What Causes Wear to Duct Work Under the House?

Tree Roots

• Tree roots can push their way into ductwork, especially if there is already a crack or weak spot. Once the root manages to push its way in, it can expand the crack as the root grows larger. Tree roots do not always enter ductwork tip first and straight on; sometimes the root grows alongside the duct until it finds a place into which it can grow. This can crush or scratch the duct.

Bugs

• Colonies of underground insects like termites can invade ductwork and weaken the structure if the ductwork is old. Ductwork in some areas used to be made of a nonmetallic material that bugs could tunnel through, thus allowing the pests to set up nests in the ducts. To get rid of bugs, you have to call a qualified pest control company, and then take care of repairing or possibly replacing the ductwork with more up-to-date material.

Floods

• Water can erode anything, even ductwork if the water inundates the surrounding soil and wears away at the material. Floodwaters do not always clear up after a few hours and can last for days or weeks, however long it takes for the water to drain away. If there was a flood in the area, even long ago, the water could have seeped deep enough into the soil to get to the duct.

Improper Construction

• Like anything that’s been constructed, ductwork could be made of bad quality material or not be put together properly. Whether this has to be replaced or repaired depends on the current state of the ductwork and what other work has been performed on it in the past. A qualified contractor should be able to tell which route is needed.