Drywall – How to run HVAC vent into cold room, below a supporting beam

drywallhvac

A previous owner put a small addition on the house and the little room is not well heated. (I have forced air HVAC.) One wall of the small addition is shared with a larger room. On the side of the shared wall is a sheet metal plenum 8"x8" in cross section that brings HVAC to the larger room and a foyer. I want to open a vent from the plenum in the larger room into the small, colder room. Here is the problem.

The plenum is right next to a supporting beam, so I need to run a path for the air around the beam. There is no easy way to get into the crawl space above the two rooms in question. So, I need to run the path below the beam.

My question: Do I need to build a sheet metal duct or can I just make a path for the HVAC air using plasterboard?

Thx.

Best Answer

If the addition that you mention has 3 side walls and a ceiling, heating and cooling this room from the same furnace as the rest of the house is nearly impossible. The 4 surfaces exposed to the weather will loose heat in the winter and gain heat in the summer at a faster rate than the rest of the house. If this is the way the addition was built, then a separate heating and cooling unit or the existing system should have been zoned to provide it's own temperature control. Adding too much air supply will cause large temperature swings in the addition. As far as giving advice on running the duct, I would have to be there to see the actual space and items you mention. And "no" I would not use plaster board for a duct. At this point, I would add it's own heat/cool system or better yet have a professional in your area give their advice.