Header placement

[new land owner]

If you are framing a 10 foot tall wall and the top of the windows lands at, say 6' is the header placed at the top of the window and filled in above to the top plate or does the header go to the top plate and filled in with 2 x 4's down to the height of the top of the windows?

[Don_P]

Typically right above the window with cripple studs from header up to plate. By window I would say an opening of about 6' or less. At about 6' width begin doubling jacks and at 10' height I'd be thinking about doubling the kings as well to stiffen the column. I'm an unadvanced framer, build structure first.

Large openings where the header can flex out of the wall plane are the exception that makes the rule though, garage door openings are the example. A dropped header there with cripples above can bow out and even fail as load comes down onto the top of that laterally unsupported header. The top rolls out as the pinned, hinging, cripples load the top. So... correctly the header is right under the top plate where its connection to the ceiling diaphragm provides the lateral support to keep the header straight (keep the structural members solidly in line) and then the wall down to the opening is hung under the header.

[new land owner]

Thanks, Don.