I am not a fan of plastic flex ductwork

After years of floating from one career to the next, I am now in the business of buying and selling residential properties.

  • It all started with a small condo inherited from a deceased relative.

As much as I wanted to live in the house and keep it in the family, I couldn’t handle the financial burden of two homes at the time. Being forced to sell the house was a sad experience, but there was good that came out of it. I had an amazing realtor who saw a ton of potential in my late Aunt’s house, and offered to help me make a few easy and quick modifications to get the value up higher than I would have ever dreamed of. He made a large commission and I gained thousands of dollars in equity on top of the money I expected to make before we did the handywork. I bought a condo with some of the money, did the same thing with the same realtor, and now three years later, I am sitting on five properties. Before I rotate them out, I do several things to ready them for a sale. Insuring the ductwork and central HVAC system are in a safe and working condition is a huge priority. Sometimes this involves fixing or replacing the entire ventilation system. For years I installed the cheap plastic ductwork that is usually called flex duct. Imagine the flexible vent hose that attaches to the back of your clothes dryer. Now imagine wrapping it in insulation, then covering it with a thin layer of aluminum so it can still bend and contort in any direction you want. It’s cheap and easy to install, but the longevity isn’t great compared to ductwork made from sheet metal. Tiny holes can appear in various places, making it leaky and hard to repair. If I want more value out of a house that already needs new ductwork to begin with, I always go with custom-cut sheet metal ductwork.

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