In part 2, I described my approach to installing the secondary studs and the secondary top plate. In part 3 I am getting into how I framed the window and door openings into the secondary structure. Throughout this post I will drop the use of the term "secondary" since all the components discussed in this post belong in that category, but if some clarification is required I'll just insert the term "primary" where required. On with the show!
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| A completed opening photographed in dusky winter light. Plywood window bucks to be added at a later time. |
Framing the window and door openings wasn't difficult, but some attention to measurement was required to make sure the perimeter of the "secondary" openings were parallel and in-line with the perimeter of the "primary" openings. I framed the sill for each opening about 1/8" lower than the sill of the interior opening so that the lower window bucks (when installed) would have a slight outward slope.
In most cases, I did not include a header over the openings since the primary frame carries all the important loads already. In certain places along the basement wall (under a door opening and at wide openings under the deck ledger) I decided to include 2 ply 2x4 headers. I'm not sure if this is really necessary, but it seemed like cheap insurance and my building inspector liked the idea too.
The basic idea when framing these openings is to extend the sill and "header" (whether on edge or on flat) between the nearest studs on either side of the opening and add in the cripple studs and sides as you go. I would start with the sill and lower cripples, then add the header piece and sides and finish off with the upper cripples.
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| A 2 ply 2x4 header insulated on one side with 1/2" XPS. I would have used adhesive to bind the insulation to the wood but because of the sub-zero temperatures, I used plastic cap nails. For clarification, this header is for use over a door opening in the basement wall which will later have a deck ledger above it - otherwise I simply used single 2x4s on the flat as "headers" over openings. |
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| Before beginning the framing, 1/2" XPS insulation was added to the header on the primary frame (again using plastic cap nails). Since this is a door opening, there is no lower sill so the first step is to secure the header. I used the side pieces of the opening to prop up the header so that it could be nailed to the studs on either side. |
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| Once the header was nailed in place, the sides were nailed to the header and to the bottom plate. Care needs to be taken that the side pieces are parallel and in-line with the primary opening. |
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| The last step was to add the cripples above the header. The cripples are nailed in so as to maintain the 16" o.c. framing of the studs. In this photo there are also cripples nailed in above the side pieces (red-circled). I later omitted the cripples over the side pieces in other openings. I'm not sure why I decided to include them in the first place... |
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| A photo showing the void between the primary structure on the right, and the secondary structure on the left. The header on the right is built from 2x12s and set flush with the sheathing on the interior. The header on the left is built from 2x4s and set flush with the exterior face of the wall. This basement window opening will later have a deck ledger fastened above it. |
I Don't Know - The Sheepdogs
