Vents form an ultimate heating and cooling system in modern homes.
They guarantee a healthy circulation of air in and out of the rooms.
Vents can be installed on roofs, walls, and floors. It is easy to overlook the importance of these systems when putting furniture in your rooms.
(And that begs the question:) Is It Ok To Cover A Floor Vent With Furniture?
The answer is simple: It is not advisable to put furniture over vents as they block them and become barriers to the free circulation of air. If this issue has confronted you, you have landed on the right site. We will explain why the placement of furniture over floor vents disrupts airflow. We have also added alternative ideas to this and much more.
Why You SHOULD NOT Place Furniture over Floor Vents
Plenty of people randomly arrange furniture to the point they put them over floor vents.
What they fail to realize is that they are blocking vents and hampering the circulation of air.
It is a direct compromise to the job for which vents were designed.
Whenever you are arranging furniture in your room, you should do it with diligence. Make sure they do not block the doorways, vents, and windows.
Here are 4 possible problems you will encounter if you block floor vents with furniture:
1. High Utility Charges
Blocked floor vents make the system strain to function. In the event, a lot of electricity is consumed which translates to a direct upsurge in utility bills.
Vents use electricity to heat and cool homes.
If blocked, vents will be forced to run for a longer time to meet the heating and cooling requirements.
2. Potential Damage to Your Furniture
There is every chance that the integrity of your furniture’s structure is put at grave risk if you put them over a floor vent.
Vents pass put very cool and dry air as they cool the rooms.
Parts of hour furniture, especially wooden ones, can shrink and even crack when exposed to such air conditions.
The result is a horrible balance problem in your furniture. It can even lead to total damage.
Condensation can also take place on the furniture’s spot where it comes in direct contact with the floor vent.
This can lead to the development of molds that are disastrous to structures.
Additionally, they can ruin the finish of furniture entirely.
Replacement of furniture is an expensive undertaking.
Any damage can mean a lot of financial expenditure.
You do not want to face this.
3. Premature Wear and Possible Breakdown of Vent System
If you place furniture over floor vents, you are directly forcing them to overwork.
Too much strain causes wear and tear in the system.
The result is a breakdown that reduces the lifespan of your vent system.
Installation and replacement of vents is equally a tedious procedure.
It also takes in a lot of financial investment which you might not be prepared for.
Under intense working conditions, the heat exchanger of the vent system can overheat.
In the worst scenarios, it can break down completely.
Like other parts of the system, a replacement of these heat exchangers is very expensive.
4. Imbalanced Heating and Cooling Off Your Home
Placement of vents in a home is usually executed by professionals in an even manner.
If other floor vents are blocked, this even cooling is disrupted. As a result, the room will not heat and cool down as expected.
Blocking of vents creates uncomfortable conditions in the room.
The room can either get too cold or too hot depending on the vents blocked by your furniture.
Well, that means your vents will not do the job they were designed for rendering them useless.
Are There Any Available Options For Placing Furniture Over Floor Vents?
Sometimes, you may find it difficult to organize your furniture to avoid blocking floor vents.
No matter how much you try, you may still find your furniture settled on top of a vent.
In this section, we have compiled a guide on alternative placement tips and other ideas to ensure that the working of your vents is not interrupted at all costs.
1. Anything Placed On Top Of a Vent Should Be Raised
Anything you put over a vent should be raised several inches from it.
From then, you can proceed to use diverters to redirect the flow of air from the vent.
This is the surest way to amicably place furniture and items at home without interfering with the functioning of floor vents.
Most of these diverters are made of plastics with magnets or tape sidings to stick them onto the vents.
They work by deflecting air from the vents to a suitable direction.
2. A Complete Change of the Furniture’s Layout
If you realize that diverting air from the vents is too tedious to accomplish, consider adjusting the layout of hour furniture.
For instance, if your sofa is skirted, you can remove the skirts by installing ones that do not have skirts.
You can also buy a bookcase with legs instead of acquiring one that sits tightly on the floor.
The bottom line is that you should try your best to create some space large enough to allow a diverter to be fitted in place.
You can also opt for tall tables.
Place them behind the sofa.
Such tables work well with diverters while occupying the space behind the sofa and maintaining the completeness of the house.
Three Ways To Hide Floor Vents
Plenty of methods have been devised to mask floor vents.
Hiding floor vents helps to seal off any obvious distractions and keep the room neatly organized.
There are three popular options for hiding floor vents:
1. Painting
Painting is the easiest and cheapest method of hiding floor vents.
It is recommended that you used the same color of the paint as your floors.
You don’t need to repaint the floor.
You just have to acquire a paint that blends in with the already existing color theme in your home.
2. Use Tables
Another easy method of masking floor vents is by placing tables above them.
No one will bother with your vents in this secure location.
Besides, they are given adequate space to function. Tables also leave enough room for diverters.
3. Use a Piece of Louvered Room Divider
Placing a decorative room divider in your room is also an ideal way of masking both wall and floor vents.
Can You Put Your Bed Over A Floor Vent?
A simple answer to this question is no. Do not attempt to put your bed directly over a vent.
Unless your bed is raised enough and a diverter can be fitted, it is not recommended to place beds over floor vents.
If you are cornered and cannot find a better solution, a vent cover can turn things around. All you need to do is to tightly cover the vent with a vent cover.
Wrapping Up
Floor vents help to keep your rooms well-nourished with clean and healthy air.
Placement of items like furniture should be done with ultimate care to ensure that these essential vents are not blocked.
Keep them working as they are designed to.
Where space is premium and you have no choice but to place furniture over them, it is prudent to get a little creative and apply the tips highlighted in this article.
References
https://www.hunker.com/13412574/is-it-okay-to-keep-furniture-over-vents
https://manufacturedhomepartsandaccessories.com/can-you-put-a-bed-over-a-floor-vent/