I have a bonus room that I'm using as an office, and I want to add a closet to it for storage and to classify it as a bedroom. The only available wall for the closet has a cold air return on it, which runs up to the second floor. I'm wondering what my options are for dealing with this. My two main ideas so far are:
1. Since the return vent is close to the ceiling, I could potentially move and extend it above the closet door frame, sacrificing some ceiling space in the process but keeping the return vent functional.
2. Alternatively, I was thinking about closing off the return since it leads upstairs.
I'm not sure if either of these options would work or if there's a better solution out there. Any advice would be appreciated!
3 Answers
Closing off an air return in any room could lead to issues later—like feeling like that room gets no AC or heating! Definitely consider other options before sealing it off.
If you're looking at the return size, a 1-inch gap at the bottom of a standard 32-inch door would give you about 32 square inches of airflow—comparable to a return that's 5x6 in size. Just something to keep in mind!
You might want to consider installing a vent grate at the bottom of the proposed closet door. This should mimic the size of the cold air return or be close to it. Cold air sinks, so it's essential to keep the return inlet at floor level. Moving it to the ceiling or blocking it entirely would probably create problems down the line.
Just a heads up, make sure you’re not assuming the return is just for heat. It could be for cooling too!
So your suggestion is to keep the cold air return where it is and just put a grate on the door? That way, air can still flow into the closet?
Edit: I found a picture that looks like what you mean: [link]!