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mstowell
Joined: 14 May 2007
Posts: 3
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 Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:34 am Post subject: Enclosing Ductwork |
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I need some ideas for enclosing exposed ductwork easily and affordably.
I have a total of about 120 LF of ductwork running along the GWB ceiling in a basement.
There's the obvious option of soffits, but that's my last resort.
Any ideas out there? |
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RWL
Joined: 10 May 2004
Posts: 399
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| Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:47 am Post subject: |
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Why do you restrict soffits to your last resort?
Other than that, removing the duct work is about the ONLY other option, that makes any sense. That and lower the entire ceiling to a level below the bottom of the duct work [needlessly expensive, but I guess the option really depends on what you are trying to do in the space]. |
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birgco
Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 302
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| Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 5:07 pm Post subject: |
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what is the ductwork made of, supply and/or return
and dimensions ( w x h )?? also ceiling height?? |
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phansford
Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Posts: 531
Location: SW Ohio
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| Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:35 am Post subject: |
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birgo maybe be headed in the same direction I am...... I prefer to leave beams, columns, and ductwork exposed. I painted these items in my basment renovation. Beams are a hunter green, columns are a cobalt blue, and the ducts are yellow...... because "ducks" are yellow (okay - old joke  ) By not boxing these elements, the spaces feel taller. My ductwork is all metal and fairly sculptural. They add to the entire "modern" design of the basement.
Leaving the ductwork exposed is fine and can give it that "Loft" feeling. Not everything in life needs to have a piece of crown mold slapped on it. I'm too lazy to take a pic of my basement, but here are some ideas.
However, as birgo is asking, if your duct work is that foamboard duct or flexi duct, you have a different problem. |
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mstowell
Joined: 14 May 2007
Posts: 3
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| Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 6:38 am Post subject: Enclosing Ductwork |
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The supply and return lines are both appr. 8"x 24"x50', and are covered with that 1/2" foam insulation which is screwed into the aluminum.
The ceiling height is 8'.
Whoever did the last renovation on the basement went right over the duct insulation with joint compound and stippled it to match the previous ceiling finish (plain ugly).
I had to open up the ceiling to get at some wiring up there, so I'm refinishing it minus the stipple effect, and since the ductwork is too big to bury in the ceiling, I would LOVE to leave it exposed and paint it like you're talking about.
But I don't know that it would be a good idea to rip all that insulation off the ductwork, So I was hoping there was some sort of paintable thin material out there that I could just cover up the ductwork with, and at the same time not lose head room. |
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phansford
Joined: 18 Apr 2004
Posts: 531
Location: SW Ohio
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| Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 10:44 am Post subject: |
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Being that the ducts are located in conditioned space (your heated and cooled basement) the insulation is not necessary. Talk with your HVAC contractor who provides your annual service. They can help you. We only insulate duct work that is in unconditioned spaces such as attics. None of the ductwork in my house is insulated.
If you choose to remove the insulation - then you should do a test area of about 2 or 3 feet to see whats underneath and what it would take to repair the duct work.
Gotta love DYI'ers who don't know what they are doing. |
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usarender
millennium club
Joined: 01 May 2004
Posts: 1258
Location: San Diego, Ca
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| Posted: Mon Sep 17, 2007 3:50 pm Post subject: Enclosed duct |
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The only "duckt" that needs to be enclosed is this birgco bird guy who is spamming all the most creative posts on these forums.
If people like this have problems, they can address them by e-mail, and don't need to spam these forums with complaints that are ill founded, have no basis and do not understand the issues at hand.
These people seem incapable of engaging in intelligent discussion on topics they are bombing, but would rather harass all the most important discussion topics with absurd, ridiculous humor, false statements, and arguments that demonstrate a lack of understanding of the various topics on concept, on deconstruction architecture, on the structures of the future, on the logistics of architectural thought and the various other contributions being made in these discussions. |
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mx2
millennium club
Joined: 18 Jan 2006
Posts: 1966
Location: Miami, Florida
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| Posted: Fri Sep 21, 2007 10:54 am Post subject: |
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I see birgco has a stalker now...
phansford is correct on all counts. dressing up what you have, even highlighting it as a "feature" can make an ugly element become a part of the space itself. The issue can be resolved in many ways but cost is a factor apparently. But there's an aaumption here that's bothreing me...is this ductwork actually cooling/heating the same space we're talking about or does it run through the space to cool another room (above)? I would have guessed the basement had no a/c originally and someone decided to finish the surfaces and make it occupiable. Do the vents tie into this duct? Another assumption is the relationship of the duct to the space...is this duct interfering with any circulation (where you walk or stand)? Or is it off to one side of the room that could then easily take a soffit? A picture is worth a thousand words...can we see this space?
mx2.5
_________________
*Art of Architecture: The conscious use of skill and creative imagination in the production of an aesthetic building.
*Science of Architecture: The calculated use of technical skill and knowledge in the construction of a functional building. |
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