I'm replacing some windows in my house. The original window openings were outsized for the rooms, so the replacement windows I've chosen are smaller, which means framing in the part of the opening that I won't be using.
The first window that I'll be replacing was off-center in the wall, so I'll be installing the new window to one side of the opening so that it will be closer to the wall's center. As I see it, I need to create two pieces of framing — one for the side of the window and one for underneath (I think a single L-shaped piece would be structurally weaker). There are two ways that I could build these pieces: one where the side piece fills the opening vertically with the bottom piece at its side (Figure 1); the other where the bottom piece fills the opening horizontally with the side piece and window resting on top (Figure 2).
Figure 1: Side framing piece fills opening
Figure 2: Bottom framing piece fills opening
Have I considered all the options for how to build the new framing, and is there an advantage for one method over the other?
Best Answer
If you were framing this opening from the start, figure 1 is the way it would be done. I would go that direction so it will make sense to anyone working in this area of your home in the future.
Did you consider the possibility of centering the new window horizontally in the existing opening? That may result in a better proportion. In that case I would still use the approach in figure 1 with new vertical sections on both sides extending the entire height of the opening.