We just moved in to our new home (pictures attached for all you folks that helped me with various tips throughout the last 18 months). One minor annoyance is that you can hear the duct work in the basement (unfinished) “pop” when you walk across a few spots in our master bedroom. The duct work runs right under our bedroom floor. Our builder tried to do something about this the other day but whatever he tried didn’t work. Is there anything I can try to eliminate this sound? Thanks in advance.
– Rob
Replies
Rob, what type of floor system and ductwork?
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Hmmm, good question. I'm not an expert at this stuff but the floor is comprised of those wood "I" joists with plywood glued/nailed on top of it. (And of course carpet on top of that). The duct work appears to me to be standard box sheet metal stuff.
About what size is the duct, how's it fastened and to what. Long span on those I joists? Branches off the duct in question?
You wouldn't be able to take a pic of the area from below would you?Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
I'll try and get back to you. Thanks, Rob
Rob, this problem doesn't happen often enough to be able to be easily identified. Like the others have suggested, get someone up and walking while you stay below to isolate the area of popping. Release the hangers there and maybe one more set either way, being careful to not lose the duct (maybe prop it up to hold it). Remount the hangers in a different hole (spread the strap a bit). When it was hung originally just a little twist could put enough bind on it that the slightest movement will cause the pop.
Same goes with the feeders, when cut into the floor. The problem could be with their hanging and connection to the trunk.
Did you run any AC through these lines and not have a problem?
The only other possible correction is maybe to cut in a flex connection midway in a long trunk line.
You in Michigan?A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Thanks guys. I'll give some of these things a try. The builder is a friend of ours and he's going to stop over again next weekend to see if we can get it figured out.
Yup, I'm in Michigan. Just outside Ann Arbor.
- Rob
It would be a fair amount of work, but....I wonder if you could drop the ducts down 1 1/2" to allow a 2X4 "nailer" running parallel to them. Then the ducts could be fastened to the nailer rather than directly to the I-joists. That way the nailer would spread out some of the flexing.
Reading whilst sunbathing makes you well-red.
Maumee, just outside Toledo. Keep me informed of any good music up there would you?A great place for Information, Comraderie, and a sucker punch.
Remodeling Contractor just outside the Glass City.
Quittin' Time
Here are the pics of the offending area...
The first, and easiest, thing I thought of was to quiet the popping or booming sound by wrapping the ducts just here and there with strips of something like carpet padding. That would at least make it have less of an "echo." Maybe tape 8-12" wide strips every couple feet or so and see if it helps. The other less easy solution would be to put some sort of soft material between the metal fasteners and the joists they're fastened to--felt, carpet pad, etc. and if you can get a similar material between the fasteners and the ducts, that may also help. You could locate the problem areas by going into the basement and have someone walk about above you. The non-simple solution is to strengthen the joists so they don't flex as much.
Probably when the joist goes up and down it causes one of the hangers to move up and down and that is flexing a joint in the duct. If you can narrow it down to a specific joint then a few whacks with a hammer will likely cure it (or at least change it to a more pleasing tone). It's possible than adding more hangers may help too.
In several instances where I've had trouble with metal panels rattling I've taken a piece of vinyl flooring (or self-stick floor tile) and glued it to the offending panel with some sort of contact adhesive. This will frequently quiet rattles, or at least tone them down quite a bit.
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