Window Framing Question

[Rich Riddle]

I am roughing in the framing on a project that will have many windows (all open). On the front side you have a door and windows that are 61 1/2" high for the rough in. On both sides and the back all the windows are 60 1/4" high. One will be able to see two sides of the building and since it's mostly windows possibly the height difference. The question concerns if one should align the bottom edges to the same height, the top edges to the same height, or split the difference. Any opinions?

[Peter Quinn]

If possible make them all the same size. Why are they different by such a small margin? Different sash types? If possible I would pad the RO to be equal and use the same size windows. If not I would set the sill height at one level and let the tops take care of them selves, harder to read as the tops will be well above most peoples eye level assuming the interior sill height is not on the floor.

[George Bokros]

From my experience windows and doors are all set at the same height and let the window sills take care of themselves. By the way 61 1/2 is a little low for the doors, doors are usually 6"8" or 80 inches so rough in is 81 1/2 I believe. At a rough in of 61 1/2 the doors will be under 5" tall??

George

[Rich Riddle]

George,

The front side of the building has an antique door that has a rough in of 83 1/2". The windows on the front size of the building are 61 1/2" tall, not the door. The windows on the other walls are 60 1/4". I am wondering if I use the top end of the window or the bottom end of the window as the consistent variable. One of them is going to be 1 1/4" of unless I split the difference to 5/8" or something like that. Thanks.

[John Lanciani]

Top. Set all of your headers at the same height.

[Gary Yoder]

definitely the top. Framed houses for a living for years, and almost always aligned the top. depending on the siding choice you may never see an 1 1/4" anyway....

[Peter Quinn]

Framers do lots of inexplicable things that make trim carpentry more interesting. Any logic to setting the head at the same height? I've seen this done, and asked why, it looks better if the windows are of vastly different types, like a mix of awning, casements and double hungs or fixed sash whose dimensions differ considerably. But when the sizes are close it creates a consistent sight line where you can't read it and a zig zag where you can. I don't know the sill height or ceiling heights, but if it's a 60"ish RO, 10" header, 8' ceilings I'd guess 24-26" sills? That is in you direct sight line from the ground and from the inside. So consider what lines you are creating. If all the windows on a given side of the building are the same size it matters less, hard to get a read around a corner, then you might consider the visual interior, the trim, window treatments, distance from casing to crown. What matters to you most is what should guide the decision.

[Al Launier]

Standard height for doors is 80" (6' 8") & windows 87" (7' 3").
Frame accordingly to shim as needed.

[scott vroom]

For large windows that are nearly matched in height I'd align the sills so that all are on the same level when viewed from the inside of the house....for me that trumps any exterior view concerns. An exception would be where the windows tie into picture moulding, not typically found in modern construction but common in 100+ year old homes and high-end traditional new homes.

I wouldn't split the difference because it will then look like a mistake IMO whereas aligning either top or bottoms will look like a design choice.

[Peter Quinn]

Standard height for doors is 80" (6' 8") & windows 87" (7' 3").
Frame accordingly to shim as needed.

Door I agree, but windows? Whose standard And why? The 80" headroom on a door is code minimum, I make plenty of custom doors that exceed 80". For windows I'm guessing that's 8' ceiling, come down 2x10 header, window is at maximum height. Easy for framers...fill in sill heights as specified on plan with cripples or measure down to create specified RO. But does it look good?

[scott vroom]

Easy for framers...fill in sill heights as specified on plan with cripples or measure down to create specified RO. But does it look good?

You can have it (pick 2):

Fast
Cheap
Good

Construction trades live by this rule.

[Phil Thien]

Most typical is to align the tops of the windows with the tops of the exterior doors, and the bottoms of the windows fall where they may.

But in your case that would mean the floor to window would be only 18.5".

How high are the ceilings?

Is there an architect in the house?

[scott vroom]

Most typical is to align the tops of the windows with the tops of the exterior doors, and the bottoms of the windows fall where they may.

But in your case that would mean the floor to window would be only 18.5".

How high are the ceilings?

Is there an architect in the house?

No, no architects needed!!!!! (I wouldn't want to find out I've been doing it wrong all these years)

[lowell holmes]

I'm not currently a builder, but back in the 70's and 80's we framed the door headers and window headers at 82 1/2". I did build 20 houses. They may do it different in California.

The doors were 80" tall.

[Jerome Stanek]

we used 6'9" jack studs on both windows and doors when we built houses. In commercial we used 81" and 85" for doors