# 18' garage header



## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

If you are using a standard truss at each gable end there will/should be minimal load on those headers. However, are you sure you want a standard truss there? They usually build a stud wall there so you will have a place to nail the sheathing and it would be a lot more rigid.

As for the header load, your lumber yard can specify that for you.

Bud


----------



## donbowman14 (Apr 12, 2016)

each truss will be a gable end, so they will load the LVL's, not as if the truss ends were on sitting on the LVL in a perpendicular fashion or hip style roof, but they should be minimal load I figure


----------



## craig11152 (Jun 20, 2015)

Is there a permit involved? In my area a set of plans would have been submitted and approved by the building department.


----------



## carpdad (Oct 11, 2010)

I hope you're talking about a plan. I hope you did not build it already then asking questions.
LVL is not going to stay unbending. I am not saying what you have is wrong. It has its own weight and even if you don't put any weight on it, its own weight will follow the gravity. This is same for any building material. This is when the engineer comes in. Any building material also has strength, and the engineer figures out what that strength is - strength to resist its own weight/additional weights.
16/18' are lengths when you must know the properties of the material. At those lengths, I would have assumed at least double - usually would be a load bearing. The lumber yard must have the manufacturer's contact info, who at least some years ago used to provide free engineering. You give that info to the permit inspector.


----------



## donbowman14 (Apr 12, 2016)

not done yet, not even ordered, but wanted to order today along with trusses. I have checked with the building department when I got my permit and the lady at the lumber company. I did not specific the actual size of the LVL to the build dept, but the lady at the lumber company said, based on what I told her on length and roof structure that a 12" will be the material I would need, she said they also carried 14" ones, but that that was excessive. I have also looked at numerous new construction homes with 16' doors, all seem to have either a 12" LVL or 2X12 regular pine beams, which based on the propensity to bend I wouldn't do. Of course, with 14"er's, the weight of the product would increase as well. I'm pretty sure I'm fine with my plans, but I don't like to build just to code, I like my work to be top notch, without being a bomb shelter:wink2:

Was thinking of going to 14" for the 18' door and staying with 12" for the 16' door


----------



## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

I've installed a good number of double and triple 2x12's over the years and a few more recent LVLs. No comparison, those LVLs are far superior, plus they cover the length with out splices. Once the gable ends are tied together with sheathing nothing is going to sag.

Do consider how you will finish the gable truss to provide strength and a nail base for the sheathing. If you will have a gable overhang you will also want that ladder tied into the next truss over. 

Bud


----------



## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

i have an 18' door. they used 3 2x12" regular wood, far as i can tell. i would have paid extra for lvl. but as it is now, i see nearly no issues.


----------



## donbowman14 (Apr 12, 2016)

Fix'n it said:


> i have an 18' door. they used 3 2x12" regular wood, far as i can tell. i would have paid extra for lvl. but as it is now, i see nearly no issues.


how is the set up, meaning is it a two story or do the ends of all the trusses sit on it or just the one end truss? Come heck or high water I'm ordering them tomorrow, I've done enough research at this point I think.


----------



## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

Assuming that the gable end is above the door, you can ask the truss plant to build a structural drop gable that will reduce any load on the header and allow the ladder for the overhang to be built such that the ladder ties to the second truss.
An 18 ft header with the truss ends landing on it will be a monster of a header.


----------



## jlhaslip (Dec 31, 2009)

Something like this.


----------



## Fix'n it (Mar 12, 2012)

donbowman14 said:


> how is the set up, meaning is it a two story or do the ends of all the trusses sit on it or just the one end truss? Come heck or high water I'm ordering them tomorrow, I've done enough research at this point I think.


its just a regular stick build hip roof 3 car. the rafters do sit on the header.


----------



## donbowman14 (Apr 12, 2016)

I checked with the engineering folks at the lumber company to make sure what I was getting was correct, it is two 1.75" X11.75" LVL's, two 20' long, two 18' long, here are some pics. I've made some more progress, but these are the most recent pics.


----------



## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Hmmm! the posts holding up those nice headers look like pressure treated 4x4's, so all fasteners there need to be rated for that material. But, the bottom plate on the walls looks like regular pine. It needs to be PT.

But I do like the headers

Bud


----------



## donbowman14 (Apr 12, 2016)

Bud9051 said:


> Hmmm! the posts holding up those nice headers look like pressure treated 4x4's, so all fasteners there need to be rated for that material. But, the bottom plate on the walls looks like regular pine. It needs to be PT.
> 
> But I do like the headers
> 
> Bud


all bottom plates are PT and the center jack studs are 4X6's, there will also be another 2X6 PT on the inside of the frame that will contact the top of the floor as the floor is dove-tailed, but won't touch the outer part of the garage opening


----------



## Bud9051 (Nov 11, 2015)

Just checking. I've removed some regular nails from Pt wood only 3 years after being installed and they were in tough shape.

Bud


----------



## Gary in WA (Mar 11, 2009)

Welcome to the forums!

"Also I have a three jack stud set-up for the 16' door header and a four jack stud set-up fro the 18'er. Any issues there?'--- eg.; compare to end* bearing length/max. reaction chart, pp 2*; http://parr.com/PDFs/LP LVL 1.9E.pdf

Very little roof load on the end gable/OH so what they speced out should work, IMO. The only thing I would have done is braced both outside truss bearing walls every 8' diagonally to safely walk. I also add pre-cut blocking to each truss at the peak, before standing after they are fanned out to simplify installation (requires a center support continuous) - all resting against the well-braced gable truss (plumb at blocking points. Then one man can lift the truss/shoot a couple toe-nails through the block to already stood truss, alone. After all set, come back through aligning them at the string line 1" over the peak or at one side-at tails. No tail trimming, at least on the one string side, lol. Your sheathing MAY need blocking for shear-wall, depends on location. The beam MAY have needed to run to each next stud 16" away. depending on shear wall requirements, or may need two/three bottom plates on the beam walls to get enough shear resistance on that short a wall. As no hold-down hardware is present, sounds as if you don't have too much to worry about. I would leave a 16d nail space between the OSB as it will expand, and manufacturer requires it, same with roof sheathing unless using H-clips.

Gary


----------

