How to Get Rid of Heat Register Openings in a Floor

Floor heat registers that are no longer in use become an annoyance because they are just taking up floor space. If you remove the heat register, you are left with a hole in the floor. There are ways you can completely eliminate floor heat registers and reclaim your floor space, whether your registers are the old-fashioned, large heat registers or the smaller versions.

Things You'll Need

• Sheet metal
• Tin snips
• Construction adhesive
• Gravel mix concrete
• 5-gallon bucket
• Shovel
• Small concrete trowel
• Tape measure
• Skill saw
• 2-by-6 boards
• Hammer
• Compressor
• Framing nail gun with 2-inch nails
• Plywood

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Instructions

Small Registers

1. Remove the heat register cover and look inside the hole. At the bottom you will see an opening. This is the duct that allowed heat to flow up to the register.

2. Use your tin snips to cut a square piece of sheet metal at least 2 inches larger than the opening. You may have to cut the sheet metal the exact same width as the opening, but you can cut it 2 inches taller. The duct-work opening is sometimes as wide as the register hole; this would keep you from cutting your sheet metal 2 inches wider all the way around. The main idea is to block the duct.

3. Apply construction adhesive to the edge of your piece of sheet metal, and place it over the duct-work opening. Allow the adhesive to dry overnight. The sheet metal will close up the duct-work opening and keep your concrete from sagging into the duct work.

4. Pour approximately 3 inches of water in your 5-gallon bucket. Pour a quarter of a small bag of concrete mix into the bucket, and mix it with your shovel.

5. Slowly add more water and then more concrete mix. Your final mixture should be at least as thick as brownie batter.

6. Scoop the concrete mixture into the hole until it is completely full.

7. Use your concrete trowel to smooth the surface of the concrete. Once the surface is smooth, check to make sure that your concrete is not higher than the existing subfloor. Scoop out excess concrete and smooth the surface with your trowel until it is level with your subfloor.

8. Allow the concrete to dry overnight before installing flooring.

Large Registers

1. Remove the heat register vent from the floor. Reach underneath the flooring and locate your floor joists. There should be a floor joist located within 6 to 8 inches on each side of the opening in the floor.

2. Place the end of your tape measure on the nearest floor joist, and measure across the opening to the next floor joist. This is the measurement you need for at least two sections of 2-by-6 boards. If the opening in the floor is larger than 4 feet square, you may need three sections.

3. Mark the measurement on your floor joists and use your skill saw to cut the appropriate lengths.

4. Use your hammer to wedge your newly cut sections 16 inches apart between the existing floor joists. Place the 2-inch edge of the boards facing up. Also set your braces so they are the same height as the existing floor joists. If you place them too high, this entire section of floor will end up higher than the rest of the floor.

5. Use your framing nail gun to permanently secure each brace into position. Place the tip of the nail gun 2 inches from the end of your new floor joist. You will have to bring the back of the gun out and away from the joist so that the tip of the gun can be pressed in. When you pull the trigger, the nail will go through the new floor joist at an angle and into the existing floor joist. Shoot at least 2 nails into the end of each joist.

6. Measure the thickness of your subfloor. It will most likely be 1/4-inch or 1/2-inch thick. This is how thick your plywood must be to make your new section of subfloor the same height as the existing subfloor.

7. Measure the length and the width of the hole, and mark the same measurement on your plywood. Use a skill saw to cut the section of plywood.

8. Place the cut plywood in the opening, and secure it into place by nailing it to the braces you installed.

Tips & Warnings

• If you do not have a framing nail gun, drive nails into your joists at an angle with a hammer.

• Install braces in large openings. If you do not use braces, the section of plywood might sag and eventually collapse.

References

• Woodflorist.com: Repairing a Large Vent Hole
• This Old House
• Eduslide