Which header is required for a stairwell opening 5x5?

Which header is required for a stairwell opening 5x5?

• A. Install a double header
• B. Use a single header
• C. No header is required
• D. Dovetail the header

Answer: (A)

Headers across openings must carry the loads from the structure above. For a stairwell opening five feet wide, one member isn’t enough to safely transfer those loads, especially since the wall above the opening is interrupted and the floor above pushes down on the header ends. A built-up double header provides more stiffness and strength, increasing the moment of inertia so the header resists bending and sagging and properly transfers load to the studs on each side. That added capacity is why a double header is the correct choice for this span. Using a single header would be undersized for this width, leaving the opening inadequately supported, and other methods aren’t appropriate structural solutions for this situation.

Headers across openings must carry the loads from the structure above. For a stairwell opening five feet wide, one member isn’t enough to safely transfer those loads, especially since the wall above the opening is interrupted and the floor above pushes down on the header ends. A built-up double header provides more stiffness and strength, increasing the moment of inertia so the header resists bending and sagging and properly transfers load to the studs on each side. That added capacity is why a double header is the correct choice for this span. Using a single header would be undersized for this width, leaving the opening inadequately supported, and other methods aren’t appropriate structural solutions for this situation.