Corner windows have been around for
years, but until recently they were
expensive novelty items rarely used in
residential construction. Although
they're still expensive, at least three
major wood window manufacturers
now offer corner windows in their catalogs
of standard products (see manufacturers'
list at end of article). It may be
only a matter of time before you're
asked to install one.
These windows use either bent or
mitered insulated glass units in a typical
wood frame. The catalogs give no structural
details beyond pointing out the
need for a cantilevered structural header
designed by an engineer to prevent the
window from carrying any load. This article
provides such a header design suitable
for several common framing conditions.
Design Assumptions
Design