When considering replacing your duct system, the question most certainly will arise as to what type of duct system you should have installed in your home. There are two main types of duct systems, metal and fiberboard. Which one is right for you depends on several factors that you have to consider. But before we discuss the differences, lets go over what a duct system is.
A duct system is a series of connected "boxes" or "tubes" that supply conditioned air to your home. There is usually a trunk that is realativly large run from your furnace or air handler throughout your house. Off of the truck, are supply take offs. These are smaller lines that run from your trunk to the actual vents inside the home. With a properly sized duct system, you will notice that all conditioned areas of your home has balanced airflow.
Let's start by taking a look at the benefits of a fiberboard, otherwise known as duct board system. Duct board systems are typically a less expensive option for your home. In most situations, a full duct board system can be installed in one day. The fiberboard makes up the entirety of the trunk while flex duct connects from the trunk to the vents. Flex duct is a pre insulated flexible tube of duct material that allows you to easily run a supply to most any vent or register in your home.
Fiberboard does have some issues though. For starters, it is not near as durable as its counterpart metal. In areas such as crawl spaces, it is not a recommended practice to install it due to the possibility of moisture or pest contamination. We also do not recommend having duct board systems cleaned by any duct cleaning company. When the surfaces are cleaned inside a duct board system, tiny fragments of glass (fiberglass) can break off and enter your breathing air.
Now let's look at metal or rigid duct work. These type of systems are usually a more expensive option, but when installed properly with new techniques, can last upwards of 25 years if not longer. The trunk and supply branches from the systems are built with sheet metal usually custom built offsite and to order. Unlike fiberboard systems, metal can be insulated on the outside using non-fiberglass materials. These type of duct systems can be cleaned safely because there is nothing inside the system other than raw sheet metal. In the event that your insulation on the outside gets damaged, reinstalling new insulation is significantly less expensive than replacing duct sections.
Really the only disadvantage to a metal duct system is cost. Because a full metal system can take 2-3 days to fabricate and another 2-3 days to install, the labor cost of metal is higher than a fiberboard system.
To conclude, as the owner of Down Home Heating and Air, I personally recommend installing metal ductwork in your home. Even being a little higher in cost, a metal system can last longer than your heating and air equipment times 3, that is with proper maintenance and cleaning.
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