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Building elements

Header

A header is the horizontal member that spans the top of a door or window opening in a framed wall and carries the load from above around the opening.

Also known as window header, door header, wall header, header beam, trimmer

When a stud wall is interrupted by a door or window, the studs that would have carried the load down through that space are cut short. The header, also called a lintel, bridges the gap: it collects the load from the wall, floor or roof above and transfers it to the full-height studs on either side of the opening.

Headers are sized to the span and the load they carry, from a single piece of timber to a built-up or engineered beam. They are usually seated on shorter trimmer studs, and the ends are often notched so the header sits flush and square within the frame.

Related terms
LintelA lintel is a horizontal beam that spans the top of a window or door opening and carries the load of the wall, floor or roof above it. Rough openingA rough opening is the framed hole in a wall that a window or door is later fitted into, sized slightly larger than the unit itself. StudA stud is one of the vertical members that make up the frame of a wall panel. NotchA notch is a recess cut into a piece of timber so that another member can sit in or over it.
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