A Basic Guide to Antique Heating Grates and Vents
Antique grates and vents circulate the air in your home to and from your heating and cooling system. The design of a floor register, ceiling vent, or wall air grille is often decorative. The antique material has an attractive finish and is made to match the hardware of the homes fixtures.
What are the features of heating grates and return vents?- Decorative finish: The finish of a wood floor register may be glossy. Steel and other metal floor registers and heat diffuser covers are often painted or have a sculpted design for enhanced aesthetic appeal.
- Increased HVAC efficiency: Steel, brass, and iron wall and floor grilles resist thermal deterioration. These floor and wall grilles also help improve the efficiency of heat exchange and delivery from a fireplace or the air ducts into the living spaces of the home.
- Louver covers for circulation: Wall air diffuser covers and floor grilles often have louvers for improved air circulation. The slats open when the heated air is coming out of the vent. The slats automatically close when the HVAC system turns off or if you pull the closure tab.
- Iron: Iron is often used for the damper of a fireplace so that heat can circulate into the room. The iron damper may be combined with the grille so that warm currents are able to flow into the living space rather than being lost to the chimney.
- Brass: This metallic product is a decorative finish often applied to floor heat diffusers or ceiling grilles made of steel. Alternatively, they can be solid brass.
- Aluminum: Aluminum is lightweight and flexible. It has a high level of thermal resistance. As a substance that is malleable, it can be molded or stamped into ornate fixtures.
- Steel: Galvanized steel may be used for a wall or ceiling ventilation grille. It is durable and often has a stamped or etched drawing for aesthetic purposes.
- Wood: Wood may be used for grilles that are created to blend in with the baseboards, flooring, or moldings. Hardwood can be carved into ornate designs, such as filigrees, geometric, or floral shapes.
eBay offers a wide variety of affordable antique heating grates and vents. A helpful guide is their categories. These categories are:
- Features: You can choose your grates and vents with options like reclaimed, new old stock, rusted, or salvage.
- Color: Black, brown, and white are available.
- Decade: eBay offers these heating grates and vents by decades. Options are 1890s, 1900s, 1920s, and 1930s.
- Type: You can get a heat register or a standard grate.
- Style: Find styles like Victorian, Art Deco, or even Gothic.