Installing Decorative Grilles (PDF)

Installing Decorative Grilles

Beaux-Artes Decorative Grilles can be installed with or without a damper. If you are installing grilles without dampers we suggest painting the ductwork directly behind the grille with flat black paint. Flat black paint does not reflect light, therefore making the duct disappear. If installing a grille with a damper, the damper is painted flat black and may not require any additional painting of your ductwork. If for any reason you still see ugly ductwork, paint it flat black, before installing the grille.

You should select mounting screws to match the finish of the grille. Bronze, Old Wood and Black look best with a black drywall screw. For Gold and Brass finishes use gold or brass colored screws. Millennium, Metallic Silver and Pewter look great with silver finish screws. For white grilles cover the screws with "Screw Covers", made by House Mates Hardware, available at Home Depot or Lowes. "Screw Covers" come in different colors such as white, black, dark brown and almond. Screws can also be painted the same color as the grille. Please ask for touch up paint when you order your grilles and we will include a small bottle with your order. If you need to drill mounting screw holes, we suggest a #6 counter sink bit. Drilling or cutting grilles is easy since they are made of polyester resin.

All grilles mounted on walls or ceilings need to be anchored securely. Care should be taken to provide secure anchors for all screws, if good anchors are not found they must be added. We recommend "E-Z Ancor" made by Buildex which are a new type of self drilling drywall anchor, available at both Home Depot or Lowes. For all grilles we recommend that the screws be located in the corners. For large grilles screws should be in the corners plus on all sides. Locate screws no less than 12" apart. For large ceiling grilles over 24" long or wide we suggest installing a central support beam made out of a metal 2x3 stud. Attach the 2x3 stud to the duct work flush to the drywall so that screws can be used to securely anchor the center part of the grille to the beam. Install the center beam before painting the duct with flat black paint. In addition for ceiling grilles we highly recommend using adhesive caulk between the screws for additional support.

When we install grilles, we have found that using a double installation method works the best. First we place the grille over the duct and center it. Then if it is on the ceiling we put a light pencil mark on one side nearest a wall. We then set the grille down and measure the distance from the wall to the pencil mark, then make another mark at the other end, to line up the grille parallel to the wall. For wall grilles we set a small level on top of the grille to make sure the grilles are perfectly level before screwing into the wall.

Then we use a #6 counter sink bit to drill the screw holes in the corners of the grilles. For larger grilles drill additional screw holes as specified above. Then place 2" fine thread drywall type screws in each screw hole. Next place the grille back over the duct and line up properly with the two pencil marks on the ceiling or with a level on the wall. Move the ceiling grille slightly so that the edge of the grille covers up the light pencil marks. Then use an electric screw driver to screw the grille to the wall or ceiling. Notice if the screws hit a firm anchor such as wood or metal or if you need to add an anchor. If the screw keeps spinning, then it has not hit a proper anchor. Make a mental note of which screws did not hit a secure anchor then unscrew all the screws and remove the grille.

Before reinstalling the grille, add "E-Z Ancor" made by Buildex to those screw holes which did not have a proper anchor. Once this has been completed add a thick bead of adhesive caulk to the back of each ceiling grille in between the screws. The idea is to use enough adhesive caulk but not too much to squeeze out from the edge of the grille. If any caulk squeezes out it can easily be cleaned up with a damp paper towel. Adhesive caulk is recommended for all ceiling grilles and is not necessary for wall grilles. Start two screws so that they poke through the grille by about a half an inch, use those two screws to line the grille back into the same holes made during the first trial installation. Then tighten the screw securely until tight. Use a credit card to make sure that each screw has pulled the grille tight to the wall or ceiling. If the credit card passes under the edge of the grille, then reverse the screw and push the grille with your hand then retighten the screw until the credit card cannot pass under the edge of the screw.

We have developed this double installation method over the years and find that it takes about five to ten minutes per grille to install, not counting painting the duct work flat black. We highly recommend using the same method. Otherwise it is impossible to tell if screws will hit anchors on the first try. Installing our decorative grilles in this manner will insure the best results. Screws anchored in drywall only will be problematic with our grilles. For the best results follow our double installation method.