Constructing a Wall of Windows

Although providing homeowners with spectacular views may be the primary goal of window walls, remodelers need to keep in mind the home’s location and the wind pressure it will face. Jackie Enger, president of Jackie Enger Carpentry, Inc., faced and solved that problem. "On a recent family room addition with a wall of direct-set wood windows set into a gable roof, we installed steel pipes upright in the corners around the studs," Enger says. "We filled this area with concrete for added security and then installed steel I-beams parallel to the side walls to keep the addition from bowing later on. It’s important to go above and beyond the framing standards with projects like this because of the pressure of the roof on the glass. Consideration of stress loads has to be your No. 1 priority."