Old retrofits and new finished basements
Ottawa has two kinds of duct problem. In Centretown, Westboro, Hintonburg and the Glebe, ducts were squeezed into houses that were never designed for them: supplies that are too small, a single return in the hall, runs that leak into the wall cavities. In Kanata, Barrhaven and Orléans the ducts started out fine and then the basement was finished, with returns boxed in, registers covered and the furnace starved of air. The split-levels of Alta Vista, Elmvale Acres and Nepean have a third problem: one level is always too warm and another always too cold.
The fix is rarely a bigger furnace. Sealing the joints with mastic, adding dampers so the airflow can be steered, opening up a return and rebalancing the registers usually brings the cold room back for a fraction of the cost. We seal, balance, repair and extend ductwork, including the runs for a new addition or a basement suite. Duct cleaning is a separate trade; ask when you call whether it is offered, and whether it is worth doing in your house, since sealed ducts and a good filter generally do more.
Dry winter air
Heated air in an Ottawa house at -20 outside can drop below 15 percent relative humidity, drier than most deserts. Hardwood gaps, static shocks, nosebleeds and a house that feels cold at 22 degrees all follow. A whole-home humidifier on the furnace, bypass or steam, brings the air back to a comfortable 30 to 40 percent, which has to be turned down during the deepest cold to keep the windows from frosting; we set the control for that. The furniture and the floors last longer, and most people find they can run the thermostat a degree lower.
Filtration and ventilation
A deep-pleated media filter cabinet replaces the one-inch filter with a four- or five-inch one that lasts about a year and catches far finer dust, pollen and smoke particles, without choking the airflow the way a dense one-inch filter does. HEPA bypass units are available for households with allergies or asthma. Newer, tighter homes in Kanata, Barrhaven and Stittsville have a heat recovery ventilator that brings in fresh air; its core and filters need washing every few months and its balance checked yearly, which we fold into the annual tune-up.
