Fiberglass or Steel Ductwork?

[btaylor]

ductboard should be outlawed
it is the most horrible thing there is to run air through, next to a fiber glass filled septic tank.
i move to texas from maryland and everyone here uses the SH_T. not because they think its better but because they think its cheaper. really it is because i am in an area where they think $10.00 an hour is good money and to pay someone with experience $15.00 hrly to do something right is just unheard of.
any pinhead with a yard stick, razor knife and a roll of tape can build a visually suffiecent duct system...but not in my house.

[ct2]

The company Iwork for makes their plenums out of ductboard , They also line commercial duct with liner and although I know the interior surfaces and edges are supposed to be sealed the fact is , there are still exposed fiberglass edges snd seams

the exposed ductboard is also supposed to be seald but there are still some edges that are exposed occasionally From what I have been told, that duct board is only good for 5 yrs or so before it starts to deteriorate and break apart

Just like asbestose, when viewed under a microscope fiberglass particals have barbs and getting it off of your skin is bad enough, it would be impossible to get rid of if you were to breath it

[dash]

Why would it only last 5 years?
Someone is misleading you.IMHO

Florida has tons of homes ,20 plus years old,nothing crumpled,we see them daily.

[Edited by dash on 05-06-2005 at 02:57 PM]

[t527ed]

ductboard like equipment is only as good as the install.
we have systems 25 yrs old that are still perfect. i have seen systems 3 yrs old falling apart. the right stapler and tape are critical. also shiplap joints. other trick is using wifes old iron to iron tape to seal.

[t527ed]

ENIGMA what did the no good thieving contractor have in his proposal???

[AllTemp]

Originally posted by t527ed
ENIGMA what did the no good thieving contractor have in his proposal???

I was wondering when someone would pick up on hia llterior motives for psting this questions...

He stated it off with Stainless...

Ya, Egnima make your theiving contarctor isntall stainless all teh way will last a lifetime...

Now about flex, lluv it use it and if isntalled properly and with a quaility product lke a metailized mylar it's great!

Also luv duct board, luv it use it but only use the foil faced ductboard, really neat stuff... Allstyle makes their plenum cols with it... As long as it is double foil faced it is the next best thing since the cheese...

Now back to that poor thieving contractor... I think he should give you back all of your money and run like hell... And god help the next contractor that meets you!

[Dof3]

Bash it all you want but, duct board is here to stay. We have used ductboard since 1982 and I have yet to see a system "fall apart". We have replaced stuff that has gotten wet or crushed or just plain badly installed. The one guy says all you need is a razor knife and tape to put it together. Well with sheet metal you don't even need that. All you have to do is go to Home Depot and buy your pieces of duct and slap them together. You shouldn't bash it just don't use it if you don't like it. We do custom high end jobs and Owens Ultra-Gold ductboard is all we use. I hand cut every single piece of ductwork and transition it to the size I need. Ask me if you should use ductboard or sheet metal and I would go ductboard. I have it my own house and about 1000 others. I did a new house with it today and I am going to do another tommorrow. We use metal, when asked and like my ductboard or my infloor jobs for that matter they are works of art. No complaints here, quit your *****in' and use what you want. It is still a free freakin' country.

[chillbilly]

I really like round metal duct externally wrapped.
It has the best aspect ratio for airflow of any of the materials used.
It's hard to use in many lower and mid level applications but can be used in attics rather easily.

Rectangular sheet metal duct, externally wrapped takes less space but can be rather loud and takes a bit more time to install.

Ductboard is very quiet, easy to install and saves the customer some dollars because it costs less to install.

I have not seen ductboard degradation any more than I have seen poorly wrapped metal duct sweating and causing damage.

Ductboard has been approved and is not considered a health risk but that's not really much of a guarantee, now is it?

[rayr]

Originally posted by square2round
Metal, metal, metal. Galvanized steel is used...you don't need stainless. Stainless steel is at least 5 to 6 times more expensive, on top of an already higher sheet metal cost than what it was two years ago.

5 to 6 times lol. Guess u haven't priced SS lately. A sheet of 26ga 48 x 96 is over 150.00

[ct2]

Guess u haven't priced SS lately. A sheet of 26ga 48 x 96 is over 150.00


ya but if you read the other posts by ENIMA-HE DEMANDS QUALITY- and when he found out the pad his condenser was set on was'nt solid concrete he couldnt sleep at nite

after the contractor agreed to come out and pour a pad he still wasnt satisfied, and came here to "warn the public" about thieving contractors

He bought a dump that he is fixing up with the help of his DIY board buddys, but he had to come here to tell his story and save the public.

So in ENIMAS case stainless steel would be the only thing to install, so that the people he ends up selling this dump to will at least have "QUALITY" duct work

[Special Ed]

Nothin' wrong with ductboard, if done right. Problem with sheet metal galvanized or stainless is that it's difficult to re-do an entire ducting system in a home that's existing at the time of sale. Then it's just easier to use ductboard for the transition & flex for the branches. But if you were building a house from the ground up then go ahead & use metal externally insulated.

[dgk]

Sheet metal insulated inside vs. ductboard. If both are installed to high standards both are equal in regards to dirt, mold etc. forming on the inside. Neither can be cleaned inside properly. Given that as a design criteria, save money and put in ductboard.

Personal choice on metal: Round pipe insulated on the outside. Requires less fabrication time and quick to install.

[xminer]

Do not use ductboard .I have torn out ductboard andI have seen black mold on inside of it. I dont know you .but Idont want to breath mold or fiberglass. Ionly install sheetmetal duct. most all other installers in my area istall ductboard in damp areas . they only want a fast buck. they dont care about the home owner. Save your family's health spend an extra buck install sheetmetal duct.