This thread is resolved. Here is a description of the problem and solution.
Problem:
Client was having trouble consistently creating full-width headers and footers while using Avada with Toolset.
Solution:
They were using the Toolset Avada integration plugin, which is no longer recommended and is for advanced users only. Removing this plugin meant that the headers and footers displayed as expected.
This support ticket is created 6 years, 10 months ago. There's a good chance that you are reading advice that it now obsolete.
This is the technical support forum for Toolset - a suite of plugins for developing WordPress sites without writing PHP.
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Im currently building a site at the attached URL before moving it to production. I've been having issues with the header and footer not being full width, which is very annoying.
I've checked all the settings i could find to ensure, that I've set the header and footer to full width.
Sometimes the header and footer even goes missing for some reason
Are you using Avada in fully-integrated mode with the Toolset Avada integration plugin? And are using Layouts to design the entire page, including the header and footer?
Looking at the source for that page I see that the footer is in a row with a class of container, which needs to be container-fluid.
If you edit the Layout in question and click to edit the row you should see options for setting the width of the row where you can select the full-width option. (I don't currently have a test site with the same set up to take a screenshot, but if you can't follow let me know.)
The header and footer was different on different parts of the site, because I hadn't set a parent layout. Having done this, the header is full width, and the footer has disappeared (??!).
I see that you are using the Toolset Avada integration plugin.
This is no longer recommended and is retained for backwards compatibility or for clients who are familiar with the prior way of using Avada and Toolset together and want to continue with that methodology on new projects.
Unless that is you, I recommend you disable the Toolset Avada integration plugin.
What will happen then is that the Layouts you create will affect only the content area of the page, the headers and footers (and any sidebars) will be generated by the theme.
If you have been creating parent Layouts with headers and footers you could deactivate those Layouts.
If you do that do your headers and footers then appear as you expect them to?