Ideas for how to reattach duct cover?

[Ediy]

Hey all! This duct cover was in the ceiling over my guest room bed. I noticed it was hanging down from the ceiling a little, so I pushed on it to see if I could get it to sit flush again... and instead, it came out entirely. As far as I can tell, it was just held in place by friction--I'm glad it didn't fall while anyone was sleeping there!

Do you have any suggestions on a good way for me to reattach it so it won't fall on anyone?

 

[Sparky617]

If friction isn't working, you could try putting in a shim to tighten the hole a bit. Or you could just drill holes on the sides and add a screw.

 

[Ediy]

Don't know why I didn't think of those options! Thanks, @Sparky617. If there's something there to screw it to, I'll go that route, and if not I'll try a shim.

 

[BvilleBound]

Dear Eddy: Registers need to be fastened to wood, but lowest-price contractors often cut corners. Shims are not safe or secure in drywall., particularly with a large ceiling register like this.

The best solution requires more info:

• I did not see mounting holes (for screws) in your photos of the register. This means that there is a cover that probably snaps on, over the main body of the register. Find out how to remove the cover, to access the main body of the register and the screw holes. You should be able to see the screw holes on the back side.
  
• Take a close look at the duct behind your register. Is it (a) a metal duct 'boot' / register box or (b) flex duct - thin plastic with a spiral wire?
  
• If there is a metal duct boot / register box, does it have a 'flange' that creates a seal against the surface of the ceiling drywall - or is it simply straight? See the two photos below. If it is straight, is it fastened to wood with screws or nails - or simply loose?
  
• If you find flex duct, how was it connected to the register? Believe it or not, I've seen crazy connections, e.g. flex duct with a 90 degree bend, simply taped to a register.

What you find will determine the solution. Please post another question with the answer and photos of what lies behind the register.

 

[NormaG]

Hey all! This duct cover was in the ceiling over my guest room bed. I noticed it was hanging down from the ceiling a little, so I pushed on it to see if I could get it to sit flush again... and instead, it came out entirely. As far as I can tell, it was just held in place by friction--I'm glad it didn't fall while anyone was sleeping there!

Do you have any suggestions on a good way for me to reattach it so it won't fall on anyone?

You might consider replacing the duct cover with a new one. Before that, clean the duct cover and smooth out the surface, then test if the duct cover will stay in place with a little bit of Elmer's glue or duct tape. If it is still not satisfactory, you might consider taking some small screws and put them into the pre-drilled holes on the duct cover. However, be careful not to use too many screws or it might break the duct material. Hope this helps.

 

[Ediy]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone! I tried a few things, got discouraged and left it alone for a while, and then I came back to the project and got it fixed. Here's what finally worked: I took a few wood biscuits, glued them to two sides of the duct cover (using Elmer's glue so that the water-based glue would soak into the wood biscuits and cause them to expand) and that extra bit of width made the cover fit snugly again. In this case, the magic formula was one wood biscuit on one side, two wood biscuits on the other side. I'd post a picture, but that would mean taking it back out of the ceiling and it fits so snugly now that that would be hard to do!

@Sparky617 , your suggestion of shims was what gave me the inspiration to use the wood biscuits!

 

[Steve123]

Friction fit cover is not appropriate for a ceiling cover, for obvious reasons.
Figure out where some framing is around the hole, and secure the cover with two long screws.

 

[bud16415]

Friction fit cover is not appropriate for a ceiling cover, for obvious reasons.
Figure out where some framing is around the hole, and secure the cover with two long screws.

I agree. At very least if you want a press fit holding it into the opening tie a safety cord/cable to the piece and secure it inside the duct.



Come winter and the house dries out you don’t want a dent in your skull when it falls out.