Adding Duct To Attic
In many homes the insulation layer in the attic is along the floor.
Adding duct to attic. The foam provides a vapor barrier so the ductwork won t sweat. When hvac ducts are installed in a vented attic in a dry climate bury the ducts in attic insulation to protect them from temperature extremes in the unconditioned attic space. Use a draw band connector to complete the butt joint. The doe s building america program recommends beds buried encapsulated ducts.
Burying ducts in attic insulation. If your supplier doesn t carry draw band connectors make your own by cutting a piece of pipe to overlap the ends and then screw and tape the band into place. Heaping insulation over the ducts is fine in dry climates but can cause condensation on the duct insulation jacket in humid climates. The duct work is insulated to keep the condensate from forming on the outside of the pipes and dripping off from the temperature differences in the attic in the summertime with ac running.
To add heat and air conditioning to your attic you must have enough ductwork. By spraying closed cell foam on the ducts before burying them in attic insulation you prevent the condensation problem. Cover the spray foam with fire retardant spray. As most gba readers know ducts belong inside a home s thermal envelope not in an environment that s cold in the winter.
5 hvac tips for turning your attic into a spare bedroom increase or move insulation. Ducts that feed second floor rooms are typically run across the attic floor and plunge down between the attic floor joists where they are connected to ceiling registers. Cost to replace ductwork in an attic the price to replace ductwork in an attic ranges from 500 to 2 000 depending on the size of the home and your existing system. Ducts that feed first floor rooms run down through second floor closets wherever possible.
Cover the metal ductwork with closed cell spray foam. Install ductwork so that it is in direct contact with i e laying on the ceiling and or truss lower cords. We just ran ductwork to our upstairs and it is so wonderful. The reason we did it was because we wanted to sell our house.
Consider adding more insulation as ductwork is farther from the furnace. Overlap one side as you normally would and create a butt joint on the other. Spray foam spreads fire very fast creates massive amounts of toxic smoke. You shouldn t install ducts in a vented unconditioned attic.
Adding a vent to existing ductwork is a diy job. They would not count the electric heat installed in the room. The realtor said that they do not count a room as a bedroom unless there is a suitable heat source.