I am installing a header over a french door and 2 windows. The span is about 12feet. This is an outside wall, and the first floor of a 2 story house. If I nail 2 - 2x8's together, is that going to be strong enough?

If the windows are on each side of the door you should have no problem. The layout would be( starting on one side), 1 king stud, 2 jack studs, window, 2 jack studs, door, 2 jack studs, window, 2 jack studs, 1 king stud. The open header span would be about 6' 2''.

The jack studs will have to be supported down to the foundation.

Chuck

Bearing wall or non bearing wall? In any case, you will have to separate the window casings from the door casings so you could put in a stud or two.

Hi Chuck, thanks for answering my question! But, the problem is that there is 0 room between the windows and the door, not even enough for a single 2x4. The only option that I have is to use a single header than spans the door and both windows. The wall is thick enough for 2 - 2 bys, but not 3. I am hoping that 2-2x8's will be enough, I could (with a lot more work) fit in 2 2x10's, I am hoping I don't need a micro lamb, or would that be better to use? The door is 5', and both windows are 3', which makes it 11'. A 12' header will fit, I just don't know what to use for the header. Thanks again!

A door must have double studs on each side of it, or the whole 12' row will be unsteady when you use the door. Windows can be mulled. But regardless of the size of the header (2nd floor above it, but is it under gable end of roof or sloping side, which has more load), you need to work out how the 11' of windows and door will be supported. And I'll bet that your header will have to be more than 8" and possibly more than 10" depending on the arrangement of studs holding it up. Unless you get the lam beam.

You just can't have 11 ft. of windows and doors basically unattached to some upright studs. In opening and closing the doors, you will have a lot of wall flex. Why not a 2/8 window(32") Not sure they make a 2/10.

I agree with Joy and Brian. You can not put the door and windows in without studding between the door and windows.

To span 12' you will need a minimum of a 2x12 and that may not be enough.

Get a certified architect or construction engineer to check what you want to do. They will be able to tell exactly what you need.

Chuck

Thanks everybody! I think I will strip all the trim off both windows, and see what I really have in there. Everything was fine until the 5' glass sliding door needed to be replaced. We decided to go with french doors, the problem is that they are 5'2'', instead of 5'. The guy who installed the door told us that he had to remove one of the support beams, but he also told us that it would be fine because he nailed it in really good (even though I knew better) End nailing compared to a stud holding up a header is not really two things that belong in the same sentence! A few months later, I noticed a crack in the sheetrock above the door, and immediately put up a false wall while I was trying to figure out what to do! I am going to remove all the trim this weekend, I'll be asking more questions if you all don't mind! Thanks again!

Just because you have the windows and doors does not make putting them all together make sense. Draw up your plans and submit them. Your building permit officials will issue the permit if you have it sized correctly. Using smaller windows will not only make the wall stronger, it'll make it look better. Think about the trim and siding detail. If its all bunched up, it will be a nightmare to trim (finish) and just look wrong.

Ok, I took the trim off the inside of the windows (closest to the door) there is a vertical 2x4 on either side of the door. But, the support 2x4 on both sides is gone. So, there is the header, with a 2x4 nailed up to the edge on either side. I think once I get the rest of the trim off, I may be able to shift the windows to the outside enough to get a support 2x4 under the existing (but unsupported) header. Keeping in mind that since this house is about 200 years old, there are pieces of wood of all dimensions (2x4's that are actually 2x4). Also, the headers over the windows are these tree trunk size pieces of wood that extend over the door about 1 and 1/2 feet in on each side, that are also lending some support. I'll get the rest of the trim off this weekend, and I'll let you all know what I find. Thanks again!!