How to Lower a Closet Header

Take the door out of the door frame by popping out the hinge pins, separating the two parts of the hinges and setting the door aside. Pop the hinge pins by tapping a small nail into the bottom of the hinge cylinder with a hammer.

Remove the finish trim on the inside and outside of the closet door opening with a crowbar or claw hammer.

Remove the door frame by sliding the crowbar into the space between the door frame and the rough opening and prying the sides of the door frame toward the center of the opening. When you have released the sides of the door frame, pull their bottom ends out toward you to pry the top of the door frame off.

Lower the closet header by installing a new closet header in the upper part of the rough opening for the door. You could also cut open the wall, remove the old header and actually lower it to a new position, but this would be a much more labor-intensive way of accomplishing the same thing.

Determine the new height of the rough opening with the new header installed and mark that height on the inside faces of the studs on both sides of the rough opening.

Measure the width of the rough opening between the two marks that you made in Step 5. Cut two piece of 2-by-6 to this length. Nail the two pieces of 2-by-6 together.

Place the 2-by-6 assembly horizontally into the rough opening so its ends are pressing against the side studs. Secure the 2-by-6 assembly by driving screws in diagonally through the ends of the 2-by-6 assembly and into the studs.

Cut the door frame to fit the new space with the lowered header and reinstall the door frame.

Cut the interior and exterior closet face trim to fit the new door opening size and reinstall the face trim.

Cut the door to fit the new opening, and rehang the door in the door frame.