A flush wood vent sits level with the floor, in a frame of the same wood, and takes the same stain and finish. From across the room it reads as part of the floor. A metal grille drops into a hole; a flush vent is built into the floor. La Cumbre builds flush vents in its own shop, or buys ready-made ones when the wood and size are standard, and the photos on this page, from the Google listing, show the frame, the louver and the finished vent.
How a flush vent goes in
- The opening is cut to the duct, square to the boards.
- A frame is fitted around the opening, flush with the floor, so the floor and the vent are one surface.
- The louver drops in, made of the same wood, and lifts out for cleaning.
- Everything is sanded, stained and finished together, so the vent takes the floor’s color.
When to do it
During a refinish or a new floor, before the stain and finish go on. Adding a flush vent to a finished floor means refinishing that area, so the best time is while the floor is bare anyway.
Questions
Can a flush vent be added to my existing floor?
Yes, but the area around it has to be sanded and finished again so the frame blends in. The easy time is during a refinish.
Will it match a stained floor?
The vent is made of the same wood and stained with the floor, so it takes the same color. The photos on this page show one in a dark stained floor and one in natural oak.
Do you make the vents yourselves?
Both. Tony builds them when the floor calls for a custom size or an unusual wood, and buys them when a standard vent will match.
Can I still clean the duct?
Yes. The louver lifts out of the frame.