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Need some advice on floor vents, please

rasher | Posted in General Discussion on March 4, 2009 10:08am

I don’t have much experience with ductwork, so I’m hoping someone here can tell me what I should do here:

The hacks that installed these two floor vents (see attached) years ago made it so that the register covers don’t fit into the duct. I’m pretty certain that I get a lot of air leakage into the basement. One vent is a 4×10 that elbows into a 6″ duct and the other is a 2-1/2″ x 10″ that elbows into a 5″ duct.

How do I go about fixing this?

Thanks!

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  1. User avater
    Sphere | Mar 04, 2009 10:13pm | #1

    I'd get new ends ( the boot ) and then mount them, and tie a short new pipe to the old and new.

    Mount the new 4x10 box flusg with the floor, even bend over a slight flange.

    Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

    Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

     

    They kill Prophets, for Profits.

     

     

    1. rasher | Mar 04, 2009 10:26pm | #2

      Just to get straight: Use a "straight boot" 4x10 or 2-1/2x 10 and then add a 5" or 6" elbow below the floor to tie into the existing 5 or 6" duct?

      1. rasher | Mar 04, 2009 10:29pm | #3

        And when I install it, leave it stand a bit proud of the finish floor, snip the corners and then bend the excess out over the floor as a sort of flange?

        1. User avater
          Sphere | Mar 04, 2009 11:46pm | #5

          Yeah, new boot what ever size fits the chopped out hole, and fold the top edges over say about a 1/2". Then tie in the pipe. I have seen roofing nails used inside the boot to attach it to the subfloor..use the hammer sideways.

          Tape all joints w/foil tape, duct tape is for everything but ducts.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

          Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations

           

          They kill Prophets, for Profits.

           

           

  2. Scott | Mar 04, 2009 10:30pm | #4

    I take it that the basement isn't livable space and therefore you don't want heated air leaking there, right? If so, then replace the boots like Sphere said.

    You might need to put short extensions on the duct before the boot so that the boot can reach properly into the hole in the floor. It looks like the 'hacks' that did the work cut the supply duct too short which prevents the boots from reaching.

    Scott.



    Edited 3/4/2009 3:18 pm by Scott

  3. MSA1 | Mar 05, 2009 01:37am | #6

    Do you have any shots from down below? It might help us figure out why the boots dont quite look like they fit. It could have been the fault of the floor guy after the duct work was done.

    You may have to embiggen the holes in the floor to make the boots fit properly.

     

    Family.....They're always there when they need you.

    1. Scott | Mar 05, 2009 01:53am | #7

      "embiggen"hahaha...I love this place.Scott.

      1. MSA1 | Mar 05, 2009 04:20am | #9

        Jebediah Springfield (founder of Springfield the Simpsons hometown) coined the word. 

        Family.....They're always there when they need you.

        1. User avater
          FatRoman | Mar 05, 2009 04:37am | #10

          Embiggens. Heh.It's a perfectly cromulent word.'Man who say it cannot be done should not interrupt man doing it' ~ Chinese proverb

          View Image

      2. jimAKAblue | Mar 05, 2009 05:22am | #11

        I agree Scott...I have just added a new word to my vocabulary: embiggen LOL!

        Thanks Mark!

        1. MSA1 | Mar 05, 2009 05:25am | #12

          Its a great word because if someone isnt paying attention you can slip it right into a conversation and they wont even notice.

          I've told many homeowners I needed to "embiggen" something pertaining to the job. They either dont notice or they dont want to be thought of as dumb, cause no on ehas ever questioned it. 

          Family.....They're always there when they need you.

          1. MGMaxwell | Mar 05, 2009 05:31am | #13

            Embiggens? Related to the Biggens? Like the girl with big tattas. Her name was Emerson Biggens.

  4. calvin | Mar 05, 2009 02:12am | #8

    Wow, same guy underlay the floor and cut the holes?  Make your boot fit the register good.  Might have to cobble up some tighter opening to reinforce the underlay and accept the boot.  If you just splay the tin of the boot to fit that opening, It looks like you'll have use a half a roll of metal tape to seal it up.

     

    Floor a bit spongy?

    Best of luck.

     

    A Great Place for Information, Comraderie, and a Sucker Punch.

    Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.

    http://www.quittintime.com/

     

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