4 King studs or 4 Jack studs

Hello All,
I am replacing a window with exterior French doors. I have the walls torn down and there are two studs located 78 inches apart. The door going in is 72 inches. I was thinking of either putting 2 kings studs attached to the existing studs along with 2 jack studs or 4 jack studs to get my opening to 72 inches.

So which is better, 4 king studs or 4 jack studs?

I am not really clear on what you are doing? Kings studs go from bottom plate to top plate. Jack Studs support the Header.If you have an existing header above the window, to narrow the opening would require 4 Jack Studs. However if the header was properly sized and the proper amount of Jack Studs installed to begin with your new Studs would be Jack Studs in name only (they really act as glorified shims).



If installing a new Header you would need new a minimum of 1 King and 1 Jack on each side of the Header.

With the appropriate bracket to attach the header to the king studs, you do not need any jack studs. You must use a bracket, nails are not sufficient.

Without a bracket, I would say 2 jacks and at least 1 king on each side. 2 kings on each side if there is a second floor above. Don't forget the cripples between the header and the top plate. They should be on the original 16" spacing.

2 jack studs to support the header. A couple blocks where they attach to the king studs fill the space in between with insulation.

I understand the header and cripples and all that stuff. Basically I have a 78 inch opening between two existing studs. I need to get to 72 inches. Do I double up the existing studs with king studs followed by 2 jack studs OR do I use the existing studs as the king studs and use 4 jack studs to get to my 72 inch opening?

There is a second floor above and an attic above.

With your two given options do the double king and double jack. 4 jack studs is over kill and like other posters the king studs give you more top plate support plus will help with any lateral forces.

The king studs support the top plate above and transfer the load from above down to the bottom plate and downward.

The jack studs support the header and its load and transfer that down to the bottom plate and downward.

How many jack studs are required to support the header and its load is at least partly determined by what those loads actually are (two story wall? three stories? what? snow load? Seismic considerations? etc, etc, etc ).

But for most 'standard' exterior wall construction for a single family residential home using 2x4 studs at 16" OC, for a 72" or 78" wall opening you would usually (see above note about snow loads and total wall loads, etc) need 2 jacks and 2 king studs on each end of the header.

Double check the span and construction of the header you will put in there.

But to bump a 78" opening down to 72" where you have those two existing wall studs spaced 78" apart, you are trying to take up 6". That means you can just squeeze in the required two jack studs (that hold up the header) on each end. Two 2x studs on each end is 3" width on each end or 6" total width taken up by the jacks. Your rough opening is now good-to-go.

But you still need the double king studs on each end of the opening and you only have one existing stud there. So you have to put in the second required king stud on each side of the opening 'outboard' of you existing wall studs.

So your wall framing will be two king studs and two jack studs on each end of the opening for a total of four kings studs (two on each end) and four jack studs (two on each end).

KKJJ---------------------KKJJ

But to bump a 78" opening down to 72" where you have those two existing wall studs spaced 78" apart, you are trying to take up 6". That means you can just squeeze in the required two jack studs (that hold up the header) on each end. Two 2x studs on each end is 3" width on each end or 6" total width taken up by the jacks. Your rough opening is now good-to-go.

But you still need the double king studs on each end of the opening and you only have one existing stud there. So you have to put in the second required king stud on each side of the opening 'outboard' of you existing wall studs.

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Can you elaborate on what the double king studs are accomplishing here? I get the double jack studs as they're carrying the load from above the opening that's transferred through the cripples to the header but where's the additional load to the king studs coming from?

APEowner said:

Can you elaborate on what the double king studs are accomplishing here? I get the double jack studs as they're carrying the load from above the opening that's transferred through the cripples to the header but where's the additional load to the king studs coming from?

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Umm, my 'code' book/refs say that that is what is "required" as the king studs for that width opening/header.

Probably makes sense to 'beef up' the edge/flange of the opening you just put in your exterior wall and sheathing too.

And gives a bit more side-to-side 'backing' for the header.

But mostly the 'code' and building refs/practices say that the minimum required framing in an exterior load-bearing wall in residential single-family construction for a header with that span/width requires two kings and two jacks on each end.

For 6", I'd put a king and a jack on each side butted to the existing studs. Or if no header, just stack 2xs to take up the space. The 16' header over my shop door uses 2 jack + one king on each side but that was more to make space to mount the door hardware.

Thank you everyone. I did not consider putting a king on the opposite side of the existing stud and then use two jacks to close the opening. I was planning on using 2x12 as a header for the 6' opening.

One more question if you don't mind, should I build a temporary wall when I remove the window and the two studs on each side of the window?

I can install the extra king studs and the jack studs (though the jack doesn't mean jack without the header) before removing the window.

Davrmars said:

Thank you everyone. I did not consider putting a king on the opposite side of the existing stud and then use two jacks to close the opening. I was planning on using 2x12 as a header for the 6' opening.

One more question if you don't mind, should I build a temporary wall when I remove the window and the two studs on each side of the window?

I can install the extra king studs and the jack studs (though the jack doesn't mean jack without the header) before removing the window.

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re: temp wall

Yes. It's just a top plate, some studs, and a bottom plate installed parallel to the exterior wall (and thus perpendicular to the ceiling joists/trusses).

If the wall being worked on is an 'end' wall and thus already parallel to the ceiling joists/trusses, then probably no temp wall. But put up/in the 'second' king studs before removing the existing header.

Again, all advice applicable to 'standard' single-family residential construction, this advice based on no pictures or sketches, this advice worth what you paid for it, objects in mirror may be closer than they appear, flammable objects may be inflammable, inflammable objects may be flammable, your mileage may vary, etc.