I am trying to remove an old (1950s) kitchen exhaust fan shroud. I went into the attic thinking it was attached to the ceiling joists with mounting brackets but found no exposed fasteners whatsoever (not even on the other side of the joists). When I looked inside the shroud from the kitchen I found two nails that I believe are solely responsible for its mounting, but in the confined space I am having a very difficult time removing one of them.
The nail is the further from the wall, so I'd have to be inside my cabinets and on top of my stove to get a good angle. Plus it has a tiny head — could be an old finishing nail. Add in some sixty-year-old grease/dust and it becomes quite difficult.
My 12-inch prybar barely fits inside the shroud, and even so I don't get any leverage. Due to the angle I can't get a great grip on the head with a needle-nose pliers but I keep trying since I can't think of anything else.
Is there anything else I can try?
Shroud:
Nail:
Best Answer
When all else fails, brut force. I'm assuming you don't want to reinstall this fan so try going up in the attic and beating it out with a 2x4, forcing it down into the kitchen. You'll probably bend the nail holding it in and the shroud should slide down and out..... Good luck.