How do we seal these?
Elisa N.
6 years ago
Hi! We have 2 of these slatted vents in out newly remodeled office guest house (originally a 1924 Tudor garage and these are probably original) and we need to seal them (preferably from the inside) with something solid (not mesh). I would like to keep them and not replace with windows if possible because they match the ones on our main house. Any ideas? Thanks!!!
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ksc36
6 years agoRelated Discussions
How do you seal ceiling vents in unused rooms?
Comments (3)Closing off vents can be an issue. All hvac equipment require a certain amount of air flow to operater properly. If your house was designed properly than a certain airflow was figured for each room. Now you are closing off "some" rooms so that air has to flow through the other ducts. The remaining ducts were not designed to handle the additional air flow. So you will have increased noise and increased resistance which will result in lower total airflow. Now how much can you cut off without have a problem? Good question. I don't know how much "some" is. I would not go to extra lengths to block off the air flow in your unused rooms. Any small amount of money you save could be eaten up by a service call or equipment repair....See Morehow do you seal your marble?
Comments (2)This has been a recurring issue on this forum for many years and there are great threads worth reading that give you a real feel for the pros and cons of marble (and as owners of about 110 sf of marble countertops in our kitchen, and way more than that in our master bath--floors, tub and shower surrounds, vanity counters--it's clear to us that the pros far outweigh the cons!). Take a look at these to start: Honed marble countertops 3 years later? breezygirl-question As for specifics, we and many others have used 511 Porous Plus Sealer: Porous Plus though experts like Bill Vincent have in the past suggested that the less expensive 511 Impregnator would be fine, and somewhat cheaper....See Morebacksplash: do we enhance / seal slate and travertine??
Comments (2)Definitely put the sealer on it. Enhancing is a personal decision. If you have an extra piece, try it to see if you like the look. We sealed the travertine in the bathroom after it was installed. We have slate-looking porcelain tiles on the floor of our bathroom and the travertine on the tub surround. We used two different grouts - grey for the slate and a beige that blended with the travertine. Not sure if you can really see the grout color differences but this is what it looks like. It didn't photograph well but the floor grout is a light grey....See MoreCan I stain butcher block? How do I seal?
Comments (8)The properties of warping of wood have been thoroughly studied and understood scientifically. Casual observations relating warping to finish (or lack thereof) are faulty. My mother had a butcherblock portion of counter for over 30 years, never oiled or finished anywhere, that never warped. I've had boards that warped and others that didn't, some finished, some unfinished, some partly finished. It's not the finish. Wood tabletops, countertops, decks, etc. are exposed to more water on the top than the bottom, causing the top to swell and try to expand. But the wood's thickness remains stable and prevents this. The cells of wood on the top of the board become compressed from their original cylindrical shape (like a soda straw) into an oval shape. As it dries out, the wood cells do not fully regain their original shape, so the top shrinks, pulling the board concave. This is called "compression shrinkage." Therefore, finishing the bottom of a tabletop or countertop will not prevent warping. Warping will always be cupping of the top due to swelling from wetness of the top and subsequent compression shrinkage. If lack of finish on the bottom caused warping, you would see the tabletop bow, not cup -- but this never happens. Or think about it another way: what liquid is going to soak into the bottom of your installed butcherblock counter, that a finish is going to block? It's not going to happen. And no finish blocks water vapor (from humidity in the air), only slows it a little bit, so this would make no difference in protection either. So if you want a tabletop or countertop not to cup over time, there are two things to consider. The most important factor is the quality of wood making up the butcherblock: the size and shape of the wood cells, their density, how the wood was cut in relation to the growth rings, and how it was dried. Butcherblock made up of dense, old-growth, quartersawn boards slowly air dried is going to hold its shape (even when totally unfinished), while strips of young, low-density, plainsawn boards are going to warp easily. Second, keep the top as dry as possible. Don't let liquids soak into it, or use a water-resistant film finish if you expect liquid exposure. It's not the finish on the bottom, it's how dry you can keep the top, that helps prevent cupping....See More
PROJoseph Corlett, LLC
6 years agolast modified: 6 years ago
PROPatricia Colwell Consulting
6 years agoUser
6 years ago- PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
6 years ago Elisa N.
6 years ago
Nancy Walton
6 years agosuezbell
6 years agolast modified: 6 years agopalimpsest
6 years ago
Kathi Steele
6 years agoNancy Walton
6 years agosuezbell
6 years ago- PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
6 years ago
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