Hello all,
I’m adding a window to an existing wall in my home. It’s a ranch home with 2×6 walls on a block foundation. The home has a metal roof that sits over shingles that sit on top of 7/16 OSB that’s nailed to trusses 2″ on center. That may be too much info, but better too much than too little.
I have to remove two studs (they are 16″ on center) to frame in the window opening. I think I have a good plan and don’t have any questions about framing or flashing. My question is how should I (or do I need to at all?) brace the roof/wall before I remove the two wall studs. I’ve seen videos of people building temporary “false walls” before removing studs and I’m leaning toward doing that. It seems relatively cheap and easy.
Any tips are appreciated.
Replies
What is your rough opening width going to be?
Will either stud you leave in place be a king stud for your new opening?
The rough opening of the window will only be 24". I have to remove two studs from the wall, then put in kings and jacks with a header above and 6" cripple studs above the header.
Ok, this is (probably) how I would do it.
Install my two king studs, then cut out the 2 studs you have to remove. Install header and trimmers and sill and crips.
If I am confident that those 2 kings will hold the framing (which I think I am.
I’m a retired professional and have years of remodel experience. But it’s always a judgment call).
The false wall is not a bad idea. Better safe than sorry. That said, when you cut the first stud you can tell if there's much load on it by how much the saw binds. Same with the second one. If it seems like a lot of weight, be sure to get all the new framing good and tight. Leave the exterior sheathing intact until the new jacks and header are doing their job.
You want to know how your ceiling is hung before thinking about a temporary wall that it will sit on.
I wouldn't bother if you work fast. I probably wouldn't leave it overnight but if you have your new studs and header ready I can't imagine any problems. I still run into old houses with no headers over the windows and they haven't fallen down in 50 years.
Where are the roof trusses in relation to the new king studs?
if your rough opening is 24" , why take out 2 studs? 16 on center should give you about a 30 inch opening when you go from either side of the one you remove (not sure I'm doing a good job of explaining this)
if you have everything pre-cut and set, you could probably cut out the one stud, put in the window rough framing quickly as a unit and be set
good luck
Because I wanted the new window to be centered behind the new sink. It wasn't just a matter to putting the window between studs. It was a matter of putting the window exactly where I wanted it.
Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I opted to install the new king studs first, then cut in half the existing studs that I needed to remove to see how much pressure was on them. There was essentially no weight on them, so I opted to remove them without the false fall. Absolutely no issues. I was sure to screw in the new jacks, header and cripples pretty quickly to make sure nothing would sag. The whole thing went off without a hitch and now my wife will have a window behind her new sink.