Home » Heating & Air » Ductwork » How to Add a Room Air Duct with Speedi-Boot

How to Add a Room Air Duct with Speedi-Boot

Bob Jackson
Last Updated on
by Bob Jackson

This project explains how to add a room air duct using the Speedi-Boot system for improved heating and cooling. Speedi-Boot is easy and fast to install and solves many air vent installation challenges.

Speedi-Boot™ Vent Boot and Speedi-Grille™ Air Duct Installation Materials

Air Duct Installation Materials

The materials needed for this project are:

Tools

You’ll need the following tools:

  • Square
  • Hammer
  • Finishing nail
  • Safe-release tape painter’s tape
  • Jab saw for cutting drywall
  • Utility Knife
  • 1/4″ hex socket driver
  • Tape Measure
  • Pencil
Room Air Vent Installation Tools

I also needed plastic trash bag for catching drywall dust.

Speedi-Boot™ Air Vent Features

Speedi-Boot is a patented air vent that is available in 120 different sizes and boot styles that really simplifies air vent installation. I wish I’d known about this product when I installed the air vent in my daughter’s bedroom because it would’ve saved me the time and effort of building a 2×4 frame to mount a raw boot and several extra trips to the attic.

Compare the two Speedi-Boots in this photo to the raw vent boot on the right.

Speedi-Boot™ Compared to a Raw Vent Boot

Well, there’s really no comparison. Here’s a closer look at a 90 degree 6″ x 10″ raw boot and Speedi-Boot model SBH-6106NB:

Speedi-Boot Compared to Raw Air Vent Boot

In my view, the primary features of the Speedi-Boot are:

  1. Easy installation due to the reversible telescoping arms and pre-installed nails.
  2. Galvanized mud ring and foam rubber gasket for a leak free seal against the ceiling, wall or floor.
  3. High quality construction, rigid and well made.
  4. Good price for value.

The 6″x10″x6″ Speedi-Boot costs $14.95 compared to the raw boot price of $6.75 at Home Depot. Remember, the raw boot price doesn’t include the lumber, nails, extra labor and aggravation to build a mounting frame.

Speedi-Boot™ Telescoping Arms

An important feature of Speedi-Boot are the reversible telescoping mounting arms to mount the vent either perpendicular or parallel to the joists, trusses or studs. The telescoping arms slide out for mounting with the provided nails or you can use screws. The default configuration has the set for perpendicular mounting.

The arms have a retention detent to prevent them from falling out. The arms can be removed with a quick tug.

Speedi-Boot Telescoping Arms

Insert the arms in the other direction for parallel mounting to change the vent orientation by 90 degrees.

Speedi-Boot Telescoping Arms – Parallel Mount

What if the arms are too long to fit between your wall studs, floor- or ceiling joists? Simple – the telescoping arms have score points to bend and snap off a section to shorten the arm without tools. Just hold the arm in two hands, place a thumb behind the score point, flex back a forth once or twice and the arm snaps cleanly in two.

Speedi-Boot Telescoping Arms
Break-Away Score Points on Telescoping Arms

This project is continued in How to Add a Room Air Duct with Speedi-Boot – Part 2.

Take care,

Bob Jackson

duct workflexible ductHVACSpeedi-Bootvent boot
Bob Jackson
Bob Jackson
Technology product manager by day and a prolific handyman in the evenings and over the weekends. Bob was the founder of the original Handyman How To website and that tradition continues on this site with excellent new handyman content into the future.
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *