Day Two-ninety-one: how to build an air vent

And now for something completely different. With all our recent forays into duct work we've been trying to improve the airflow in the basement. First came the new register at floor height to act as a vacuum for all the air added by the vents. Then we improved the outflow from the vent farthest from the return, with the expectation that air will cross the whole basement to maximize circulation. This week we added a pass-through vent to link up the space below the new vent and the laundry room, which does not have a vent of its own.

Here's how things started, as seen from both sides. Step One: Identify where you want the vent. In this case it will go in the second opening from the wall about two feet off the ground.

Step Two: We wanted the maximum airflow so we cut a 14x6 inch opening that just fits between the studs.

Step Three: The studs provide two sides of the necessary framing so we attached a couple of cross pieces to complete the square (or rectangle if you want to get technical).

Step Four: With the box made we need the metal to make our mini-duct. At any DIY store it's easy to find a sheet, in this case 34x16 inches. With the gap between the sides the width of only a standard 2x4 we needed about 4 inches depth for our duct. Some metal bending and duct tape complete the inset.

Cutting sheet metal is a whole lot easier with the right tool. If scissors and pliers ever mated their offspring would look like this. Somehow the leverage is multiplied to let you cut metal as if it were paper.

Step Five: Attach the vent covers and appreciate your handiwork, again seen from both sides.