Return air grille replacement

[Mike]

Hi All,

I have a 14x14 return air grille I want to replace. I got one from Home Depot and while it's the same physical size, the screws are centered in the new one, while the old one it looks like they were made futher out near the edge. I can't use the new one because the screws are in too far - they go through the sheetrock/drywall and hit the outer metal frame of the return. The new grille is mild steel, I assume, and I'm not sure how well drilling holes in the new one to match the old one will work.

I'm thinking of getting a 16x16, centering it over the hole and just drilling new holes in the sheetrock.

Any Advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Matt

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Pick one:

1) Shorter screws 2) Drill the steel. Good bit will go through easily. 3) Use the larger grille

If you decide to drill the frame, put a pice of wood behind it as a backer for the drill bit to hit when you go through. .

[scott21230]

If it's like my house, a previous homeowner put in grills the wrong size and sometimes type. Don't assume that what's in there is correct. Also, places like Home Depot, Lowes, and Ace only have even numberes sizes. I.E. - 6 x 10, 8 x 10. if you happen to need something where one of the sides is an odd number, than you might have to to go a HVAC supply place and order it. That's what someone did in my house, went to HD, bought the closest thing, then put it on, then painted over it (so not only was it the wrong size, it was horribly ugly from the paint).