How to cover a downdraft stove vent?
July 19, 2020 5:12 PM Subscribe
We are getting a new stove Tuesday but we will go from a down draft (through the floor and through my basement out to a mysterious location covered by a screen porch) to needing no vent on the floor. Anyone have ANY idea what I should do to the hole there other than carefully covering it?
You should patch the hole in the floor for insulation and vermin reasons. If it’s a cooktop then you could also extend your lower cabinet into the space - more storage!
The hole to the perimeter of the foundation probably has a screen on it already, but you could always check if someone wants to go into the crawl space *shudder*
posted by q*ben at 10:09 PM on July 19, 2020
The hole to the perimeter of the foundation probably has a screen on it already, but you could always check if someone wants to go into the crawl space *shudder*
posted by q*ben at 10:09 PM on July 19, 2020
We had a downdraft vent once. You definitely want to permanently and securely seal shut the outlet of the vent. Otherwise, critters will try and get in (if they aren't already.) Critters definitely can chew through screen, so you need to do a solid seal.
posted by Thorzdad at 4:31 AM on July 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Thorzdad at 4:31 AM on July 20, 2020 [1 favorite]
I did this when I eliminated my downdraft. It didn't go through the floor so I didn't have to deal with that. But where it went through the outside wall, working from the outside I filled in the outside sheathing (plywood) and siding (cedar); then working from the inside I filled in the insulation (fiberglass), vapor barrier (plastic film), and sheetrock. Yours may go through the foundation wall or perimeter joist. Either way it is important to fill in all the layers as if it was never there.
posted by beagle at 6:40 AM on July 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by beagle at 6:40 AM on July 20, 2020 [2 favorites]
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Is there insulation under the floor? If there is, you need to patch it and any vapor barriers. Not a huge heat or cooling loss, but if it is the "Cool spot" under the floor during the summer, you may get condensation, which will lead to rot.
posted by rudd135 at 5:48 PM on July 19, 2020