Hi to all!
We have recently had a wood/coal stove insert put into our fireplace in the living room. We have a 3 story house and we heat the first and second floors. We close off the 3rd floor so it doesn’t get any heat. We are planning to use the stove to heat the house this winter. We have a stairway that is open halfway and then there is a landing so the stairway turns and is closed the rest of the way to the second floor. We are getting some heat from the stove up to the second floor by using ceiling fans reversed to draw the air up but is it not quite enough. We are thinking about putting registers in the floor of the second floor through to the ceiling of the first floor but we are unsure as to how to do this. Any suggestions? Will we have to put a liner of some kind in between the floors to prevent the heat from spreading out between the floors. The house is approximately 80 years old and is brick on the outside. What about cold air circulation? Is this needed? The stove is located directly under the master bedroom and the bathroom is located over top of the other end of the living room. We would like to try to heat the bathroom the most, but with some heat also going into the 3 bedrooms located on the second floor. There is a hallway that has each of the bedrooms and bath branching off of it. Kitchen and dining room are one large open area next to the living room. When installing registers, how do I locate the joists in the floor/ceiling? What is the best tool to use when cutting through hardwood(oak) floors and plaster? What size drill bit is the best to use to locate the opposite side of the opening in the ceiling/floor? Any other recommendations/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Steve
Replies
While I have never done what you propose, I was born and raised in an old brick farmhouse that was more or less heated the way you want to do your home. I can remember many a winter morning with heavy frost on the insides of the bedroom windows. Good luck. Anyway, is the flooring in the bedrooms original? Can you see any face nailing to help you locate the floor joist? If not then I would start from the bottom up.Locate a spot on the ceiling where you want the opening. Check the upstairs room to insure that it will be in a good spot (not under a bed, dresser, etc.). I would take a small drill bit and drill into the plaster ceiling in about the center of the where the vent will be. Didn't hit a ceiling joist? Good, now drill and inch to the left and and inch to the right. If no ceiling joist joist were hit just cut a small hole in the ceiling and run a coat hangar or similar high tech device around in the hole until you either locate a joist or have enough room to cut in your ceiling vent. Then simply transfer that hole to the floor above.
I don't see any floor nails, so I 'm not sure of the method of installation for the floor. They are the original floors though.
What tool would you recommend using once you determine where the register should go(rotozip, sawzall???)?
Thanks
Steve
It depends. If it is the old lath and plaster ceilings, I'd use a sawzall witrh a metal cutting blade. If it has been renovated with drywall, I'd use a roto-zip. Good luck. By the way, I'm just south oy you over the M/D Line.
what is a good sawzall? I belive Dewalt has a tool that is like a roto-zip have you ever seen this tool? have you been up to York to see any of the baseball games?
thanks
Steve
If your house has a hot air furnace now, skip the registers and set the fan to run "fan only" or "fan always on.
That will circulate your heat, and filter the soot and dust as well.
You do change your filters don't you?
;)
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We have a steam heat radiator boiler furnace, not a hot air furnace, so this will not work.
The stove insert is in the fireplace and has a fan/blower attached to it. It is not strong enough to send enough heat upstairs. Most of the heat is staying downstairs and in order for it to get semi-warm upstairs it gets too hot downstairs.
Thanks
Steve.
OK.When you plan where to place these, be aware that dust and grit will fall down through them, and there will be little privacy for any room that has the flow through grates.Google Reggio Register. They have some nice ones and maybe the liners too
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"there will be little privacy for any room that has the flow through grates."
That's probably why the one's I remember were in the hallway.
I did not think about that my wife wants them in the hallway.
Steve