Just realized my old way of cutting around vents was costing me time

I used to measure and cut each vent hole on the floor after the carpet was down. Last week on a job in Springfield, I tried pre-cutting the holes on the backing before rolling it out. I saved about 15 minutes per room because I wasn't crawling around with a knife. The fit was cleaner too, with less fraying at the edges. Anyone have a better trick for tricky floor registers?

4 comments

4 Comments

pat_murray5323d ago

Ever try using a piece of the old floor register as a template? I traced around one years ago onto a scrap of cardboard and just keep it in my truck. Saves the measuring step and gets you a really close shape to start with before you make your final trim.

gracethomas23d ago

Love that idea, it's a total time saver. I used to fight with measuring those weird angles every single time. Now I keep a few different sized templates cut from old plastic folders in my toolbox. The cardboard is smart for the truck though, less to carry around. Makes the whole job feel way less annoying.

grant34722d ago

Templates can be a trap though. Every opening is a little bit off in an old house. If you rely on a template too much, you can end up forcing the new piece to fit a shape that isn't quite right. It's faster for me to just measure the opening itself each time. That way you're working from the real numbers, not a guess from a past job. A quick measure and a pencil mark on the new piece avoids a lot of trim and fit problems later.

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eva_moore3d ago

Pat's cardboard trick is great for a starting point, but I always check for floor level changes too. An old house floor can slope or dip near the register opening. If you just trace the shape, your new piece might rock or sit uneven. I do a quick check with a small level on the subfloor right around the edges before making any final cuts.