Air duct cleaning is essential home maintenance that can help ensure the air inside your home is always healthier than the air outside. A typical home can have hundreds of feet of air ducts that all need to be maintained in order to prevent dirt, dust, mold and other contaminants from collecting in them and fouling the air you breathe. Air ducts can also play host to a variety of furry invaders who seek out the safety, warmth and comfort of the ducts during the winter. At Steve’s, we offer effective and affordable air duct cleaning and dryer vent cleaning for all our customers in Longmont, Westminster and nearby communities.
Five Things to Keep in Mind Prior to Air Duct Cleaning
If you’ve had your air ducts cleaned recently there’s no rush to have them done again right away. But if it’s been a year or two it’s time to stop procrastinating and have the ducts cleaned. Before you do however consider the following:
- It’s not a DIY project - You might be justifiably proud of your DIY credentials and that’s great. But even if you have a long history of taking matters around the house into your own hands duct cleaning is not a candidate for the DIY treatment. Removing contaminants from the duct work needs to be done in a methodical, thorough way using the right equipment. If the process is handled in a haphazard or uninformed way the potential for trouble looms. Instead of removing dirt and debris, it could be dislodged and sent shooting out of the vents onto your expensive furniture and nice clean, sanitary kitchen counters. It might take weeks to completely clean up after such a disaster.
- Doing it wrong is worse than not doing it - As we just alluded to if the ducts are not cleaned properly it can actually create new problems instead of fixing old problems. There are a lot of well-meaning handymen out there looking to make a buck who offer air duct cleaning services. The thing is they usually lack both the training and equipment to do the job right. Air duct cleaning takes more than a vacuum cleaner and a flashlight. You need to know how to prepare air ducts for cleaning, how to prepare the house, where to start and when to employ the different types of equipment. All of this is necessary to ensure that dirt, debris and mold in the ducts doesn’t spread to your kitchen table or your child’s bed.
- Beware of scams - As we mentioned there are a lot of guys out there with a vacuum and a truck who offer air duct cleaning and vent cleaning. Many of them are well-meaning, hardworking guys. But some of them are up to no good whatsoever. Guys like this prey on the unsuspecting but they aren’t too hard to spot if you know the signs. For instance, there’s no reason they should ask for cash up front. None. Second, if they can’t explain their process to you in a simple clear way, it could indicate that they're trying to scam you. Third, if their business card has a PO Box for an address you should avoid them like the plague. Likewise if they won’t supply references or a written estimate. Also, if they’re offering to clean your ducts for a flat $100 give them a pass because proper air duct and vent cleaning takes time, training and the right equipment. It just can’t be done right for a hundred bucks.
- It’s a good way to detect an infestation - If you have unusual, unpleasant odors circulating through the house you may have rodents in the duct work. If the smell is particularly pungent it may be a sign of a dead rodent. Rodents typically chew their way into the duct work via the attic during the winter in order to get out of the cold. Some will set up nests within the ducts in order to raise their young in a safe place. Common ductwork animals also include squirrels, chipmunks, mice and rats. Duct cleaning is the perfect opportunity to either confirm your ducts are pest free or to expose an infestation so that it can be dealt with.
- It’s necessary after remodeling work - If you’ve recently made an addition to the house or remodeled the kitchen, bathroom, basement or attic you need to have your air ducts cleaned as soon as the contractor leaves. Why? Because the process of remodeling raises enormous amounts of dirt, dust and other debris much of which gets sucked into the air ducts. Until you have them cleaned all these contaminants are circulating through the house and being breathed in by your loved ones, your guests and your pets. As such, air duct cleaning is actually the last step in the renovation process. It’s the equivalent of washing the dishes after dinner. You wouldn’t leave dirty dishes lying around the kitchen. And you shouldn’t ignore air duct cleaning renovation work.
Air duct cleaning and vent cleaning are not luxuries, they’re necessities for maintaining a clean healthy home environment. When it’s time to clean the duct work in your home don’t waste your time and money on amateurs. Call the pros at Steve’s Carpet CareRestoration. We have over 40 years of experience that we bring to bear on every project we do.