Header
A beam spanning an opening in a load-bearing wall that carries the loads above it to the framing on either side.
What is Header?
Headers appear over windows, doors and other openings. Inspectors notice them mainly when something has gone wrong: a sagging header over a wide opening, a garage door header that has deflected, or an opening cut through a bearing wall during a renovation with no header installed at all. Unpermitted renovations are the usual source. Visible indicators include drywall cracking at the upper corners of an opening, doors that will not latch, and a visible dip in the ceiling line. Structural questions are outside the scope of a general inspection to diagnose, so the appropriate action is to describe the observation and refer it to a structural engineer.