No matter how much money you spend on a high-quality HVAC system, the equipment won't work at its best without properly designed and installed ductwork. As you make plans for new construction or renovation of an existing structure, keep in mind the fundamentals of ductwork design and installation.
What does ductwork do?
Ductwork is the system of pipes that carries heated or cooled air from your furnace, heat pump or air conditioner to locations throughout your home or commercial building. These pipes are often large and bulky, square-shaped and constructed of galvanized steel. The duct network is usually hidden in the walls or floors of a home or is placed near the ceiling of a large commercial building. Ductwork is just as vital to indoor comfort as the HVAC unit itself; without ductwork, heated and cooled air has nowhere to go.
 
Potential ductwork problems
Without proper ductwork design, you could experience problems such as:
 
Costly losses of heated and cooled air - Poorly designed and installed ductwork can lose as much as 40 percent of the conditioned air flowing through it. This wastes substantial amounts of energy and drives your utility bills higher than they should be.
Inefficient and ineffective equipment operation - : Ductwork with many bends, elbows, joints and other potential trouble spots won't effectively distribute air and will reduce HVAC system efficiency.
Reduced indoor air quality - Poorly designed ducts can pull pollutants and particulates into the airflow of your HVAC system and back into your indoor air. Bad ductwork design can also lead to backdrafting, which draws dangerous exhaust gases such as carbon monoxide back into your home or facility.
The five fundamentals of effective ductwork design
To avoid these expensive and potentially dangerous problems, make sure your ductwork follows the principles of safe and effective ductwork design.
 
Use a standard configuration - The way you arrange and configure your ductwork will have a significant effect on its function. Ductwork isn't a place to experiment; use a configuration that's been tested and proven to be effective. For example, a radial design places the main HVAC unit in the center with supply and return ductwork radiating out from the unit like tire spokes. Trunk-and-branch designs use one or more large ducts (the trunk) with smaller supply and return ducts (the branches) attached.
Make sure ducts are the correct size - Ductwork that's too small won't be able to carry enough air to heat or cool your building. Ducts that are too large can lose both air and energy, cutting system efficiency and wasting money. Use trusted industry standards and procedures, such as those published by ASHRAE, to size your ducts.

Make sure there are enough return ducts - Supply ducts carry conditioned air to your building, but the system also requires enough return ducts to bring expended air back to the HVAC unit to be conditioned again. Each room that receives heating or cooling should have at least one return duct. Return air grilles and ducts can also be installed in areas such as hallways or in large rooms.
Be careful where you install ducts - Don't install ductwork in areas of your building that don't receive heating or cooling or in outdoor locations. Substantial amounts of energy can be lost through the relatively thin metal of the ductwork.
Protect ductwork from energy loss - Make sure all ductwork sections fit together tightly without gaps or loose segments. Seal all connections with mastic or metal tape. Cover the ductwork with insulation, such as rigid fiber board or standard blanket-type insulation.

New ductwork can improve your energy efficiency, increase home comfort, and bring heating and cooling to new areas of the home. If you’re planning to add or adjust ductwork in your home, it’s important to turn to a pro. Ductwork is extremely complicated as a DIY job. A professional can make sure your ductwork installation is designed properly and completed quickly, so your Sanford, North Carolina, home has fresh new ducts in no time.
 
Streamlined Placement from a Pro
Designing ductwork is a complex task. To get it right, you need to consider airflow, duct sizing, and home layout. If you use too many corners in your ductwork design, you’ll have uneven temperatures with hot and cold spots around the house. Your HVAC system may end up working harder than necessary to push air through the ductwork, resulting in higher utility bills, more strain on your system, and a shorter life span for your furnace and air conditioner.
 
Our professional technicians will help you pinpoint the best possible placement for your ductwork, offering simple, streamlined designs that help your furnace and air conditioner work as efficiently as possible. Problem-solving is included in the job. DIY-ers may have to go back and make tweaks, while our pros can get it done in one go.
 
Quality of Labour that Comes from Experience
A professional can offer higher quality labour than even the most talented DIY-er. It takes years of training and experience to master the finer points of ductwork installation. A qualified professional will know how to choose ductwork with the right dimensions and insulate it with material that has the appropriate R-rating.
 
If you’re updating or adding ductwork in an existing home, a professional will know the best way to access your ducts. Depending on your home, this may involve removing drop tiles from the ceiling, working in the attic space, or removing drywall and plaster. An uninformed mistake can be quite costly in a finished home construction. A pro can minimize your risks and ensure a higher-quality job.
 
Timely Installation for Quick Comfort
Installing new ductwork is a time-consuming task. While you’re in the middle of the project, you’ll be without heating and cooling in your home. This can lead to an uncomfortable environment. You don’t want to wait weeks to restore comfortable temperatures to your house. This is uncomfortable at best and hazardous to your home at worst.
 
In the summer, your air conditioner also serves as a natural dehumidifier. If you’re without air conditioning for too long, your home can become damp and musty, providing the perfect environment for mould or mildew to grow. Work with a professional to make sure your ductwork gets done fast.
 
Professional Materials at Affordable Prices
If you’re considering a DIY ductwork job to save money, you should think about more than just the cost of labour. While you will indeed pay a professional for his or her time and labour, you’ll save on other expenses. Purchasing home improvement materials in bulk is far cheaper than buying them in small quantities for one-time use.
 
The ductwork itself is only part of the expense. You’ll also need professional quality sealing materials. An experienced HVAC technician will seal both your existing ducts and any new installations with mastic, a special metal-backed tape, or an aerosol sealant. You may need a combination of products to suit your ductwork construction, with tape for easy-to-reach areas, mastic for slightly trickier spots, and an aerosol for the far corners.
 
A professional will have all the necessary supplies on hand in ample quantities to get the job done right, while you may end up with unused excess, or feel you need to choose just one approach to sealing your ducts to keep costs down.