Hello,

When I had my foundation replaced, I had part of the crawl space
excavated into a basement. So I'd like to add some windows to the
3.5' - 4' high cripple walls; the house is one story wood frame
construction with a hipped roof. A few questions about maximizing the
window area:

1) Is there any reason not to set the window sill right on top of the
mudsill? I'm aware of the need for any wood to be 6" above grade,
of the need to clear any anchor bolts, and the need to level the
sill, but are there any other reasons?

2) Where the floor joists are parallel to the cripple wall, can the
window go all the way up to the top plate of the cripple wall? It
seems that when the floor joists are perpendicular to the wall, a
header below the top plate is required to spread the floor joist
load. But otherwise, if the rim joist is larger than the required
header for the opening, can I rely on the rim joist to spread the
load from the wall above?

I will be getting permits and inspections, but as always I like to
think things through before submitting plans.

Thanks,
Wayne