Bookcase with Air Register

[Malcolm Wheeler]

I am planning on building a book case and window seat similar to this one (picture shamelessly stolen from somewhere on the web -only mine is going into a corner)

I need some advice on 3 things :

1) how to extend the existing air register on the floor out to under the cupboard as I marked in the picture - do I need to line the channel with metal ducting or is my own wood cupboard ok, and will I have to worry about the wood or paint finish drying out and cracking from the heat over time?

2) There is carpeting there now - do I build over the carpeting or should I remove the carpeting under the cupboard?

3) what is a typical height for "x" - for reference my kitchen chairs are 18 inches from floor to seat height.

regards
Malcolm

[Lee Koepke]

My opinions ...

1. I would find a metal duct that turns the ductwork to the front and attach a grille of some kind.

2. I wouldnt think thats necessary. I will not be removing the carpet under my bookcase when i build it.

3. 17" to 19" is kinda standard for benches/chairs.

[John Hart]

1. yup...ducting is a good idea. It doesn't cost much...easy to cut and bend...and worth alleviating the worry of heat in the future. Go to a big box store and look for plenum sheets in the ducting aisle....that way, you can cut and bend any size and shape you need. Just use that cool aluminum tape to build it...or rivet it if you are inclined.

2. Probably doesn't matter much on the carpet...except for one aspect....Carpet is temporary...bookcases are permanent. If you ever need to replace the carpet...it will need to be cut away and left under the cabinetry when you install new carpet.

3. The window seat I just put in my library is 18" and it seems comfortable

Looks like a nice project.

[Jamie Buxton]

My take is:

1) The air is not very hot. Put your hand in front of it some time. I'd just let the air flow through the lower part of the cabinet without bothering to extend the duct.

2) I like to remove the carpet under built-ins. First, this lets the weight of the cabinet sit on the floor instead of the compressible carpet&pad. Second, when you decide to change the carpet, it isn't trapped under the cabinet.

3) Like Lee says, 18-19" is usual for dining chairs. But a window seat doesn't have to stick to that standard. People don't sit in window seats the way they do in dining chairs. You could set the window seat higher or lower, perhaps depending on how high the window sill is.
You might should allow height for a pad to sit on the window seat. That's often the case for window seats.

[Don Jarvie]

My 2 cents..

1. Easiest will be to put a board between the wall and vent so the cabinet acts as a vent. A nice grate (3x12) will look nice. If you have a toe kick the grate will hardly show.

2. Remove the carpet if the bookcase is permenent. This way you can get the case nice and level.

3. Ditto for 18 inches.

[Jason Strauss]

Malcolm,

Like your project, my built-in pictured below sits directly on top of a floor register. I didn't bother with any special ducting. I simply built the 'platform' that the cabinet sits on around the register to contain the air flow. I then cut a hole in the toe kick and found a grate to match. Like Jamie said, that air isn't really hot so there's no real real risk of damaging anything.

Best of luck!

[Von Bickley]

Malcolm,

Like your project, my built-in pictured below sits directly on top of a floor register. I didn't bother with any special ducting. I simply built the 'platform' that the cabinet sits on around the register to contain the air flow. I then cut a hole in the toe kick and found a grate to match. Like Jamie said, that air isn't really hot so there's no real real risk of damaging anything.

Best of luck!

Like Jason said..... and they make a toe-space register. You see a lot of toe-space registers in kitchens where you have cabinets on all the walls. The HVAC guys just run a duct up thru the floor and let it blow under the cabinet, just cut in a toe-space register.

I would also remove the carpet from under the bookcase like some of the other guys mentioned.