Help Around the House host Henry Harrison shares some tips for repairing a wooden floor vent in an older house (
figure A). Since it's fairly precise work, Harrison gives this project a three on his elbow grease scale of one to four.
Tools:
portable workbench
power drill
paint brush paper towels
small bowl
pull saw
combination square
file
5-in-1 painter's tool
clamps
small pry bar
hammer
nail set
nippers
oak replacement pieces
wood glue
nails
Steps:
1. Take some of the broken pieces of the grate to a lumber shop and have them cut replacement strips to match the dimensions. You can trim the pieces to length at home.
2. Secure the grate to a workbench and carefully pull out nails holding in the longitudinal support pieces and remove cracked or damaged pieces (figure B). You may need to tap some stubborn pieces with the painter's tool and hammer. Just go slowly and be careful not to break any undamaged pieces.
3. Flip the grate over and knock out any broken cross pieces (figure C).
4. Use the old pieces as a template to cut replacement parts. Line up as many replacement strips as you'll need on the workbench and clamp the original piece on top (figure D). Cut the strips to length using a pull saw.
5. Once you've cut the strips to length, clamp them together with the original piece and use the combination square to mark the width of the notches (figure E).
6. Measure the depth of the notches with a combination square and carefully cut to the right depth with the pull saw. Go back and chisel out the notches (figure F). Clean up the grooves with a file.
7. Wedge the new support members into position, carefully sliding the smaller pieces that are still attached to the grate into their grooves (figure G). Line up the support members with the nail holes from the originals. Put some wood glue into the notches of the end piece before fitting it into place.
8. Now start replacing the smaller cross pieces. Do not worry about cutting them to length right now, you can do that later. Put a dab of glue into the notches and fit the cross pieces by hand (figure H). You may need to tap them lightly with a hammer to work into place.
9. Drill pilot holes through the exterior border piece and into the new main cross members while they are in position. Drive nails into the pilot holes, then turn the grate on its edge and sink the heads beneath the surface with a nail punch. Repeat for the other side.
10. Saw the excess overhang from the smaller intersecting cross members and replace the grate. Stain the grate to blend in the new pieces, or just let time age the boards and provide a patina to match the original.
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