When the owners of a 1940’s log cabin near Jasper wanted to expand windows on their lake-facing wall, they called Headwall to evaluate the wall, and ensure that expanding the windows would maintain the structural integrity of their historic cabin.
This cabin had large windows considering its age, but those windows were positioned low in the wall. Installing larger windows would undoubtedly increase the natural light in the building, and also provide improved views of the surrounding mountains.
The challenging aspect of expanding these windows involved cutting through the existing header log above the windows. The original log builder had chosen a large, continuous log as the header above these windows, but installing taller windows would involve cutting through this header and into smaller, spliced logs above.
We came up with a reinforcement scheme that was completely internal to the wall. No visible reinforcement would be present, maintaining the aesthetics of this historical building. The reinforcement was also cost-effective and used materials that the contractor was familiar with.
From the contractor performing the renovation:
Thanks Craig, good problem solving! I think your plan is solid, simple and won’t effect the aesthetics of the building.
Headwall Engineering 