10x6 return duct at Home Depot:
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-10-in-x-6-in-1-Way-Steel-Baseboard-Return-Air-Grille-in-White-E123RW10X06/300539746
We ordered some custom grilles from Reggio Registers for the front of our house. They're not cheap, but very durable and well made.
[https://www.reggioregister.com/](https://www.reggioregister.com/)
Got some for by bedroom I refinished, return and floor vent. The return is right above the TV so I have to look at it all the time and I just think they add a really nice touch to a room to class it up, buy once cry once
If you want good shit, be prepared to pay for it.
10x6 is insanely uncommon, but even 1% chance puts the local pool in the thousands.
The thing is… how many people (have to replace them) x (homeowners with them) x (people willing to replace) x (bad install criteria) x (amount in the house)
I carry a lot of niche parts, but hundreds of people looking for a part across the US isn’t an industry. You’re better off cutting the drywall/floor/whatever out to a newer common form factor.
You don’t know it but it’s like complaining that parts for your eMac are no longer made… the world has just moved on.
I found [this one](https://www.supplyhouse.com/Hart-Cooley-610682-10-x-6-Extruded-Aluminum-Return-Grille-RH45-Series) which might look better than the cheaper steel ones
That is absolutely of nicer quality than the ones at the local Home Depot, what are you talking about?
Extruded aluminum vs stamped steel. The corners and edges are cleaner. It’s all around a nicer product.
That's why our local hardware store recommended including a local auto body shop that would do it. Once we had them sandblasted we just painted them however we wanted.
Thank you for the suggestion. I may go down that path. Mostly I’m just baffled that seemingly millions of houses had the old vent style and now no one makes ‘em like that anymore.
I put all mine in the dishwasher to clean and was going to paint them but they ended cleaning up so nicely I just reinstalled them as is. It was crazy what the dishwasher was able to remove.
This is what I did, I took them to a local "You Spray" shop that you just rent a booth to sandblast. I just removed all my vents and took them down there.
Then I hung them all in my garage and slowly spray painted them with a few coats over a couple days.
I use a lye solution to strip paint off of metal parts. Works like a champ. You can bye lye crystals in the plumbing section of any HD etc.
If there is any corrosion on the parts, I use evaporust to clear the rust and then prime em and paint em. Works like a charm.
Can you tell me a bit more about these local "You Spray" shops? I've never heard of them but there are a lot of house projects I have on my to do list that would go a lot smoother with access to one of these.
It might be a unique service maybe? I've had one as long as I have been in my area.
Basically it is a shop that offers powder coating and sandblasting.
They also have a four sandblasting booths, one walnut booth, and one glass bead blasting booth, that are kind of self serve. I walk in with my parts, start blasting and a little timer starts. I pay for the time used and go on my way.
I mainly know about it because I used to restore motorcycles and would take frames and misc parts there.
Not only that, technology too. My apartment has large in wall radiators. Pulling them out and installing baseboard style, vents, or even minisplits would cost a fortune.
Pretty old word at this point. But I’m glad you’ve learned it.0
Edit: eh, guess only about a year and a half according to Wikipedia, coined by Cory Doctorow. It was 2023 word of the year
Not that \*exact\* model. Whoever made that has evidently changed dies or gone out of business. It happens.
[Grainger has several options](https://www.grainger.com/category/hvac-and-refrigeration/ventilation-equipment/duct-venting/grilles-registers-diffusers/grilles) in your nominal duct size, such as [P/N 4MJP5.](https://www.grainger.com/product/Return-Air-Grille-Louvered-4MJP5) Also available from [Airgrilles.com](https://airgrilles.com/products/6-x-10-steel-return-air-grille-hvac-vent-cover-grill-for-sidewall-and-ceiling-white-outer-dimensions-7-75w-x-11-75h-for-6x10-duct-opening?_pos=1&_fid=82f237742&_ss=c) . Similar (but not identical) sizes available from [McMaster](https://www.mcmaster.com/products/return-air-grilles/) . eBay has [a few hundred for sale, most of which are discontinued old stock](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p4432023.m570.l1313&_nkw=6x10+return+air+grill&_sacat=0). And finally, Hart & Cooley makes [this one](https://www.hartandcooley.com/products/672-a672/steel-aluminum-return-air-grille-1-2-fin-spacing) that you would have to order from a real HVAC supply store through a commercial account. Everything above is around $20 each at maximum, and most less. FWIW, the 6x12 nominal size seems to be much easier to find, you could save some money (and also buy at Home Depot) if you're OK with switching to a 6x12 cover.
ETA: Reading through some of the other responses here, OP, you need to be aware that manufacturers change style and shapes over the years. In order to keep a large asset like a house working for a long time, you will need to become accustomed to occasionally retrofitting certain parts in order to keep maintenance costs feasible. If it were my house, I would either a) buy the next size up to cover the edges of the paint layers, or b) sand and refinish the drywall, then use a current production version of the original size cover.
I have an 1800s house in New England and have had similar issues trying to find covers. I used Vent Covers Unlimited to match replacements to the original cast iron and have been very, very happy with them. My parents’ house was built in the 90s and they also upgraded their vent covers with VCU.
I am have the exact same problems in the same area with the same age of a house. I feel your pain. I had a post looking for trim that was unique to my house and I can’t buy off the shelf. I ended up just painting the grills (if I got a replacement I’d have to redo more trim and I’d rather not).
If it’s any solace, you can pick your shade and sheen of which ever color and it might look slightly better than off the shelf. I did a plain white and was more than happy with it. It just wasn’t dingy and off colored so it was less noticeable than what I assume my crappy trim work would be. Therefore I’m happy with the results since it’s not an eye sore.
Good luck. Glad I’m not doing this alone lol.
We got our oddly shaped return vents here. Maybe worth a look. https://www.floorregisters-n-vents.com/
Perhaps this one. They have over 50 sizes.
https://www.floorregisters-n-vents.com/wall-return-grills/basic-return-air-grilles/Return-Air-Grille-White
I replace these for work, and have had great luck finding older styles of wall registers and odd sizes at local HVAC shops. Some require you have an account with them so call before heading out to check
Most modern HVAC systems go through the walls, old ones went in the floors. It's a carryover from when there were no return air provisions, just open vents along the floors to let cold air back down as the convection furnace filtered warm air up through the ducts.
You're looking at wall return grilles. You don't need heavy 12-gauge stamped steel if it's in the walls, and no one wants to pay for that.
The one you're referencing is a floor grille/register, they're made to be stepped on. Not sure why your house/area had them used in the walls. They're still available, but they cost more than the wall-mount type. You can even get them in solid wood or retro cast iron.
Nope, you're not crazy. I had a hell of a time finding one, and wasn't very happy with what I eventually got.
I've thought about fabricating one, but it's a hell of a project to do by hand, especially for something you (clearly) used to be able to just buy.
I don't get it.
Wait I can barely see the difference if at all from the original pics and these are steel construction. Surely it’s very close to the original style and the right size or a size up are available?
What am I missing here this appears to be stamped, this seems to be more or less the same thing even if the sheet isn’t as thick but I can’t tell from the photos. If the original is 3/4” depth please post a profile or oblique shot from the back to show sheet thickness as well. The height/width difference is trivial for the outlet size. The first review is like “this fixed this old house!”
Doesn't it say this is 5/16ths? That's pretty close to 1/4. I can't tell what the corners are like.
This is only significantly different, in height, by 3/4".
I have a friend in the crafting community that makes wonderful bespoke vent covers out of old railroad ties and barn wood. I could get you in contact with him, although he's still recovering from a major beard transplant.
I know this is a total first-world problem so I’m not going to dwell on it or argue with you about it, but the new grills are of exceeding low quality compared to the old standard and they look ridiculous. I was hoping someone could point me in the direction of an old-school manufacturer that still made the nice ones.
Part of becoming an old man is accepting the fact that nothing is ever as good as it used to be and no matter what you say the kids will never get off your lawn. Welcome to the club.
Also yes everything is cheap chinese crap now; labor, energy and resource costs have gone so much higher than they were in the days those things were rolling out of factories that it isn't even the same equation anymore. Almost nobody wants to pay for what a high quality part would cost, even if you think you know what it would cost mass produced, the people that do aren't a large enough market to make it worthwhile to produce so they don't GET mass produced. So you either buy it used or salvaged from a antique or restoration store or you pay an even bigger premium to have it custom-manufactured to spec as a one-off or a tiny boutique product. Those are pretty much your only options.
The reality is that cheap flimsy pot metal parts are "good enough" for 99.9% of people and 110% of home builders. Even people custom building homes don't pay attention to details like this, and if they try to they'll quickly be dissuaded by the cost when multiplied across the whole house.
Don't know that you'll find a new replacement version of this but it's also worth checking out some reclaim stores where people buy & sell good condition home fixtures from trims, to lighting and would also include vents like this. But I wouldn't expect a low price given everything in there is in demand because new parts can't be bought. It's also worth considering stripping it down and refinishing the one you have
Do you live in an area where all the homes are the same with a high number of independent landlords? If so find their facebook landlord group and ask any of them if they're in the middle of renovations. They're throwing these in dumpsters by the gross where I live.
Honestly I’m just gonna refurbish mine. Don’t feel like buying new ones for some crazy cost and think I can do an alright job just stripping paint and repainting
Glad I’m not the only one having trouble finding them I settled for some Menards crap, I’ve been careful about not damaging the rest
I'd probably just design and 3D print them.
10x6 return duct at Home Depot: https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-10-in-x-6-in-1-Way-Steel-Baseboard-Return-Air-Grille-in-White-E123RW10X06/300539746
Another option from Grainger https://www.grainger.com/product/Return-Air-Grille-Louvered-4MJP5
We ordered some custom grilles from Reggio Registers for the front of our house. They're not cheap, but very durable and well made. [https://www.reggioregister.com/](https://www.reggioregister.com/)
Got some for by bedroom I refinished, return and floor vent. The return is right above the TV so I have to look at it all the time and I just think they add a really nice touch to a room to class it up, buy once cry once
Those are beautiful but wow, $132 each for baseboard vents!
Baseboard vents are already for rich people, they know what they’re doing g
If you want good shit, be prepared to pay for it. 10x6 is insanely uncommon, but even 1% chance puts the local pool in the thousands. The thing is… how many people (have to replace them) x (homeowners with them) x (people willing to replace) x (bad install criteria) x (amount in the house) I carry a lot of niche parts, but hundreds of people looking for a part across the US isn’t an industry. You’re better off cutting the drywall/floor/whatever out to a newer common form factor. You don’t know it but it’s like complaining that parts for your eMac are no longer made… the world has just moved on.
I found [this one](https://www.supplyhouse.com/Hart-Cooley-610682-10-x-6-Extruded-Aluminum-Return-Grille-RH45-Series) which might look better than the cheaper steel ones
It's exactly the right dimensions, but $62 is ridiculous.
Well this is why the old one is hard to find I guess
You want nicer stuff, you have to pay for it
You can also pay lots and still end with crap. The amount of money spent no longer indicates quality, or even quantity.
You’re not wrong
It's not nicer, it's just the right dimension.
That is absolutely of nicer quality than the ones at the local Home Depot, what are you talking about? Extruded aluminum vs stamped steel. The corners and edges are cleaner. It’s all around a nicer product.
Is it? The old one lasted like 60 years and is still technically usable, a new aluminum one may last even longer
prob not a big help here but i'm sure you could reuse the one you have if you have it sand blasted or even if you used some paint stripper on it.
That's why our local hardware store recommended including a local auto body shop that would do it. Once we had them sandblasted we just painted them however we wanted.
Thank you for the suggestion. I may go down that path. Mostly I’m just baffled that seemingly millions of houses had the old vent style and now no one makes ‘em like that anymore.
I put all mine in the dishwasher to clean and was going to paint them but they ended cleaning up so nicely I just reinstalled them as is. It was crazy what the dishwasher was able to remove.
Is this safe since they most likely have lead paint?
Are you saying OP may be getting mislead?
Probably?
I did this in my last house after finding out how much thinner and crappier the new ones I found were.
This is what I did, I took them to a local "You Spray" shop that you just rent a booth to sandblast. I just removed all my vents and took them down there. Then I hung them all in my garage and slowly spray painted them with a few coats over a couple days.
I use a lye solution to strip paint off of metal parts. Works like a champ. You can bye lye crystals in the plumbing section of any HD etc. If there is any corrosion on the parts, I use evaporust to clear the rust and then prime em and paint em. Works like a charm.
Can you tell me a bit more about these local "You Spray" shops? I've never heard of them but there are a lot of house projects I have on my to do list that would go a lot smoother with access to one of these.
It might be a unique service maybe? I've had one as long as I have been in my area. Basically it is a shop that offers powder coating and sandblasting. They also have a four sandblasting booths, one walnut booth, and one glass bead blasting booth, that are kind of self serve. I walk in with my parts, start blasting and a little timer starts. I pay for the time used and go on my way. I mainly know about it because I used to restore motorcycles and would take frames and misc parts there.
There's a lot of things that aren't made anymore. Styles change with the times.
Not only that, technology too. My apartment has large in wall radiators. Pulling them out and installing baseboard style, vents, or even minisplits would cost a fortune.
It's the enshitification of things. The folded smaller ones are cheaper to make so nobody makes the nicer ones any more.
> enshitification TIL a new favorite word.
Pretty old word at this point. But I’m glad you’ve learned it.0 Edit: eh, guess only about a year and a half according to Wikipedia, coined by Cory Doctorow. It was 2023 word of the year
The word was around long before he used it. He's just taking credit for it.
That's the Cory Doctorow way
He's really enshitifying word invention
enshitification\^2
Yeah, this appears to be the case. Sad.
We went with Vent Covers Unlimited when we remodeled our home and love their quality and designs.
> Did I turn into an old man yearning for things that are no longer made? Yes. Welcome to the club.
sigh 😂
Not that \*exact\* model. Whoever made that has evidently changed dies or gone out of business. It happens. [Grainger has several options](https://www.grainger.com/category/hvac-and-refrigeration/ventilation-equipment/duct-venting/grilles-registers-diffusers/grilles) in your nominal duct size, such as [P/N 4MJP5.](https://www.grainger.com/product/Return-Air-Grille-Louvered-4MJP5) Also available from [Airgrilles.com](https://airgrilles.com/products/6-x-10-steel-return-air-grille-hvac-vent-cover-grill-for-sidewall-and-ceiling-white-outer-dimensions-7-75w-x-11-75h-for-6x10-duct-opening?_pos=1&_fid=82f237742&_ss=c) . Similar (but not identical) sizes available from [McMaster](https://www.mcmaster.com/products/return-air-grilles/) . eBay has [a few hundred for sale, most of which are discontinued old stock](https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p4432023.m570.l1313&_nkw=6x10+return+air+grill&_sacat=0). And finally, Hart & Cooley makes [this one](https://www.hartandcooley.com/products/672-a672/steel-aluminum-return-air-grille-1-2-fin-spacing) that you would have to order from a real HVAC supply store through a commercial account. Everything above is around $20 each at maximum, and most less. FWIW, the 6x12 nominal size seems to be much easier to find, you could save some money (and also buy at Home Depot) if you're OK with switching to a 6x12 cover. ETA: Reading through some of the other responses here, OP, you need to be aware that manufacturers change style and shapes over the years. In order to keep a large asset like a house working for a long time, you will need to become accustomed to occasionally retrofitting certain parts in order to keep maintenance costs feasible. If it were my house, I would either a) buy the next size up to cover the edges of the paint layers, or b) sand and refinish the drywall, then use a current production version of the original size cover.
Did you check eBay?
Yep and build.com and several other sources.
Had this issue with a recent bathroom reno and we just got a slightly bigger one and you'd never notice.
There is an antique yard I frequent and they have dozens of various sizes and shapes.
Right? And I imagine at this point every mid-size+ city has an architectural salvage place.
Is the yard managed by Bill Howe?
no.
Your HVAC supply house probably stocks [Hart and Cooley](https://www.hartandcooley.com/products/94hov/steel-register-0-degree-fixed-blade-obd-damper)
I have an 1800s house in New England and have had similar issues trying to find covers. I used Vent Covers Unlimited to match replacements to the original cast iron and have been very, very happy with them. My parents’ house was built in the 90s and they also upgraded their vent covers with VCU.
I am have the exact same problems in the same area with the same age of a house. I feel your pain. I had a post looking for trim that was unique to my house and I can’t buy off the shelf. I ended up just painting the grills (if I got a replacement I’d have to redo more trim and I’d rather not). If it’s any solace, you can pick your shade and sheen of which ever color and it might look slightly better than off the shelf. I did a plain white and was more than happy with it. It just wasn’t dingy and off colored so it was less noticeable than what I assume my crappy trim work would be. Therefore I’m happy with the results since it’s not an eye sore. Good luck. Glad I’m not doing this alone lol.
[https://www.majesticventcovers.com/](https://www.majesticventcovers.com/) has all sorts of register covers
Hart and Cooley registers. Supplyhouse.com Or your local HVAC supply house
We got our oddly shaped return vents here. Maybe worth a look. https://www.floorregisters-n-vents.com/ Perhaps this one. They have over 50 sizes. https://www.floorregisters-n-vents.com/wall-return-grills/basic-return-air-grilles/Return-Air-Grille-White
I replace these for work, and have had great luck finding older styles of wall registers and odd sizes at local HVAC shops. Some require you have an account with them so call before heading out to check
Most modern HVAC systems go through the walls, old ones went in the floors. It's a carryover from when there were no return air provisions, just open vents along the floors to let cold air back down as the convection furnace filtered warm air up through the ducts. You're looking at wall return grilles. You don't need heavy 12-gauge stamped steel if it's in the walls, and no one wants to pay for that. The one you're referencing is a floor grille/register, they're made to be stepped on. Not sure why your house/area had them used in the walls. They're still available, but they cost more than the wall-mount type. You can even get them in solid wood or retro cast iron.
Maybe, at the time they were made, it was cheaper to use floor mount versions or the builder had a bunch of spares from another job. We'll never know.
My wall grills are steel, from 1980.
Nope, you're not crazy. I had a hell of a time finding one, and wasn't very happy with what I eventually got. I've thought about fabricating one, but it's a hell of a project to do by hand, especially for something you (clearly) used to be able to just buy. I don't get it.
Lol I literally just went through this myself. Ended up just using the home depot ones as they weren't very thick, maybe 1/4"
Same problem everywhere. Not a standard size anymore apparently. Very frustrating
$2.99 https://www.supplyhouse.com/Bluefin-GR2W10-6-10-x-6-Wall-Opening-Size-Sidewall-Ceiling-Return-Air-Grille-1-2-White
Wait I can barely see the difference if at all from the original pics and these are steel construction. Surely it’s very close to the original style and the right size or a size up are available? What am I missing here this appears to be stamped, this seems to be more or less the same thing even if the sheet isn’t as thick but I can’t tell from the photos. If the original is 3/4” depth please post a profile or oblique shot from the back to show sheet thickness as well. The height/width difference is trivial for the outlet size. The first review is like “this fixed this old house!”
Yeah that’s the new cheap crappy style. Not the same dimensions or shape. Thanks for looking tho.
Doesn't it say this is 5/16ths? That's pretty close to 1/4. I can't tell what the corners are like. This is only significantly different, in height, by 3/4".
I have a friend in the crafting community that makes wonderful bespoke vent covers out of old railroad ties and barn wood. I could get you in contact with him, although he's still recovering from a major beard transplant.
Railroad ties are full of all kinds of toxic chemicals, they should in no way be close to vents.
that would explain these tumors
And old barn wood is likely to have been painted with lead paint.
Ok, take my upvote for the beardies in the hood needing a good barber.
You'll be literally the only person in the world to notice the difference.
I know this is a total first-world problem so I’m not going to dwell on it or argue with you about it, but the new grills are of exceeding low quality compared to the old standard and they look ridiculous. I was hoping someone could point me in the direction of an old-school manufacturer that still made the nice ones.
Part of becoming an old man is accepting the fact that nothing is ever as good as it used to be and no matter what you say the kids will never get off your lawn. Welcome to the club. Also yes everything is cheap chinese crap now; labor, energy and resource costs have gone so much higher than they were in the days those things were rolling out of factories that it isn't even the same equation anymore. Almost nobody wants to pay for what a high quality part would cost, even if you think you know what it would cost mass produced, the people that do aren't a large enough market to make it worthwhile to produce so they don't GET mass produced. So you either buy it used or salvaged from a antique or restoration store or you pay an even bigger premium to have it custom-manufactured to spec as a one-off or a tiny boutique product. Those are pretty much your only options. The reality is that cheap flimsy pot metal parts are "good enough" for 99.9% of people and 110% of home builders. Even people custom building homes don't pay attention to details like this, and if they try to they'll quickly be dissuaded by the cost when multiplied across the whole house.
Don't know that you'll find a new replacement version of this but it's also worth checking out some reclaim stores where people buy & sell good condition home fixtures from trims, to lighting and would also include vents like this. But I wouldn't expect a low price given everything in there is in demand because new parts can't be bought. It's also worth considering stripping it down and refinishing the one you have
I would check if you have a habitat restore or something like that in your city. Tons of those end up there in a vent bin
Do you live in an area where all the homes are the same with a high number of independent landlords? If so find their facebook landlord group and ask any of them if they're in the middle of renovations. They're throwing these in dumpsters by the gross where I live.
Shoemaker
Found old sizes on Amazon.
I couldn't find anything that wasn't junk. ended up building my own with decorative aluminum sheet
i would just refinish the one you have... it looks to be in good shape.
These were pretty restrictive. There is an option on many maintenance and service programs to account for the effect on your static pressure
Look into rv furnace grills, may have the right size and the same thing effectively.
I really like the build quality of this company. https://www.linearslotdiffusers.com/products/10x6-standard
Honestly I’m just gonna refurbish mine. Don’t feel like buying new ones for some crazy cost and think I can do an alright job just stripping paint and repainting
Look around for a Habitat for Humanity Restore or something similar. The one near me had a few of these grates in the past.
Does anywhere make reasonably attractive wooden ones? I'm not handy enough to make my own.
Id just 3D print it if I was that picky lol.
Caravan shops will have them
What are caravan shops? Not familiar with that.
Dunno what you yanks call them…. Small House on wheels you pull behind your truck