearing walls those that carry the weight of joists and trusses require larger headers than non-bearing wall.
In this article you know about how much weight can a double 2×6, 2×8 & 2×10 header support load bearing wall that will help you in better understanding and to figure out or estimate of header size and their depth and help in important for you to use the right size header.
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How much weight can a double 2×6, 2×8 & 2×10 header support
Calculating header size is complex as depending on many factors such as:- the length of the window or door opening, the combined weight of the floors, walls and roofs above, the building width, the snow load in the area, whether it’s a load bearing wall where joists, trusses and rafters rest or a non-bearing wall to which joists, trusses and rafters run parallel, whether it’s an exterior or interior bearing wall and what species of wood you’re working with.
How much weight can a double 2×6 header support
A double 2×6 or 2- 2×6 header can support 2250 pounds of total weight/ load when spanning to 4 feet and can support 1680 pounds weight when spanning to 6 feet. Thus, a double 2×6 or 2- 2×6 header is meant to hold up to 2250 lb weight for span upto 4 feet.
How much weight can a double 2×8 header support
A double 2×8 or 2- 2×8 header can support 4690 pounds of total weight/ load when spanning to 4 feet, 3130 pounds weight when spanning to 6 feet, 2660 pounds weight when spanning to 8 feet and can support 2130 pounds of total weight when spanning to 10 feet. Thus, a double 2×8 or 2- 2×8 header is meant to hold up to 3130 lb weight for span upto 6 feet.
How much weight can a double 2×10 header support
A double 2×10 or 2- 2×10 header can support 5000 pounds of total weight/ load when spanning to 4 to 6 feet, 3760 pounds weight when spanning to 8 feet, 3010 pounds weight when spanning to 10 feet and can support 2510 pounds of total weight when spanning to 12 feet. Thus, a double 2×10 or 2- 2×10 header is meant to hold up to 3760 lb weight for span upto 8 feet.
Conclusion:-
A double 2×6 or 2- 2×6 header can support 2250 pounds of total weight when spanning to 4 feet. Thus, a double 2×6 header is meant to hold up to 2250 lb weight for span upto 4 feet.