How to Make a Ventilator Hole in the Ceiling for Your Dryer

All clothes dryers require an exhaust vent that runs to the exterior of the home and transports warm, humid air and lint to the outside. Although many dryer vents run through a wall, you can also run the vent through the ceiling and out the attic. Ceiling dryer vents follow the same basic installation process as wall vents, but they require above-head cuts through the ceiling material to accommodate the duct work.

Galvanized steel or aluminum duct
Tin snips (optional)
Ladder
Pencil
Plastic tarp
Safety glasses
Dust mask
Drywall saw
Hammer

Instructions

- 1
  Push the dryer into the final installation location and insert a long piece of rigid steel or aluminum duct behind it that extends up to the ceiling. If needed, trim the duct down using tin snips so that it can stand upright and touch the ceiling.
- 2
  Place a ladder next to the duct and climb the ladder. Trace around the perimeter of the duct using a pencil to draw the cutout line on the ceiling. Move the duct aside.
- 3
  Spread a plastic tarp on the floor area to catch the dust and don safety glasses and a dust mask. Place the tip of a drywall saw on the pencil line on the ceiling. Tap the handle of the saw with a hammer until it penetrates the ceiling material.
- 4
  Cut around the pencil line using the drywall saw until you reach the starting point. Pull the circle out of the ceiling and discard it.
- 5
  Insert the rigid duct through the hole to ensure that it fits. If needed, trim additional material from the sides of the hole until the duct slips easily inside of it. Proceed with installing the remainder of the dryer vent.

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