Vent: A stuck damper in an old Boston brownstone took me a full day to free up

Everyone says a little oil and some tapping will loosen a stuck damper, but this one was rusted solid. I was on a job in the Back Bay and it took me from 7 AM until almost 6 PM, trying everything from penetrating oil to a special flat-head pry bar. I finally got it moving with a careful mix of heat and leverage. Has anyone else had a simple repair turn into a marathon like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

mary_ross2mo agoMost Upvoted

Ugh, those old brownstones are the worst for that. Next time try heating just the hinge pin with a torch before you pry, it can break the rust seal faster.

michael8952mo ago

Ever notice how heat fixes most stuck things, @mary_ross?

the_jason1mo ago

Honestly, that Back Bay job sounds brutal. I had a similar nightmare last winter in a South End brownstone where the damn damper was basically welded shut from years of soot and moisture. I tried PB Blaster, a breaker bar with a cheater pipe, the whole nine yards, and nothing budged for like five hours. Finally had to use a MAPP torch on the hinge for a solid minute and then hit it with a cold chisel to shock the rust loose. It made this terrible cracking sound when it finally broke free, but man, the relief was real.