Can You Put A Couch Over A Floor Vent?

People in continental countries with freezing winter build their houses with proper ventilation and heating systems. Most buildings and apartments in those areas use floor vents for heating and cooling system. Though it is not the only option for managing temperature, floor vents help circulate and distribute the hot air equally throughout the home.

People often build houses with several ventilation systems. The floor ventilation system is not the only vent these houses have. There are others also. But among all the ventilation systems, floor vents are nearer to you and your household furniture, which makes it essential to take extra care of these.

It is necessary to keep a good eye on proper maintenance. The maintenance procedure of ventilation systems depends on the type of vents. Moreover, not everyone has enough space in their home to fit furniture according to their desired pattern. Sometimes floor vents become a headache for them.

Should we put our furnishings over or nearer a floor vent? What will happen to our couch if we do so? In this article, we will to discuss these issues.

Key Takeaways

• Floor vents flow hot air throughout the house. You must have to leave it open.
• You can’t put a couch or any other wooden or plastic furniture over or nearer a floor vent. It will result in dried-up or melt-in valuable furniture.
• Covering floor vents with the carpet or a couch will hinder the direct flow of hot air, sometimes it may cause fire and reduces the utility of a vent.
• You can keep furniture over a vent but that will cost you some money to repair your furnishings, your energy and your attention. In that case, we suggest you use a diverter on top of the vents. That is why you need to place your desired furniture by raising them 10 inches over a floor vent.

What is a floor vent?

Floor vents are an essential part of our household maintenance. To operate and care for them properly we need to know what it is and what it does actually.

Floor vents are installed on the floor to force hot air (sometimes cold air as necessary) into the house during cold or severely hot weather. These vents are modern fireplaces as well as an air conditioner; they function to heat up or cool up the surrounding area in a proper way.

Some structural features of floor vents:

• There are two types of floor vents. Some are laid flat to the floor whereas some are raised to décor home.
• Floor vents are grated metal plates with several slits installed on the wooden or tiled floor. They work to blow treated air in an open environment.
• They work manually. You can start or turn them off them as you want.

Functions of a floor vent

Generally, houses and apartments use a filtration system that keeps air breathable and tolerant. As well as can you can control the vent system at any time.

Floor vents have a similar manual system like these. Let’s explore their functions:

• Floor vents have a blower inside them which blows the heated air throughout the home.
• The blower distributes the air circulation equally by heating through condenser coils. Sometimes, it collects air from the furnace and then dumps it into the coils.
• The blower has 2 types of motors, they are variable motors and same-rate motors. Both of them can adjust themselves based on external conditions and the pressure of the house. They are cheap also.

Can you place a couch over a floor vent?

What if your interior designer failed to fulfil your expectation? And what if you don’t have open space in your apartment to put on a couch? You will try to rearrange your furniture in your desired way. At that time, when your floor vent comes in front of you, what will you do?

There are no other options, you have to leave it alone and unobstructed! Floor vents blow hot or old dry air. Such type of air not only affects furniture quality but also decreases its durability. You may put your valuable couch over a vent, but later you will regret it.

See Also: How To Make A Pull Out Couch More Comfortable?

What are the disadvantages of putting a couch over a floor vent?

Let’s have a brief idea of what it will cost us:

1. Floor vents’ humid dry air will dry up your couch. Generally, wooden furniture cannot tolerate over-dryness. It makes them brittle. Sometimes, the furniture shrinks and breaks from its joint.
2. More problems are waiting for you. Air condensation will form mold on your furniture which can spread towards other furniture. It will cost you a good amount of money to repair.
3. When you put a blockage in the front of the vents, you are blocking the airflow unknowingly. This blockage will compel your system to work harder and longer which will raise your utility bill. Again, you are losing your money.
4. Blocked heated air inside your vent will damage the whole venting system. It is harmful to your HVAC system. Additionally, it will overheat or freeze up venting condenser coils. Other repair expenses are waiting for you!
5. Obstructed floor vents will occur uneven cooling or heating environment inside your house. Therefore, you have to suffer during winter and summer. It will take more time to cool the house during summer and to heat up during the cold season.

Is it essential to leave the vent open?

Your home ventilation system is installed for a clean and clear airflow so that the environment remains fresh, healthy and breathable. If this system does you more harm than good, then why should keep them in your home? Think twice.

Uneven air-conditioned will cause humidity wrecks in the external environment. This is not good for human or pet health. Moreover, higher humidity will severely damage wooden and plastic furniture, household fabrics, clothing, papers and indoor plants, etc.

Mold and fungus also grow on household essentials in such conditions. Most of them are difficult to wash out or repair. So, it is wise to open up floor vents.

If you have already blocked your home’s floor vents, then it is time to unveil them immediately. You must recheck your venting system and rearrange your furniture. We strongly recommend you do this.

See Also: How To Keep Outdoor Couch Cushions From Sliding?

How can you hide a floor vent?

Usually, floor vents do not have a pleasant look, we understand your situation. That is why we have generated some ideas to soothe your condition. There are some useful tips for you to hide floor vents without blocking them entirely.

So, let’s start discussing it:

• Normally floor vents use a metallic plate to hold heavy weight. They are painted with metallic colour. You can paint them in a similar color to your floor.
•  There are several heatproof paint colors available in the marketplace. They are not expensive and all of them are 770 degrees heat resistant and cost $56-$120. They are easy to get near any super shops. You can pick your necessary item from them.
• There is another way to hide floor vents. You can put a heavy metallic or bamboo-made small table over a vent which is not easily affected by mold or humidity. You should visit your nearby furniture shop, plus if you need any consultation, sales officers are available there.

DIVERTER: A Solution for Your Problem

Now a day, diverters have become popular because of customers’ growing demand. You may have never heard of it, but this tool is efficient for covering floor vents. You should relax now!

Commonly, diverters are made of heatproof heavy plastics and have double-sided magnets or taps to stick on the metallic vent door. Their double-sided open mouth works to receive air and then helps to direct the airflow in a different direction. To place a diverter on top of your floor vent, you just need to raise your furniture 10 inches.

There are some common diverters for your convenience:

• Home Intuition Adjustable Magnetic Deflector.
• Frost king air deflector.
• Deflecto vent extender.

Now, be happy, you can put your couch or bed or any preferred furniture on top of your floor vent with a skirt or long bed sheets. This is one of the valuable solutions for your home decor and safety.

See Also: How To Get Mice Out Of Your Couch?

Then where to put your couch? – some ideas

We have generated some solutions for your headache. You can put it on your couch according to our suggestion.

The perfect place to put your couch are:

• Across from or in front of a window.
• Facing a mantel or feature wall.
• Next to the door.
• Against a wall of your living room. 

FAQ

Final Thoughts

Proper ventilation safeguards you and your family, keeping that in mind you should leave a certain open space for your floor vents. You can raise vents to prevent any accidents or you may cover them with a grill, it will keep your pet and children safe. Except for any dire situation, you should not place a couch or any furniture over a floor vent.