File this under one of those products that you never knew you needed it until you knew you needed it! I looked at it about a year ago, shortly after moving into my current house, but read some bad reviews. So instead, I opted for the traditional, semi-rigid duct. And of course, it immediately got squashed between my clothes dryer and the wall. So here's my setup, in case it helps anyone else. The dryer vent duct in my wall is about 10" above the baseboard. It is in a place that allows exactly for the washer to be placed next to it, in a corner. The dryer vent duct is, obviously, at the base of the dryer. Hence, I had about 10" between the two. Due to the layout of my laundry area, the dryer needs to be pushed as close to the wall as possible. With a semi-rigid duct, this meant it was squished to just an inch or so thick. This presents a huge fire hazard, because lint will likely clog up that narrow opening. After replacing that duct several times, always with the same result, I decided to try this "periscope." Straight out of the box, I could tell this thing was exactly what I needed. Simply slide the ends closer to each other. Despite what others say on here, you likely will have to cut the excess off. Maybe not on the end that attaches to the duct in your wall, but most likely on the end that attaches to your dryer. If you think about it, it makes sense - your dryer vent is likely within 1" of the floor. If the duct extends more than 1" beyond the vent, then it will scrape against your floor. However, with tin snips, the cutting took all of about 30 seconds. I did tape all of the ends off, since they're a little sharp. And I taped around some of the joints where the pieces clasp over one another, to ensure a good seal. This went on SO easy. I've run several loads since installing it, and reached down to feel it. It is not at all hot. And I feel no air coming out of the sides or ends, which I was a little worried about. Best of all, it allows my dryer to fit snug up against my wall, a few inches offset of the wall duct, without compromising the venting functionality. Wow, I'm impressed. I never knew these things existed. But I wish I'd pulled the trigger and bought it, a year ago, when I first came across it. It's just perfect!