Replacing Manual Foundation Vents and Installing Automatic Foundation Vents Crawl Space Ventilation

[@bjsongster9784]

You did a great job! Thanks! I like the way you pay attention to detail with no bs!

[@billfunk3168]

Those new vents look nice. Enjoyed your video.

[@Holdmylager]

Thanks for the comment and kind words!

[@jeffreyjbyron]

Do you know anything about the foundation vents that auto close when it gets hot to prevent fire? I live in northern CA where fire threatens us every year, and I'm trying to find an affordable solution to our old style vents. Thanks for the video!

[@Holdmylager]

I do not know anything about the fire rated foundation vents. Wish I could be more help on that one.

[@donbunn6102]

Thank you for making this video. Very helpful. If you would, please put the vent identification; Mfg., Model and other identifying info in your section at the top. Do the vents come in different sizes and how do you measure to see what size you need. Also, would running caulk along the inside edge of the vent frame work as a sealing method?

[@Holdmylager]

Good afternoon. Thanks for your comment. I’ll see if I can find the specifications for the vent we ordered but they are a standard size typically in most stores only carry the standard size but offhand I’m not sure what that is. The caulking method you mentioned would work just as well as what I’ve done and maybe even a little bit better but it can be a bit messier if you’re not carful. As far as the measurement it’s just the size of the hole in the blocks although the hole may be a bit bigger than the vent there’s a fairly large lip on these vents to cover gaps.

[@donbunn6102]

@Robert Carter Thank you for taking the time to make your very thoughtful and thorough reply. If you can find the vent identification great, if not, I will look for something similar.

[@mygoodies3640]

I was thinking about applying it along the inside and sealing the edges, just to make sure it stays waterproof. A bit overkill, but I’m thorough.

[@dorothymartin8557]

These do fail sometimes. To try to be safe, in the wintertime i cut thin cardboard pieces or thin plastic placemats to fit inside the plastic frames on the outside and tape them on with a few strips of clear tape.

[@Tinyteacher1111]

I’ve never seen those! However, I do have old vents that are blocked inside glass block windows. I’d like to cover up each window this winter,

[@TrinitySurvivorNet]

You could have put a 1/4" bead of clear caulk on the back side of the vent frame before you slid it in. Easier way to seal it up. Great job!👍

[@Holdmylager]

I actually did go back and put caulk on the inside, but it won’t stick to the vinyl tried several kinds. None of them want to adhere. I’m sure if I scuffed the surface and cleaned it with alcohol it would help.

[@jamesjames1716]

Great video, those automatic vents look awesome.

[@williecunningham3725]

Thank you

[@Janny_Gurrrl]

Thanks so much - now I know what to look for when we spruce up before selling!

[@mygoodies3640]

This was great! I’m excited to replace mine now. It’ll be fun!

[@REVNUMANEWBERN]

BET these would work well for shipping containers being used for storage

[@Holdmylager]

Probably but mice and rodents can get through them.

[@francesfinnerty3753]

I’ve heard that automatic vents can be unreliable. Is that true?

[@Holdmylager]

Just like most things anymore they can wear out and will need to be replaced eventually. I’ve not had any failures yet.

[@francesfinnerty3753]

@@Holdmylager how long have you had yours?

[@Holdmylager]

@@francesfinnerty3753 my home does not have a crawlspace, but I’ve been selling these other homes for more than a decade

[@francesfinnerty3753]

@@Holdmylager ok thanks!

[@megh9263]

Thank you for this video I've been needing to replace my vents & this video helped so much.

[@Holdmylager]

I’m glad it was helpful. Thank you

[@culbyj3665]

So i replaced a crawl space vent that no steel ring . I backfilled starting with fabric then stone upto 4 inches below vent . My real question is that I also dug deeper outside the steel ring and filled that void with stone as well though I never went above grade of bottom of vent kept things atleast 4 to 6 inches below. Was it wrong to put stone outside ring and then cover with fabric and topped with dirt??? If ya need more info plz ask. All is graded away from home and the bottom of foundation is literraly 3 cinder blocks below vent .

[@synthesizerisking2886]

One of my vents moved in when I went to close it before this winter. Mine may still be fine but I was not sure how they were sealed, so now I heard you say "caulking". I will have to see if screen is still there. How often should these be changed out? How many years?

[@Holdmylager]

I would recommend Making sure they’re working every year

[@anthonyrobinson973]

What would you do if the area is too big for a standard vent, how would you fix it

[@Holdmylager]

You can either put mortar around the vent to close the space or use expanding foam and trim it after it has fully cured in 48 hours or so then just paint the trimmed edges of them expanding foam. Make sure none of it gets into the moving parts .

[@parkercovieo9103]

I have cold storage under my front porch. Which has two vents. Would these type vents be good for that?

[@Holdmylager]

Essentially, these vents are designed so that they close in cold weather to prevent the pipes on your home freezing and they open back up when the weather warms up. Not sure if this would work. Since you mentioned it’s cold storage. These are intended to keep the temperature warm under your home, but also allow ventilation when the temperature is warm enough not to worry about Freezing

[@unitedstateser]

We need a link to the product.

[@diegogarces6931]

Very helpful video. Thank you

[@Holdmylager]

You're welcome!

[@skimanfree1073]

why not caulk around the inside of the flange for a better seal?

[@Holdmylager]

And I usually do caulk the inside of the flange as well as the outside but honestly, it rarely will stick to this material, even if you scuff up the surface with sandpaper.

[@adampadilla7048]

I see it has been awhile since you have done this installation. However, I need to replace my crawl space vents. Your video was extremely informative. Thank you. For some reason none of my local diy stores sell foundation vents but I have seen these all over the internet but they all say 8” x 16”. Do you by chance know if the are measuring the outside framing of the entire vent or are they measuring the inserted part for the foundation? My foundation vents I.D measure 8” x 14.5”. I can’t seem to find measurement specs for the OD of the recessed portion of this vent. I need to order eight and I would hate to spend $250 in vents and have them all be the wrong size.

[@smallfeet4581]

Had never heard of blocking up vents in winter , in UK it's like pottery rectangle with holes that you can't block , but I'm going to try putting something in front of it to see if it helps , house is freezing worse since new roof with membrane instead of parking and slate , very warm in summer but wasn't as cold as this in winter , I will need something heavy like a piece of slab as the wind and rain will not work with cardboard 😂

[@louisphipps5856]

What's your suggestion for ventilation of gases released by the soil such as radon?

[@Holdmylager]

I’m probably not the person to give advise on poisonous and cancer causing gasses. There are companies that specialize in gas abatement.

[@jeffreywhite7657]

I'm planning on doing this within a month or so on my house.

[@mcleroyinc]

So they automatically open when it gets warm? What's the mechanism?

[@Holdmylager]

They have a long coiled spring that reacts to the temperature changes and gently push is the louvers open or pulls them shut. If the mechanism is damaged or jammed, the louvers will not open and shot. These are constructed a very lightweight, fragile materials, so that the thermostat spring will be able to move them, but it also makes them prone to damage in shipping or during installation.

[@BoslagerBBQ]

These are $17 at Lowe’s and $35 at Home Depot. I bought 11 to replace at my house last night.

[@GraveyardDiesel]

Thanks for sharing with the community. I don’t recall if mine came from Lowe’s or Home Depot but I do recall that it was much cheaper at some of the stores than others even for the same brand

[@BoslagerBBQ]

@@GraveyardDiesel both are Master Flow, exact same model. Home Depot was closer so I had them price match Lowe’s. Kinda crazy HD is selling the exact same product for twice as much. I had a quote from Cook’s Pest Control to replace them and they wanted $75 each installed. I’ll do it myself and keep that extra $600. Nice video, I was just looking for extra tips. I’ve put them in before but the existing ones are about 15 years old and not working properly.

[@0dark35]

Great video... thanks!

[@Holdmylager]

Glad you liked it!

[@kevinmcgo]

Do you caulk on the bottom?

[@Holdmylager]

I typically do not caulk the bottom, unless there’s a gap that needs to be sealed or some other reason to do so.

[@jonathanwick5331]

What’s the brand of the new vent?

[@Holdmylager]

Those were Master Flow foundation vents, but there are other good brands online that I don’t recall right off hand.

[@javi_gigi7136]

Where i can buy it

[@Holdmylager]

I got these from Home Depot as I recall.

[@Holdmylager]

The brand I had the best luck with is Witten. Just be careful not to damage the fragile thermostat spring on the side or the very lightweight louvers.

[@javi_gigi7136]

Thanks for the info good video 👍👍👍

[@edmckay8001]

Using a DeWalt driver as a hammer?! That's a new one!

[@Holdmylager]

Universal tool… I know I shouldn’t but the tools have held up well.

[@judystaton1884]

Very Good video

[@DrLusEnglish]

Why leave it open in summer?

[@Holdmylager]

Keeps the humidity under control.

[@Puddycat00]

Of course I subbed. I have 8 windows to do. And yeah I also have cracks.

[@realtorjames1]

They will not close on their on, I even took some of them out and put them in a freezer, still didn't close.

[@robertcarter-realtor-fatho7722]

If they are installed upside down or any of the parts around the thermostat are damaged or missing they will not work correctly. So long as all the parts are there and they haven’t been damaged in transit, I’ve never seen them not work. Since they are temperature controlled they will remain open in the winter if the crawlspace temperature is high enough due to a broken HVAC line or furnace heat. Placing them in the freezer will not close them unless they are oriented the same as their installation orientation. Thank you for watching.

[@realtorjames1]

@@robertcarter-realtor-fatho7722 Yes, mine are brand new, I installed one yesterday, it got down to 30 degrees and it was open. There were installed correctly and the temp had been that low all day. I then took it out, put it in freezer oriented the same as in the wall, no closure. I then tried another one out of the box into the freezer and had the same result.

[@JimwombatLand]

auto vent quit working after a few months .....

[@Holdmylager]

I’ve had a few callbacks over the years, but for the most part I’ve had very little issue with these. They are very fragile so you have to be extremely careful installing them so that you don’t damage the thermostat on it.

[@terry7893]

WRONG INFORMATION. Your crawl space dirt should NOT be wet at ANY time. If it is, you have a DRAINAGE PROBLEM. The water is coming toward the home which is bad. Redo your landscaping so water flows away from the house. It's possible the dirt gets slightly damp at the edges of the foundation as rain water gets absorbed into the soil, but your crawl space dirt should not be wet.

[@Holdmylager]

Thank you for your input. If you live in the desert it will be dry under your home. Where we live the soil always has a lot of moisture and that is the case for most of the US. Of all the concrete slabs I’ve cut through I have never found dry soil under a home. The only dry crawlspace as I have been and were ones that had dehumidifiers running constantly. you do make a good point about drainage but that’s not the case for most homes having a lot of moisture under them. It’s typically poor ventilation

[@terry7893]

@@Holdmylager I live in the humid south and the crawlspaces in my 2 rental homes were basically dry as a bone, and I've seen many others that way as well.

[@Holdmylager]

That is good. That’s how you want them.

[@mcmelon9156]

I second this. Plus, do not open the vent to try to get the humidity out, it won't work. Like you say, the problem of humidity and wetness should get solves and all the vents should be close but one in wich you put a fan that get the crawl space air out putting your cral space in negative pressure (But dont do that in the summer)

[@justme-vy2bb]

Fast forward to the 4:00 mark to see what you need the rest is useless yammerring. I hate these videos that drag out forever instead fo getting straight to the point. This in reality a 3 minute video, the rest is a waste of time.

[@Holdmylager]

I’ll second that. Thanks for your feedback.