Any building contractors or handy people here? I am putting a window in my attic

[motorcity]

and I am a bit unsure if my plan is the best one. My house is 100 years old, so it can be a bit challenging to work with. My biggest problem is that there is no sole plate (hopefully that is the right phrase) along the wall. The only thing along the wall are a few vertical studs that go all the way from the attic to the first floor. It looks to me like these studs are going to have to support the weight of my window as there is no flooring or anything in my attic. The second biggest problem is that I need to cut one of these studs to have a centered window. I drew up a little plan, if anyone has the time to check them out, hit me with a pm. Thanks!

[motorcity]

1. anyone?

kick

[LeftyFingerPop]

2. You will have to put both a "header" and...

a sill plate at the top and bottom of the window, respectively.

It is not a huge deal, but since you will be cutting studs, please consult a contractor first. Since all exterior studs are considered to be load bearing no matter what their proximity, special precautions need to be taken.

I would spend a few bucks and have a professional contractor tell you how to do it. If it is not up to code, it will have to be redone.

Best of luck.

[jmowreader]

3. Motorcity, exactly how bad do you want this window?

This job is going to be a world-class nightmare. You live in a "balloon framed" house. As you have noticed, the studs run the full height of the perimeter walls. That's problem number one.

Problem number two is, you have to use "jack studs." You've already been told you have to use a header, which is just two 2x8s (or larger; I like 2x10s minimum) above the window. This keeps the load of the roof from bearing down on the window. This is held up at the ends with studs running to the base plate. You'll also have a footer, which the window sits on. It is also supported with jack studs. They have to be tied to the main studs all the way down.

The third problem's fairly minor if you have a table saw: 100 years ago, lots of contractors used unplaned lumber. An unplaned 2x4 is 4 inches wide x 2 inches thick, not 1-1/2" x 3-1/2" like they are now.

[KG]

4. something like this?

[hippywife]

5. Cough up $5 bucks to donate to DU

and you can post in the DIY Forum here, and get loads of help. :hi: