First time home owner, in Canada. Sorry for the silly questions.
I'm replacing the flaps from two identical vent covers (
picture) . One of them is for a dryer vent. Well, that was the plan until I looked at them closely.
I noticed the old covers weren't nailed to the wall. Instead they're kept in place by the caulking around (not sure this is normal). However, some excess caulking has overflowed into the little holes where the flaps attach, preventing them from closing properly. I tried digging the excess caulking out of the little holes but it's impossible.
So now I think my only choice is to redo the whole thing: remove the covers and uninstall new ones. And my questions:
- Should I screw the covers into the wall this time? Which screws should I use? If I do that should I still caulk around? (I saw a guy applying a bead of caulk just between the cover and the wall, leaving a gap on the bottom).
- Which sealant should I get? The guys at the hardware store suggested Mulco Flextra (http://www.mulco.ca/sealants/doors). However it says it's combustible after dry, isn't that a worry since I'm installing this on the dryer vent?
Thanks!