I want to replace the existing bathroom ceiling vent with one of the Panasonic whisper units. Naturally the ceiling opening needed is a different size and shape than the old unit. Is there a better way to get the opening made other than cutting out a large piece of the drywall and replacing that with new, then cutting the proper size opening? Thanks.
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"I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul." Invictus, by Henley.
Yes, I do.
You probably have a 3" duct on there. The new unit will possibly be 4", so you might want to consider replacing the duct too. Also, the duct should be sealed with refrigeration tape.
Not knowing your particular situation, it would be hard to give any other advice. As far as cutting out a portion of the ceiling and redoing the whole thing, I would guess that the pain is more mental than the actual job. Just cut out a section carefully to the center of each joist. This will not take long with a sharp blade. Once you clean it up and change out the unit and duct if necessary, you are faced with only the problem of installing a $10 piece of drywall and doing the spackle, texture, and cleaning. Each job by itself is not that bad. The big problem is getting started and seeing all that work ahead of you at once.
Worse then that. No duct work. All bathrooms are vented directly into the attic. I'm going to install 4 inch ductwork and go out through the gable end for each bathroom. Wouldn't be as much work if not for three bathrooms to be redone. Thanks for the advice. I figured that's what I'd end up doing, but I thought I'd ask the experts.
Well, obviously if the new unit is larger than the old one all around, you can just enlarge the existing opening. And if it's just a matter of the new unit being narrower in one direction by an inch or so, you can probably fudge that with mud and maybe a sliver of drywall tacked in there.
Otherwise, cutting out and replacing a section is apt to be no more work than any other option. Once you have to do any mudding and painting ten square feet is only marginally more work than one square foot.
Keep in mind that the fan should not be supported by the drywall -- you should install bracing as needed to support it if you can't securely mount it on a joist.
There's also the option of devising some sort of escutcheon to cover the old hole. Generally this is the sort of ugly thing that you'd expect to see in a low-rent motel, but in some situations it might fit with the decor fairly well.
Since there is likely to be some vibration transmitted through the escutcheon-drywall-fan unit, does it make a difference if I use paper tape or fiberglass over the joint? Thanks for the help.
The fan should be mounted securely enough that vibration would be minimal, especially if you're using a low-noise unit. Shouldn't be any need for special precautions.
So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin