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Glossary of Terms

Following is a list of terms that are commonly used in ordering our products:

FLUSH (WITH FRAME) Sold as a unit with a frame (exception below). Used in the installation of new wood floors. The frame is positioned over the duct opening, secured with a nail gun. The face of the register is placed into the frame and is removable for cleaning.

FLUSH (FACE ONLY) This is the insert piece (face) of the flush register, without the frame, available to customers who make their own frames, or who are replacing a vent previously installed in their floor.

SURFACE Used like any standard metal register, the surface model rests on top of the floor, or is used in a wall or ceiling application. The surface style mount overlaps the edge of the duct opening, covering uneven tile, carpet, wood or drywall edges. These are also sometimes referred to as drop-in, self rimming, or round over models.

BASEBOARD Used if the duct opening in the floor is too close to the trim to use a surface or flush register, or if the opening is in the wall close to the floor.

SLAB This is a square-edged register, ¾ inch thick. Usually used as a cold air return when the duct opening is on the wall. It rests on the floor, or may be screwed into a wall or ceiling.

COLD AIR RETURN Usually a surface mount register, but can also be a flush or slab style, depending on the application.

AIR FLOW REGULATOR Also referred to as a damper. This is the metal box with louvers attached to the back side of the register, and is only available on 2 inch, 3 inch, 4 inch and 6 inch standard register sizes. Our dampers all feature a thumbwheel control slightly recessed into the face of the register, to be accessible while not presenting an obstacle to finishing or cleaning.

MONO-DIRECTIONAL Our single-piece, solid wood registers, featuring horizontal (side-to-side) slots (vanes), provide a single or mono-directional air flow.

BI-DIRECTIONAL Our TightJoint™ constructed wood registers, featuring vertical (top-to-bottom) slots (vanes), provide dual or bi-directional air flow.

HIGH VELOCITY COLLARS Our round, low (3/8-inch) profile wood collars are created to fit over the plastic diffusers on high velocity HVAC systems by any of the four major manufacturers.