Ten years ago my husband and I moved into a cottage-style, three-bedroom home that we understand was a Sears kit home. We have been slowly remodeling the house. The problem we are having that we would like advice on is the forced-air register vents. They are 14" x 14" square but the bottom sticks out from the wall three inches and the top one inch. They are not easy to find. Any ideas where we can get help? We also don't want to spend a fortune on them since we have to get seven of them.
I do not think your registers would have enough value for you to find them at an architectural salvage company. If it was a commonly used system in your area there might be other houses with the same registers. You might check with remodeling contractors or heating system installation contractors to see if they are about to remove similar registers from an upcoming project. Cost: nothing to $5 each.
These days I usually start right off by taking a sample to a sheetmetal fabrication shop and having reproductions made. Forced air heating contractors sometimes have a good sheetmetal shop, but you may end up at welding shop for the needed skills. This approach saves time and keeps the project schedule on track. Cost: $50 to $300 each, depending on complexity.
I am looking for round floor registers which are placed in the floor where they can be opened or closed to allow heat in or cut it off. Apparently they are no longer manufactured. If you can help, I truly appreciate it. Thanks.
Reggio Registers (Ayer, Mass., (978) 772-3493) lists a 9" diameter cast iron grill (product #1080) for an 8" round duct. A pinwheel-styled grill rotates to control the air flow. Throughout the 19th century this type of register was installed to let warm air rise from a room with a heating stove up into an unheated room. Current standards of fire safety usually do not allow floor registers to be used to connect two living spaces because fire could easily spread up through the structure. These registers could be used at the end of a heating duct.
Banister Braces
Do you know where I can get a 'banister brace'? We have an old stairway banister that needs to be tightened up and we were told that old Victorian homes used to have some sort of brace for just this purpose.
Many stairway banisters (or handrails) become loose over time and can fail just when you need them with tragic results. Keeping your banister in good solid condition should have a high priority. In older houses the banister rises up the stairway at an angle and passes within a few or several inches of the second floor structure. This is a good place to brace the banister to the solid floor structure. A metal brace needs to be custom made because the distance from the banister to the floor structure will be different for every house. A practical brace can be formed out of 1/8" x 3/4" steel strapping from the local hardware store by bending a 1" right-angle tab on each end with a hammer and vice, then drilling a 3/16" hole in each tab. Install the brace with woodscrews so it does not interfere with your grip of the banister as your hand slides along. Cost: $3.00 and one hour of do-it-yourself time. If you house is earlier than 1850 a wrought iron brace made by a blacksmith might be more appropriate. Cost: $10 to $30 plus installation.
Contact John Leeke directly for answers to your questions and more information on techniques for restoring and maintaining your historic building. Write to John Leeke, Preservation Consultant at 26 Higgins St., Portland ME 04103; (207) 773-2306; or by e-mail to johnleeke@HistoricHomeWorks.com or visit his web site at www.HistoricHomeWorks.com.
