Which component is a short stud immediately adjacent to a window or a door and attached to a King Stud?

• A. Blocking
• B. Jack Stud
• C. Cripple
• D. Stud

Answer: (B)

In framing a window or door, you have a full-height king stud that runs from bottom to top to provide continuous support along the opening. The short stud that sits directly next to the opening and is attached to that king stud to carry the load from the header down to the bottom is the jack stud (also called a trimmer). The header spans the opening and is supported by these jack studs, which transfer the weight to the sill and floor. This arrangement lets the opening be framed safely while the king stud maintains wall integrity behind the opening. Cripple studs are the short vertical pieces above the header or below the sill that fill space up to the top or bottom plates, not the ones providing support to the header. Blocking is horizontal material used to stiffen the wall between studs, not the vertical support at the opening, and a plain stud is simply a vertical framing member without specifying its relation to the opening.