Ductwork In Attic Or Crawlspace

If there is a dirt or gravel floor put down a vapor barrier then seal it off with concrete slurry.
Ductwork in attic or crawlspace. Ii lowered ceilings in hallways. This means that like an attic or unfinished basement you don t heat and cool it. Ductwork can eat into living space so innovative space saving features like squeeze elbows are in demand. The majority of ducts are installed in unconditioned attic spaces and crawl spaces where they are out of sight.
Insulate and air seal the floor with open cell foam put ductwork and mechanicals in the attic install a radiant barrier and mastic seal the ducts. The accessibility of a home s ductwork is a key factor in estimating the cost to replace it. You can get the air handler and ducts into conditioned space in several ways without needing a basement or crawl space. Finding space for ductwork in the.
While the attic install isn t ideal it beats the problems that come with ducts. Just like when you have too little insulation if you have an excessive amount of humidity near your ductwork either in your attic or crawlspaces then you increase the likelihood of condensation forming. Iv conditioned attic and more. If the ducting is not sealed well and insulated you will have plenty of problems because of the high attic temperatures.
Strap ducts out of insulation with 3 ductstraps per specifications. The crawl space is an unconditioned space. There can be moisture issues in the crawlspace but i would deal with that before choosing to put the ducting in the attic. If the ducts are in an unconditioned crawl space you can encapsulate.
In the winter a crawl space can be significantly colder than the living spaces of your home. I lowered soffits around room perimeters. Seal supply boxes with mastic. I vote for the attic.
If the ducts are in an unconditioned attic you can put spray foam insulation on the roof deck. Installing ductwork in the crawl space beneath a home limits movement and poses a lighting challenge. Ductwork located in an attic crawl space may be difficult to get to and creates a hot and potentially hazardous environment for the crew. Measure the circumference of the ducts running through your crawlspace.
As don peek says in the comments below it may be more cost effective in existing homes to seal and insulate the ducts as well as you can. If you have ductwork in your crawl space the temperature of the duct will be the same as the temperature of the crawl space. Think about it condensation on ductwork probably isn t a big problem in phoenix arizona but why. Ceiling diffusers can help route vents to alternative locations avoiding lengths of ductwork.
Your home s supply and return ducts may or. Iii special trusses that create space below the unconditioned attic.