Putting windows headers into balloon frame

[Vector]

I'm getting ready to install new windows in a 1890's era colonial, and as you can see from the photo below, they weren't real big on headers back then.

http://mark.vectorworld.com/albums/re-framing/P6300131.sized.jpg

All they put in was a couple of 2x's to space the windows down and then 2x's to frame the rough opening. There's nothing to transfer the load at all.

In replacing these windows, I will need to add headers. I also will have to increase the size of the windows from the existing 36"x48" to 36"x56" to get a modern manufacturer rated egress window. This presents a problem, as I want to keep the windows up high enough to not require tempred glass on the second floor. Nor do I want to lower the tops of the windows significantly, as they're already forced low by the way the rafters drop the outside top end of the room.

In each case (three columns of windows across the front) there will be a window on the second floor directly above a window, or door on the main level.

What I am looking at doing is this:

http://mark.vectorworld.com/images/Headers.gif

Tan is existing framing. Yellow is the new headers. Blue is new 2x framing.

Any thoughts or comments? Is the (2) 5 1/2" LVL going to be enough over the top? I'm thinking that simple 2x10's will suffice on the main floor, as they really won't be bearing any significant weight. The door will be a signicantly larger opening, so I expect I'll use (2) 11 7/8 LVL to span over that.

(edit for awful spelling)

[mjpliv]

You can save yourself some expense here. The upper header can be a double 2x6 SPF #2 or better as well as the bottom. With a 3' opening there is very little load transfer through the headers and jack studs. 2x10 headers are used as a convenience in most openings not because you need that much lumber to carry the load. In fact if I ran them through my software at work they would probably work as a double 2x4.

[Vector]

That's encouraging. Although, in fact, I have about 10-12' of 11 7/8 LVL left over as scrap from the addition I just had framed, so the expense is minimal either way. When the inspector was checking out the addition I asked him, and while he wouldn't be specific ("I can't give advice, I can only pass or fail"), some of the things he said led me to believe he'd like to see about a 6" piece of LVL up there.

Will my method of bringing the cripples down to the lower header and then carrying the load from there to the sill pass muster though?

Thanks for the reply!

[mjpliv]

It looks good to me although I would add a plate on top of the lower header. I never really liked seeing stud ends sitiing directly on a header. All lot of people do it, I just don't like it (call me old school!).

If you have the material (lvl) at hand then by all means use it up, but a single ply is more than enough.