"Rachel" wrote in message
oups.com...
Thanks for your reply.

No heat duct to be moved but there is a large crack in the wall right
above the window to be removed. Spoke to a builder and it is structural
damage, caused when double glazed window was installed.

Crack is on the inside, I assume? Again, it could be nothing, or it could be
serious. Do you know if the double-glazed replacement window was same size
as the original? If some hack made the hole wider by removing the short
studs that hold up the header, the resulting sag would indeed likely crack
the drywall. On the other hand, if somebody just pried in the wrong place
while doing the install, or didn't shim out the window correctly, the crack
could be strictly cosmetic- likely an old drywall seam that got
overstressed. (In either case, whoever owned the house when the window was
switched and crack happened, should have beat on the window company
severely, and made them fix it.) If window is square, operates smoothly, and
there are no cracks where wall meets ceiling, it is probably nothing. Just
patch and paint when you plug the other door and repaint kitchen. They will
be able to see if the header is properly supported when they pull out the
window to put in the french door, and add back any supporting studs that
were improperly removed. That does mean you want the carpenter to make a
recon trip and pull the interior trim before you buy the door, though- the
opening may need to get 3" narrower. It is possible to fake missing header
supports with steel angles, but that is not the preferred solution.

aem sends...