Ceiling register installation

Installing them correctly ensures they will remain secure in any situation and will blow air in the needed direction. No matter what type of wall and ceiling material you have, you'll find a register with the correct mounting flanges and mounting hardware. The design of drop-ceiling heat registers allows them to sit in the standard 2-foot opening provided by the cross-tees linking the ceiling together.

Remove a full ceiling tile from the suspended ceiling if tiles are installed in the grid. Set up a ladder in the ceiling opening sitting below the flex duct extending from the metal or fiberglass heating duct. Install a 2-foot cross-tee in the center slots of the two main tees running down the sides of the opening by sliding one cross-tee tab into each of the slots. Drill a hole on either side of the register. Mark the holes on the ceiling with a pencil, drill and install a drywall anchor in each location.

Secure the register with screws into the anchor. Some people paint the ceiling and the register so it blends in better and covers the screw heads. An air register has the capability of adjusting the air flow by opening and closing a damper or flaps, usually found at the bottom of the air register.

An air vent cover, simply covers the duct without the added feature of adjusting air flow. Air vents should be open to prevent damage When vents are closed, that pressure builds up, potentially causing damage to the HVAC system.

Closing air vents in one area of the home does not help other rooms receive better airflow. Instead, conditioned air is lost through duct leaks and the other areas of your home do not receive additional heating or cooling.

Ductwork runs all throughout your house, which makes doing DIY repairs yourself a heavy contracting lift. Ducts are connected together with s-cleats or drive clips and best sealed with foil tape. Duct tape can be used as well, but the heat will eventually wear duct tape down and make it brittle. The foil tape is actually an adhesive strip of thin aluminum so it will not break down over time.

If you want to secure a wood vent cover to the floor, you can nail it to the floor or use wood glue. Metal register covers can be screwed down If you have carpet in place, you can still screw or hammer down the register cover — you just need to drill through the carpet and pad first. Slip the new register into place with the vent louvers angled toward the center of the room.

No other type of attachment is necessary since gravity and the sides of the boot hold the register in place. Wall registers are similar to floor registers, but most need screws to keep them from slipping out of the wall. Measure the rough opening to determine the size of register. Most of the time, wall registers come with a couple of screws, but if not, pick up the size recommended on the package.

Wall registers usually have predrilled holes on each end for screws. Depending on how the HVAC crew cut the register hole and how big the hole is, the screws might insert through a metal rim around the end of the duct, a wall stud or drywall.

Wall registers are lightweight but if you have to attach them to drywall, use drywall anchor screws for a better hold. Toe-kick registers install in the vertical area beneath cabinets and other built-ins. Because space is restricted, toe-kick registers are usually no wider than 2 inches, but they can be 8 to 20 inches long.