Venting Your Way to a Successful Remodel
By: Julina Macy
Taking on any remodeling project can seem overwhelming, from hiring an experienced contractor to the little details that bring a room together. So before you begin looking into that shiny new stainless steel refrigerator you’ve been dreaming about or opening up the walls to connect some spaces, remember the big picture (your budget) and keep your long term comfort in mind. After all, a successful project needs to keep the heart of the home in mind each step of the way-proper air flow through your heating and cooling system’s ductwork.
Measure Up
Want to demolish the wall between your living room and dining room to create one glorious space? Sounds great, but remember that the one large room now means the air won’t be distributed the same way compared to the old floor plan. While the square footage may not change, the air distribution will vary by the new size and dimension of the room. This affects more than just the one room; it affects the entire house.
To avoid hot and cold spots throughout your home, you’ll need to contact an experienced heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) contractor to look at more than just the indoor and outdoor equipment. They’ll need to calculate the size of your actual air conditioner, take room measurements, analyze your duct system and more.
Imagine putting a clothespin on your nose and a straw in your mouth. Now what would happen to your lungs if you were asked to run a mile? It would likely make it very difficult to breathe and put a strain on your lungs. Likewise, return air brings all the air from the home back to the system. If you don’t have the capacity, it’ll do the same thing to your unit that running a mile would have done to your lungs.
In addition, you will need to make the same considerations for each room of the house, especially if there are times when doors may be closed between rooms. Enough air needs to be circulated through each room to make up the for the heat loss or heat gain of that space. A contractor needs to bring into account proper system sizing and proper distribution, because if all those things aren’t working properly the system will have trouble heating and cooling properly.
When remodeling, ask about zoning systems to eliminate hot and cold rooms to provide an even temperature throughout your home. This allows a single air conditioning unit to have separate temperature zones in each room of your home-making everyone happy while lowering utility bills.
It’s in the Details
After the zoning has been designed, don’t overlook the return air vents. Will they be placed on the ceiling or on the wall near the floorboard? Are they the right size and are there enough to accommodate proper air distribution? Will the duct supply registers be blocked by furniture or curtains, preventing air from coming out? Discuss all your concerns about adequate duct work or return register placement before any work begins with your contractor. In addition to helping the air flow, you’ll save money over time because the HVAC system won’t have to work as hard at heating or cooling your home.
In addition to proper air distribution, correct humidity levels will prevent future damage to your beautiful hardwood floors; floors and wood furnishings can warp from excessive humidity while low humidity levels can cause them to crack. The types and sizes of humidifiers vary greatly, from a central humidifier to steam humidifiers. These can be controlled by your programmable thermostat and can have various capacities. Regardless of your choice, the recommended humidity levels to be comfortable in your home are between 30 percent and 50 percent, which will also help protect your home furnishings and your health.
Before your remodeling project becomes overwhelming, keep your cool and remember that a little planning can lead to long term comfort. Talk to an Aire Serv® contractor near you to see what type of system, placement and accessories you need. Happy remodeling!
