Ankeny has added a lot of houses in a short time, and a new house feels clean the day you move in. The ductwork is a different story. During construction the heating and cooling system is often installed before the drywall is sanded, the trim is cut and the floors go down. Some of that dust finds its way into open ducts and registers, and it doesn’t leave when the builder does.
Top Notch Chimney Sweep & Services is a family owned Central Iowa company, working here since 2002. Our technicians are certified in air duct cleaning, and newer Ankeny homes are a big part of that work.
What Builders Leave Behind
When we open up ducts in a newer home, the usual findings are fine drywall dust, sawdust and bits of construction debris. We’ve seen screws, wrappers and scraps of insulation sitting in a trunk line. Fine dust is the bigger concern because the blower can pick it up and push it back into your rooms every time the system kicks on. If your new home still seems dusty months after the last coat of paint dried, the ducts are a reasonable place to look.
Long Runs and Big Floor Plans
Many Ankeny homes are larger, with finished basements, bonus rooms over the garage and a second floor. That means longer duct runs and more branches off the main trunk. Dust tends to settle in the long horizontal sections and at the turns, and those far-end rooms are often the ones that feel like they never get enough air. Cleaning won’t fix a design problem, but it does remove buildup that restricts airflow, and it gives us a chance to spot a disconnected or damaged run feeding that room.
How we clean a larger system
- We hook a powerful HEPA vacuum to the system so loosened dust gets pulled out, not blown into the house
- We work specialized brushes through the supply and return ducts to break debris loose from the walls
- We look for holes, gaps and defects that affect how well the system moves air
- We tell you what we found and point out anything that needs repair
Should You Clean Ducts in a Brand New House?
It depends on what’s in them. If you bought a home that was just finished, or you added on, a cleaning after the dust settles is a sensible step. If you’ve lived there a few years and haven’t remodeled, you may not need it yet. We’d rather tell you that honestly than sell you a service you don’t need. Our air duct cleaning page explains more about how dust in the ductwork affects your home.
While We’re There
New construction in Ankeny often puts the laundry room on the second floor or in the middle of the house, which means a long dryer vent run. Long runs collect lint faster. We can clean it the same day; see dryer vent cleaning in Ankeny. Many newer homes also have a gas fireplace, and our gas log service keeps it burning and venting the way it should.
For a full list of what we do around town, visit our Ankeny service area page.
Schedule your Ankeny air duct cleaning: call (515) 249-6337 or book online.
