Keep Your Laundry Area Safe and Dry: Tips for Running a Dryer Vent Under a Deck

If you want to run your dryer vent underneath your deck, it is a relatively easy task with the right tools and materials. The most important factor is to ensure that the vent is properly secured, to prevent lint buildup, moisture damage to the wood and avoiding any damage whatsoever. This is especially important since the dryer should be vented by the most direct route the manufacturer intended, to prevent the efficiency and fire hazard of the dryer from being compromised.

The process starts with measuring the needed length of vent pipe. It’s usually sold in three to four foot lengths so you’ll have to join several pieces together. Don’t fasten them yet, make sure to first mark the last pipe where it needs to be cut and then disconnect the pipes. Cut the aluminum piping to the needed length, then reconnect them all and secure the joints with duct tape. Place metal draw bands around the joints and draw them tight. This will not only help secure them, but also leave a bit of excess on the ends which you can use later.

Once the piping is all set, it’s time to insert it into the exterior dryer vent. It’s helpful to have two people, one to hold the pipe while the second one secures it. Once it’s in place, use the draw bands’ ends to securely fasten them to the deck using screws and a power drill.

The next step is deciding on a finishing touch for the vent pipe. If the deck is fairly low, you can leave it hidden beneath the deck but you should also consider that warm, moist air will be coming out of it, so it’s best to exhaust it properly to prevent mold and mildew buildup. An easily constructed frame designed for this can be made from a few basic pieces of lumber and then attached to the deck using screws. You can then run the pipe through this frame, attach the vent cover and make sure to keep it slightly downwards.

This method should provide a successful result provided all of the materials and directions are followed correctly. The cold air venting should effectively allow the warm air passing out of the pipe to be dispersed in a location which would prevent any damage to the wood or to the vent itself. This method of running the dryer vent underneath a deck should solve the initial problem and provide you with a safe, secure solution.