Replacing Foundation Vents

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R

rololow

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Hi, I bought a house that was built in 1974 and needs to have the foundation vents replaced as they are falling apart and allow rodents in underneath the house in the crawl space. What the vents currently are now is made of wood and I'm guessing some form of metal mesh. They aren't a "traditional" size. They measure 2 feet long by 9 inches wide and 6 inches deep. Before I just rip out the old and put in new, I'm wondering what the best possible replacement might be.

Thanks!
 
odd size should be fun to find, You may have to find something close to size and then have a sheet metal shop make up an adapter to make it look nice.
 
I made some up a while back. I used stucco diamond mesh. Got 2'x4' sheets and cut it to size with an angle grinder. It has a small diamond pattern and is galvanized. Got it at HD.
Built frames with 2x2 pt stock and attached it with galvi staples. Added 1/4" x 2" pt lattice on the otherside, which for me was the inside.
Spray painted them to match the foundation and added screen stapled to the lattice on the inside to keep out the real small bugs.
 
So obviously I will be fabricating something to replace these! Another question on them. Since the siding on my house comes down about 2 inches over the top portion of the wood for the vent, would you guys suggest it's easier to put them in from the inside? Even trying to get the old ones out is going to be interesting, as I don't see how they are attached to the foundation? There are no nails or screws showing. Would that mean they have been stuck to the foundation with adhesive?
 
They likely went in before the siding went on, you may have to cut them to get them out. Have a look up they may be attached to the sill plate.
 
In all honesty, when I made mine my intention was to tapcon them through the 2x2 sides but I just set them in a bed of construction adhesive, top and bottom, caulked them all around both inside and out, and never touched them again.
 
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beachguy005 said:
. . . but I just set them in a bed of construction adhesive, top and bottom, caulked them all around both inside and out, and never touched them again.
Click to expand...
which means whatever forces on these from animals and day/night temperature change wasn't enough to dislodge them.

With search time, travel time & whatnot you will use up by buying commercial, you may pay yourself a goodly sum per hour by making them yourself. Stain or paint?

Just don't assume one vent size fits all your openings. I'd first make a four piece mockup frame and check how well it fits or doesn't fit. If it fits, how much clearance do you have? Is it uniform?
 
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How you actually do yours will depend on what you have for framing in place, if anything. Is it just a concrete or block opening, or are there bucks in place that the vents are attached to?
If you have easy access to the inside, you'll probably get a better perspective on how they're installed.
 
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