Hideous Ceiling Feature, urgh


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Old 03-02-23, 04:06 AM
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Hideous Ceiling Feature, urgh

In this flip remodel from the 60's there's this fan or blower thingsome that's in the corridor. It's very loud and I don't think anyone uses these anymore. The house has a functioning HVAC system. The vents are bent, the color is a tired off white. It's an eyesore. Any ideas, suggestions on what to do with it, or dress it, or anything, other than painting it a clean white?



 
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Old 03-02-23, 04:18 AM
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I'm thinking that might be for an attic-mounted whole house fan. The slats probably open from the upward draft when the fan was turned on. If so, could be losing a lot of AC through there when the regular HVAC kicks on.

Unless its practical to maybe install a fold-down access stairs for attic, I'm thinking maybe find an HVAC panel the same size and replace that ugly one, but put insulation under it.
 
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Old 03-02-23, 05:03 AM
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The intake vent for an attic fan is my thought also. They can be nice to have. If doing away with it I'd replace it with drywall and texture to match the rest of the ceiling.
 
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Old 03-02-23, 05:04 AM
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Yeah, its an attic fan. Popular back in the days before central heat & air. They are classic. Lots of memories for people my age & older.

Best scenario I think, is to remove that louver, remove that fan & frame up there and sheet rock over the hole & finish out. Better have 2 or 3 good, strong, young men to get that thing down & through that hole though. Remember to add insulation etc.

Some people will buy those things for shop fans. They will frame it out, put it on wheels & use it in a shop. Should not be hard to sell.
 
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Old 03-02-23, 05:28 AM
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They are classic. Lots of memories for people my age & older.
More like nightmares.

We lived in Missouri back in the late 60's, that thing was just outside my bedroom door and sounded like a B-24 in flight. Ohhh how I loved all that hot sticky air being sucked through out the house at night!
 
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Old 03-02-23, 05:33 AM
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sounded like a B-24 in flight.
Lol exactly!
 
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Old 03-02-23, 06:06 AM
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No doubt they were noisy, but different fan's & house's are different. They were particularly noisy when the started up with the sound of the motor & those shutters opening. But sound & the air pulling through the house... I remember that. My wife talks about the one in her grandmothers house where she spent many days & nights. The memories, the sound & the feel are golden memories to some of us.
Its something you dont hear anymore... kinda like a manual typewriter. Some people born in the last 30 years have never heard one. Its all part of memories of childhoods & the past.
The noise an old analog telephone dial makes when it spins. The one with the metal dial on it... before the silent plastic ones.

Some things are just gold.

EDIT: I remember when those things would kick on, how all the curtains in the house would pull inward & stand out like they were starched. LOL... not a wrinkle in them.
 
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Old 03-02-23, 09:06 PM
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They're kind of a climate-specific thing - not meant to run for long periods, as the fan is very powerful and therefore very loud. The idea is the house is warm from it being warm outside all day but the outside air is now cool as people are coming home from work or school and running this fan along with a couple of open windows for intake air would could the house in just a few minutes and then be turned off.
 
 

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