Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I just finished installing this and wanted to share a few things. First, I opted to build a 2x4 frame for the damper to attach to, rather than sit the damper directly on the sheetrock. I anchored the frame to the existing steel joists (my whole house is steel frame.) I can foresee removing the grille twice a year, once to put in insulation before the cold weather starts, and one to remove it in spring. The instructions have you sandwich the sheetrock between the grille and the damper flanges. I figure eventually you're going to crack the edges of the sheetrock and the possibility of missing the screw holes in the flange when reattaching the grille are pretty good. So by making a wood frame for everything to screw into solves this problem. Also, it leaves 3 1/2" for a nice fluffy batt of insulation. I painted the inside of the frame black and it disappears from the hallway view. Adding caulking around the joint between the flange and frame and sealing the base of the frame to the sheetrock with Great Stuff foam completes the seal. Second, since I was working on my own and this thing is HEAVY and very big and awkward, I took the duct off the damper and the fan to move everything into the attic piecemeal. The damper wasn't attached so the duct just slid off. The fan housing is taped on in two layers with foil tape, so it'll take some time pulling the tape off. I hung the fan and installed the damper before reattaching the duct. Hanging the fan single handed was made simpler by using a sling made of webbing and a ratchet. I suspended the fan with 2 wraps of the webbing around it and ratcheted it into position, then attached the two straps. It was a little difficult to reattach the duct to the fan, but only because I didn't have a lot of space to work around it. I used foil tape from big blue box store called Reflectix which worked well. From what I've read, plain old duct tape doesn't work well in this application. Reflectix is tear-able and very easy to use. Sticks to everything. Even your hair. Third, and this is just me being overly careful, I set up the entire unit in the garage, wiring and all, and tested it before installing in the attic. I bought the high-low switch and 1-2-4-8 timer, plus I had to install a new breaker in the sub-panel, so testing all of this wiring seemed like a good idea. Minimally, you should plug the fan in and make sure it works before you drag it up into the attic. Now that I'm done I can totally see how a second person would have made this install much easier. So if someone offers to give you a hand, take them up on it. BTW, this fan is SO quiet! I had one of those propeller jobs in my last house and it always sounded like helicopters were landing. This one is wonderfully quiet, even on high. Very happy with the purchase. UPDATE: I added a photo to show the frame construction. Picture this whole assembly sitting in the attic up against a ceiling joist. The grille then can be screwed through the sheetrock into the 2x4's.