How to Measure for Custom Architectural Metalwork
Every Brandt Register piece is fiber-laser cut directly from your numbers to 1/16 inch. Use a rigid steel tape measure and follow the three rules below for your product type.
1. Floor & Plaster Wall Vent Grilles
Always measure the rough duct or plaster opening—never the outside of an old register cover. Lift the existing grille out and measure the clear width and height of the sheet-metal boot or plaster throat in two places (left/right and top/bottom). Record the smaller reading to the nearest 1/16 inch.
- Standard Surface Mount (1/8" plate): Enter your exact duct opening width and height in our customizer. By default we add a 1-inch solid perimeter border on every side (so a 7-3/8" × 13-1/4" opening produces a 9-3/8" × 15-1/4" faceplate), while keeping all cut apertures 1/8 inch inside the duct throat so raw tin edges stay concealed.
- Tight Baseboard or Corner Trim: If one edge sits close to a baseboard cap or door casing, select the 5/8" or 3/4" border option, or note an asymmetric border requirement during checkout.
- Flush Hardwood Inlay: Select Unpierced (rabbet or flush inlay) and note your exact floor mortise outer size in the CAD notes box so we match your routed recess to ±0.005".
2. Wood Radiator Enclosure Grille Panels
Unlike floor registers, radiator insert panels are ordered by exact outer sheet width and height so they drop cleanly into the routed rabbet behind your wood cabinet stiles and rails.
- Measure the full rabbet-to-rabbet pocket width and height, then subtract 1/8 inch overall (1/16" clearance per side) so seasonal wood movement never pinches the metal sheet.
- Choose your Solid Perimeter Margin (3/4" to 2") so the solid brass or steel border extends slightly past the wood sightline, leaving only whole symmetric cane or lattice cells visible from the room.
3. Kitchen Range Backsplashes & Electrical Cutouts
Measure horizontal width at three heights (countertop, mid-wall, and bottom of range hood) because older plaster walls and cabinets often taper slightly. Order 1/16" to 1/8" under the narrowest width for clean drop-in installation without binding.
- Electrical Outlet Coordinates: Remove the plastic/metal cover plate first. Measure from the left edge of the backsplash area to the horizontal center of the electrical box (`From Left`), and from the countertop surface up to the vertical center of the box (`From Bottom`).
- Standard single-gang cutouts are laser-cut at 2-3/8" × 3-13/16", which clears standard duplex and GFCI devices while remaining completely covered by any standard wall plate.
Detailed Engineering & Restoration Specification Guides
View all Engineering GuidesReview historical duct boot schedules, convective radiator free-area percentages, and NEC electrical cutout tolerances with live 1/16" CAD pricing:
- Replacing Odd-Size & Gravity-Furnace Vent Covers in Pre-1950 Homes Historical 7-3/8" × 13-1/4" to 14" × 16" boot table, airflow velocity & 1/8" plate stiffness
- Radiator Cover Grille Sizing: Free-Area Airflow, Steam Heat Output & Solid Brass vs. Perforated Sheet Open free-area comparison (30% stamped vs. 58–65% Regency cane) & 1/8" rabbet clearance rules
- Specifying a Custom-Cut Solid Brass or 304 Stainless Range Backsplash (30", 36", 44" & Outlet Cutouts) Scribed historic widths, NEC 1-gang & 2-gang wallplate tolerances & C260 living patina care