Install-It-Yourself HRV
By Steve Maxwell
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Punching Through Outdoor Walls
Creating two 6-inch diameter duct holes through an exterior wall -- one for fresh air intake and one for stale air exhaust -- is usually the heaviest part of any HRV installation job, especially if you’ve got to go through a masonry wall. And for this work you’ll need a rotary hammer -- a kind of hammer drill on weight training. Drill 1/2-inch diameter holes to define the outer edges of each duct hole, then switch to a chisel attachment and jackhammer to remove the waste from between the drilled holes.
But even burrowing through wood and siding can be tricky. That’s especially true because most basement HRV installations demand punching through at least one layer of 2x lumber around the edge of the floor frame, where insulated ducts typically travel between the joists on their way to the wall louvres. As you size up the job, remember these four steps: trace, trim, drill and saw.
Start on the inside of the basement by drilling a single hole through to the outside, right in the middle of the hole required for the duct. Move outside, then trace a circle around this hole, one that’s 1/4-inch larger than the diameter of the metal duct flange coming off the back of each louvre. If horizontal siding is involved, tweak the up-and-down position of the louvre a bit so its top edge lines up with a natural joint between siding members. A sharp utility knife does a great job slicing through vinyl siding as a preliminary step, even in cold weather. This tool also works on aluminum siding, though it takes more passes to get through.
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Install-It-Yourself HRV
By Steve Maxwell
|
|
|
Punching Through Outdoor Walls
Creating two 6-inch diameter duct holes through an exterior wall -- one for fresh air intake and one for stale air exhaust -- is usually the heaviest part of any HRV installation job, especially if you’ve got to go through a masonry wall. And for this work you’ll need a rotary hammer -- a kind of hammer drill on weight training. Drill 1/2-inch diameter holes to define the outer edges of each duct hole, then switch to a chisel attachment and jackhammer to remove the waste from between the drilled holes.
But even burrowing through wood and siding can be tricky. That’s especially true because most basement HRV installations demand punching through at least one layer of 2x lumber around the edge of the floor frame, where insulated ducts typically travel between the joists on their way to the wall louvres. As you size up the job, remember these four steps: trace, trim, drill and saw.
Start on the inside of the basement by drilling a single hole through to the outside, right in the middle of the hole required for the duct. Move outside, then trace a circle around this hole, one that’s 1/4-inch larger than the diameter of the metal duct flange coming off the back of each louvre. If horizontal siding is involved, tweak the up-and-down position of the louvre a bit so its top edge lines up with a natural joint between siding members. A sharp utility knife does a great job slicing through vinyl siding as a preliminary step, even in cold weather. This tool also works on aluminum siding, though it takes more passes to get through. |
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