Gaps in Bruce solid 3/4" oak in front of toe kick register

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Billbill

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 17, 2019
Messages
55
Location
Indiana
I have these large gaps between my boards upwards of 1/8" directly in front of the toe kick register. The register doesn't have a damper on it, like most toe kicks for some reason, and I can't figure out if the hot winter furnace air is over drying the floor in front of that register. Anyone else have experience with this before? To make matters worse even if I did some cutting and installed a toe kick with a damper it wouldn't do anything because as the duct exit meets the floor, it just blows the air into the space under the cabinet before pushing out the damperless grille. So using a damper won't solve this? Thinking about stuffing some foam board or some I over that hole behind the toe kick. Thoughts please.
 

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I'm wondering if maybe you can install some sort of a reflector inside and behind the vent itself. Something that would deflect the warm air a bit upwards so it wouldn't flow straight out on the floor surface. Even if this would reduce the warm air flow to this vent. That said, how important is this vent to heating of this room?
No matter what you try, the results will probably take months to see results.
 
Solid wood will exibit shrinkage much more than an engineered type of wood flooringI have seen shrinkage like that in front of a wood stove. The product was bamboo, not wood. The floor actually felt warm just in front of the stove.
Wood behaves like.... wood. It expands and contracts, sometimes greatly. Anyone with a wood deck sees this. In late summer, a marble could easily drop in between the gaps, but in late fall the decking is butted together tightly.
Same thing indoors but to a lesser degree.
I live on the west coast ... your mileage may vary. ;)
 
I didn't read your description fully before I responded. Can you get to the vent ducting from under the home?
No sir I cannot, fully finished basement with drywalled ceilings down there. I did have a rubber-like foam backed rug in front of that register for months which wasn't helping this issue before realizing that dry air was wisking through the floor and gaps got bigger and boards began sort of "arching" with the trapped air. Causing a lot of noise too.
 
Sometimes you have to live with what you have. I live on the west coast, where are you located? Humidity is different across the planet.
The modification I mentioned was simple. Removing the vent and adding a 2 to 5 degree metal deflector, that would force the heated air upwards.
 
Sometimes you have to live with what you have. I live on the west coast, where are you located? Humidity is different across the planet.
The modification I mentioned was simple. Removing the vent and adding a 2 to 5 degree metal deflector, that would force the heated air upwards.
I'm near Chicago. Gonna try the deflection concept as u described. Is this deflector a homemade job or do they sell these? Happy thanksgiving btw
 

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