Will this window framing idea work?

[Snipe Hunter]

If you sheath the outside of the wall with either plywood or OSB, it won't rack and you won't have to deal with the plans examiner wondering what you are doing. You still need jack studs under the ends of your sill plate.

[Snipe Hunter]

If you sheath the outside of the wall with either plywood or OSB, it won't rack and you won't have to deal with the plans examiner wondering what you are doing. You still need jack studs under the ends of your sill plate. The ends of your beam are not supported, They need to be supported by a jack plate also. There's no need to re-invent the wheel here. You are designing a weaker wall with more materials than necessary. Your design is not transferring the load to the foundation. The beam is only supported by the center post.

This is what the plans examiner want to see.

[mike4244]

Planning the new house.  Several years ago I happened upon a surplus auction for the hospital and came home with 9 of their big insulated windows -- 3'6" x 4'6" -- for $1 each IIRC


Now we're going to use them.  I'm concerned that the folks who have to "approve" my plans will question the strength of the wall since it's not "standard".

The above is a section of the wall I'm designing.

Hoping someone in the brain trust here can make some educated comments on the idea.

There will be four of these units, separated by the 2x6, 2x8 columns.

Any guidance out there




Snipe hunter  shows an ideal picture of how to frame your windows. Jack studs are necessary and a full depth header for a wide span such as yours. Also not seen mentioned, if you use a double plank header with 1/2" plywood spacer, install the plywood on the room side over the planks. When planks shrink they crack sheetrock over the header. With plywood on the room side the sheetrock will not crack as the shrinking is eliminated  from the room side. I framed this way for 40 years with out ever having a comeback to repair cracks over door and window openings.

mike

[Wild Turkey]

Good point about the spacer.  I will remember that if needed.

Is this better?  The 2x6's will support the header and the 2x8 in the middle will go up to the sill plates.  Studs are on 12.6" spaceing.

Windows are 2' above the floor, leaving about 20" above the windows for header, studs, etc.

Sill plates are doubled 2x6, header is 2x10 due to length, one inside and one outside.

   

Here's a detail of how I would build the columns.  

   

[Snipe Hunter]

You're going to have to ask an engineer, Not sure why you are turning that center 2x6 sideways. I'd bet you a lunch that they will twist. I still don't understand why you are going against an acceptable building standard.

[Wild Turkey]

 I still don't understand why you are going against an acceptable building standard.

How could I use "acceptable building standard" and use the big windows?  Are you saying I shouldn't use them?


I'm concerned that without the 2x8 (say, using doubled studs instead) there wouldn't be enough resistance to racking (pushing wall out of square).  

The rest of the house is to be 6" studs 16" oc.

[Snipe Hunter]

I'm saying "build it like the photos I've posted with the appropriate sized header.". It's done all the time. It's how it's done. Those window aren't that big.

I've installed 7 foot wide windows with the exact same framing that I posted above. If I want to install three 7 ft wide windows next to each other, I'd do it just like the picture I posted with the three windows. One window, two, three, ten. It doesn't matter. You need to transfer the load above the window to the footers at the bottom of the foundation without crushing your window. That's why houses are built the way they are built. It's all about transferring the load down. You do that by framing the windows with jack studs, cripples, king studs, sill plates and the appropriate sized header. I think you are trying to make a very simple thing very complicated.

If I were building it, I would have a header for each individual window and one stud between each King Stud tying the floor into the top plate of the wall. That alone will prevent any racking. So in essence, you'll have three individual windows framed and one stud between them, tying them together. So you will end up with three studs going from the top of the Bottom Plate resting on the floor to the bottom of the Top Plate of the wall between each window opening. If you nail three 2x6s flat together, that's a dang strong post and that's what this does. It can't rack if everything is nailed in place as it should be.

[Wild Turkey]

I've been building stuff since I was 10 and my wife claims I'll never use a 1" board where a 2" board will fit


Is this more like what you think they'd like to see?  (all 2x6's )  Space between windows is 1'

   

[Snipe Hunter]

I've been building stuff since I was 10 and my wife claims I'll never use a 1" board where a 2" board will fit


Is this more like what you think they'd like to see?  (all 2x6's )  Space between windows is 1'

What are those black lines on either side of the center king studs?

Like this:

[Snipe Hunter]

My drawing is wrong. Concentrate on the middle window framing. Add a king stud between each window frame and repeat.