Window placement

Started by wibekkah, October 06, 2006, 08:45:49 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

wibekkah

Hi,

We have sited our house so that the kitchen will be against the south non-load bearing wall.  We want to put several windows in.  The counters and backsplash will be 3 1/2 feet high.  How far do the windows have to be from the end of the wall?  I seem to remember that there has to structural sheathing within 4 feet of the corners.  If my windows are not 4 above the floor, do they have to be 4 feet from the wall?

Sasha

John Raabe

#1
Depending on your local earthquake and wind loading you may not need to have a "braced wall panel" that is 4' wide at each corner. Even if you do you can usually do an "alternative braced wall panel" which is only 2'-8" wide. Either of these panels (when required) can be placed anywhere in the first 8' of the wall length from each corner. So you could have 5' windows (for instance) that go right to the corner from each side. You would then have a bracing panel starting next to each window.

Check locally if these panels are needed. This is a way of doing prescriptive (non-engineered) bracing. Once an engineer is involved you have more freedom as to window placement.

For your kitchen, because the header loads are light in a gable end wall, you may be able to double up the end floor joist above and use it for the window header. This would allow you to run the tops of the window up close to the ceiling if you wanted.
None of us are as smart as all of us.


wibekkah

Thanks, John,

I have another question.  In your instructions, you discuss ways of minimizing the initial costs of the house and one of them is to put siding up later.  How does that affect the windows?  If we just paint/stain the plywood sheathing and install the windows, will we have to re-install them later when we add actual siding?

Sasha

PEG688

QuoteThanks, John,

I have another question.  In your instructions, you discuss ways of minimizing the initial costs of the house and one of them is to put siding up later.  How does that affect the windows?  If we just paint/stain the plywood sheathing and install the windows, will we have to re-install them later when we add actual siding?

Sasha


No your windows should be installed before your siding ,[highlight] unless[/highlight] that siding is a T1-11 type sheathing / siding single wall const.

In [highlight]all most [/highlight]all other cases wood / vinyl/ combo clad units(windows / doors ) all would be installed before the siding .  Your flashing (in this case paper either typar / tyvec / felt ) would be your issue.  Try to pick up a Grace Vycor booklet at Home Depot,

 http://www.graceathome.com/

Look for the flash it right booklet the web page won't let me post it , but H/D or your local lumber yard should have the grace vycor flash it right booklet .

G/L PEG
When in doubt , build it stout with something you know about .

John Raabe

To last a year or two without siding you would want to do the sheathing and housewrap (I would do 30# felt) and install the flashing over the tops of windows and doors. You would also want to do a bit more caulking than you might if the siding were going right up, but you shouldn't need to change the windows and doors.

Your friends will joke about the "tarpaper shack" but lots of folks have done this and moved in.
None of us are as smart as all of us.


wibekkah

For the last year, we've been living in an 18 foot camper and a shed with a tarp roof, literally!  There is no way my family will go far a tar-paper shack.  What I was thinking of doing was copying Victoria's Cottage.  I planned to use plywood to sheathe and then add battens and stain the whole thing.  In a year or two when we've added the addtion on and are ready to side the whole house, then I would add house wrap when we side.  Does this sound feasible?

PEG688

Yes it could be done that way if no bank needs to sign off on the loan , a few qualifiers to the yes would be location , as in do you get a lot of sideways rain ? That might get past the CDX / batterns / stain and get the insulation wet inside the wall cavity . If a bank is involved they MTL would not sign off a 1/2 finished house, I'm not sure whata building dept. would say , as long as safety issue / hand rails / stairs / decks / landings complied I'd think they wouldn't be able to say anything . You might loose some plywood to blows , even stained , and leaks around (above ) doors and windows might take some sheetrock / insulation out , as in ruin.  
When in doubt , build it stout with something you know about .