Home & Garden

Inside your vents? My son sliced open his finger...

  • Last Updated:
  • Jun 13th, 2020 6:08 pm
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Newbie
Nov 13, 2014
15 posts
16 upvotes
Richmond Hill, ON

Inside your vents? My son sliced open his finger...

Moved into a new home and my 5 year old son lifted up the vent in his room to retrieve a LEGO piece and cut his finger on the vent.

So I went around and looking inside all of the vents.
Exposed nails /sharp metal almost in every one.

This seems like it’s terribly sloppy but to be honest I can’t remember the vents in my other house.

However, I wasn’t scared to open them for fear of cutting myself or my kids.
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19 replies
Sr. Member
Jan 22, 2012
654 posts
276 upvotes
Bradford
Sloppy. But looks pretty standard for what I’ve seen in some builder homes.
Deal Guru
User avatar
Oct 16, 2008
11337 posts
5531 upvotes
Vaughan
It’s quite normal. It is unfortunate your son cut his hand. All the vents are like that. Even I was careful when I clean or adjust the flappers.
...
Deal Addict
Nov 6, 2014
1474 posts
2820 upvotes
0 downvotes (Maple,O…
Yeah pretty standard quality workmanship from builders HVAC contractors.
Deal Fanatic
Dec 9, 2003
5132 posts
981 upvotes
Calgary
Get a new kid
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Deal Fanatic
Dec 19, 2009
6197 posts
4451 upvotes
I hope you have all those plastic plug caps for you unused receptacles as you don't want him to be sticking anything metal in them. You probably don't though.
Newbie
Nov 13, 2014
15 posts
16 upvotes
Richmond Hill, ON
For the win🤣
get a new kid
Newbie
Nov 13, 2014
15 posts
16 upvotes
Richmond Hill, ON
pootza wrote: I hope you have all those plastic plug caps for you unused receptacles as you don't want him to be sticking anything metal in them. You probably don't though.
We did when he was a baby and didn’t know better...but he knows enough not to do that at 5 years. He was getting his LEGO that dropped in - I could have done the same thing to my hand doing it.
Deal Fanatic
Nov 2, 2005
5355 posts
2721 upvotes
WFH
Wait 'til he finds a screwdriver to poke in an electrical outlet!

Next time you're in Home Depot stop by the HVAC section and take a look at the register boxes. You'll find there's already an abundance of sharp bits on them before the installer even gets his hands on them.

Actually they do look pretty bad. Looks like the guy that cut the openings was a bit of a rookie with a chainsaw then went on to just smash the boxes into place with a hammer.
Last edited by dirtmover on Jun 13th, 2020 8:15 am, edited 1 time in total.
Deal Guru
Feb 4, 2015
10331 posts
6698 upvotes
Canada, Eh!!
Fix as much as you can with pliers and hammer [careful not too make it worse or hamper vent] and then cover sides with aluminum tape.
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Deal Expert
User avatar
Mar 25, 2003
17147 posts
5655 upvotes
Markham
georvu wrote: Fix as much as you can with pliers and hammer [careful not too make it worse or hamper vent] and then cover sides with aluminum tape.
+ 1
https://www.homedepot.ca/product/nashua ... 1000179072

Also if you are not going to do any renovation, good time to do duct cleaning
probably lost of dust in them from construction
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Deal Fanatic
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Sep 27, 2006
5969 posts
2752 upvotes
Not so easy there Ma…
True crapsmenship. Thats really appalling, Razer sharp edges abound. Lots of people and kids at some point will have something enter the duct. Maybe homeowners should have a forum if one doesn't exist and post photos along with their builder names and sub contractors. Shame them into doing a half decent job.
Deal Addict
Sep 6, 2017
4615 posts
3080 upvotes
No home owner is going to open vents to show people the innards.
Deal Fanatic
User avatar
Oct 12, 2007
9732 posts
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Winchester
I have never lived in a builder home and hope to never have that experience. Basically, the tradespeople are working within a system where they can't afford to care - budget and time are more important. The system that builders have put in place ensures that they have buyers chomping at the bit to move in. Time is money....

Just for comparison, I pulled up the floor diffusers on the floor and this is the absolute worst one I could find:

Image
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Deal Guru
User avatar
Sep 8, 2007
10978 posts
14472 upvotes
Way Out of GTA
I always wear gloves when handling the inside of vents. It’s that simple.

Kids will learn pretty quickly not to go fishing in there.
Sr. Member
Feb 18, 2008
827 posts
1777 upvotes
teoconca wrote: It’s quite normal. It is unfortunate your son cut his hand. All the vents are like that. Even I was careful when I clean or adjust the flappers.
That's not quite normal! That's a real sloppy job!! My vents now look like masterpieces! Yes we have to be careful as there's pointy screws but that's pretty much it...my dampers are all in the basement ceiling.

I can't quite figure the third picture ( the one with number 5), is it a return? If not, looks like you're loosing lot of air in the under floor!
I lost the ability to remember things when I lost the right to a full night's sleep.
Sr. Member
Feb 18, 2008
827 posts
1777 upvotes
cristianosham wrote: No home owner is going to open vents to show people the innards.
Indeed but you still have to clean it up once in a while!
I lost the ability to remember things when I lost the right to a full night's sleep.
Newbie
Jun 11, 2020
6 posts
3 upvotes
cristianosham wrote: No home owner is going to open vents to show people the innards.
Perhaps but I’d say this is shoddy at best. It’s more about being confident about what is behind the walls and leaving items in quality workman like condition. Reality is people open these to clean and retrieve items.

I’d suggest you hammer it in and seal it with aluminum tape like suggested above. That’s what I would do.
Jr. Member
May 15, 2020
198 posts
122 upvotes
Thornhill ON
That was what i did,too. Sealing the gaps with aluminum tape against the subfloor also prevents air leaks to under the subfloor and crawling insects getting into the ducts.
Deal Addict
Sep 6, 2017
4615 posts
3080 upvotes
loletifie wrote: Indeed but you still have to clean it up once in a while!
perrier22 wrote: Perhaps but I’d say this is shoddy at best. It’s more about being confident about what is behind the walls and leaving items in quality workman like condition. Reality is people open these to clean and retrieve items.

I’d suggest you hammer it in and seal it with aluminum tape like suggested above. That’s what I would do.
Have you ever opened up a wall and seen what a mess the framing, electrical or even plumbing has been done? I don't expect every homeowner that does to clean up other people's mess. It is just economical and no one is going to see it.

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