How to Build a Kitchen Vent

Find a suitable position for your electric utility vent at least 5 feet above the ground and between wall studs. Check the walls to make sure that there are no wires or pipes in the way.

Drill a hole through the center of the proposed opening from the inside of the kitchen wall to the outside, through the outer siding.

Trace the square vent cover on the outside of the house, centering the opening over the drilled hole. Cut out the siding along the traced line to form a square hole for the outer housing of the fan.

Cut through the sheathing of your house from the outside to the inside wall using a hole saw sized to fit the diameter of the fan’s inner housing.

Place two 1-by-2-inch casing strips on both sides of the square opening on the outside of the house. Run a bead of silicone caulk around the inside edge of the outer housing. Slide the outer housing of the vent through the opening, squaring it over the opening. Screw the housing through the casing strips.

Remove the motor from the inner housing, unscrewing the mounting screws and twisting the motor slightly. Measure the wall thickness from inside the house and remove the extra inner housing material. Slide the inner housing into the outer housing to make sure it fits.

Hire a certified electrician to install the wiring to the fan, and install the motor of the fan to the inner housing.

Thread the chain through the grille over the wear plate, and screw the grille plate to the motor housing. Release the chain to open the outer vent cover, and turn on the fan.