#Air vent cover wall how to#

Lastly, Remove Corrosion with a Steel BrushĪfter the vent was clean, I realized how rusty my vents actually were, and that it was the rust that was collecting dust particles which, combined with summer air conditioning moisture, created more rust and general gunk. (Sometimes I just dedicate a dishwasher load to utility items like air vents, dog bowls, tools, flea market-bound recycling-center glass, and empty planters.) If you’ve read much on my blog, you know that I think Citric Acid fixes just about any cleaning problem- so toss a tablespoon or two in your dishwasher to get an extra deep clean. It’s a good idea NOT to wash stuff this gross with regular dishes that you eat from. The dishwasher is the fastest way to deep clean air vents, and an additional tablespoon of citric acid in with the wash will even tackle rust on your heat grilles and registers. Next, Run Through a Dishwasher with Citric Acid If there’s a lot of loose debris, rust, or pet hair on/in your air vent, start the vent cleaning process by rinsing off this surface layer, or wiping it down with a damp rag. Actually, I noticed them, then researched how much it would cost to replace all the air vents in my house, and THEN I decided to attempt to clean them up! ) First, Wipe or Rinse off Surface Debris Vents in my cottage in 2021 Vents in my cottage in 2021 OG 2012 vents before the first round through dishwasher

One evening I noticed how rough these vents looked and I decided to remedy them. The vents in the back section of Hawk Hill fell into this category: rusty, corroded, and I’m afraid to admit what that white cobweb-type stuff might contain. When you live in an old house, certain things just look old, and with time and busy schedules, often they don’t get cleaned, replaced, or even noticed. Here’s the original step-by-step guide, updated for 2022 with new photos, materials, and clearer descriptions. I used Rustoleum’s Oil Rubbed Bronze for an upscale take on a basic spray paint finish.

Once the paint was dry this project was finished and I was THRILLED! A complete makeover for my vents for only the price of 1/8th of a can of spray paint. Soon after moving in, I knew this was the opportunity I was looking for to redo my old tutorial on cleaning and painting, this time with high-quality photos and a simple step-by-step tutorial. You can see in these images the registers, air intake, grills, and air vents ranged widely in condition from perfectly okay boring brown metal registers to rusty and corroded grilles. Although much care had been given to a renovation that involved gutting the house to the studs, the air vents were uninspired at best and kind of gross at worst. Louis, I purchased a 110-year-old cottage that had been lovingly renovated over 15 years by the previous owner. Louis in a home I’ve affectionately nicknamed “ Hawk Hill Cottage” as a throwback to the large farmhouse and acreage of the original Hawk Hill for which this blog is named. Redoing this DIYįaithful readers know I left Hawk Hill House in 2015 to relocate to Seattle for graduate school, and after graduating I returned to Missouri in 2021, this time settling in an urban neighborhood in St. My suspicion is that much like metals used on boats or outdoors, moving air creates a much harsher environment for metal finishes. Because air vents are exposed to almost constantly flowing air, the metal seems to pit, scar, and rust much faster than metals and other parts of our homes. Luckily, the need for air vent upgrades is a common one, so I recently had another opportunity to repeat this DIY. This post was originally published back in the infancy of my blog – October 2012! Unfortunately, my DIY photography skills back in 2012 were also in their infancy, and after almost a decade of having this article online, those low-resolution photos didn’t serve this tutorial well.

#Air vent cover wall how to#

Keep reading to learn how to transform the look of your home with a low-cost heat vent makeover. And finally, advice on what color to paint your heat registers.Next, a step by step tutorial on painting heat registers and grilles so they’ll continue to open and close smoothly.First, my guide to deep cleaning air vents.Here’s how to navigate this article on cleaning and repainting heat vents: