Marking the damper handles is actually a pretty good trick, especially if you’re like me and forget what you did last winter. It won’t help if they seize up, but at least you know where things were set when it was working. I’ve seen foil tape peel a bit in crawlspaces that get real warm, but usually only if the surface wasn’t cleaned first—dust is the enemy. Mastic’s a pain, but it does seem to last. As for those rubber isolators, I’ve used them in a couple places where the ducts were rattling against joists and it quieted things down. Not always necessary, but if you’re already annoyed by noise, it’s worth a shot.
Marking the damper handles saved me a ton of time last fall. I totally get what you mean about foil tape—
I learned that one the hard way... had to redo half my seams after a summer. Honestly, mastic is messy but I’d rather do it once and be done. Rubber isolators helped my bedroom duct too, cut down on that annoying vibration. Not perfect, but better than nothing.“foil tape peel a bit in crawlspaces that get real warm, but usually only if the surface wasn’t cleaned first—dust is the enemy.”
Marking those damper handles is a game changer, right? I used to just guess and hope for the best—let’s just say my living room got way too toasty. I hear you on the mastic vs. foil tape debate. Mastic’s a pain, but at least it doesn’t peel off when things heat up. Rubber isolators made a difference for me too, though my ducts still hum a little when the AC kicks on... guess that’s just part of the charm of older houses.
Marking damper handles really does make a difference—saves a lot of trial and error, especially when you’re managing multiple units. I’ve had tenants crank up the heat in one room and then complain the next day that their bedroom’s freezing. It’s always a balancing act.
Mastic’s a pain, but at least it doesn’t peel off when things heat up.
Couldn’t agree more. I used to be all about foil tape for the convenience, but after a couple summers, it just didn’t hold up. Mastic’s messy, but once it’s on, you can pretty much forget about it.
As for duct noise, older houses do have their quirks. Rubber isolators help, but sometimes it’s just the way the ducts were run back in the day—tight corners, long runs, not much you can do short of a full redo. I’ve found that adding a bit of insulation around the noisiest sections can muffle things a bit, though it won’t make it silent. At some point, you just learn to live with a little hum... part of the “character,” right?
Marking those damper handles was a game changer for me too. Used to be I’d just guess and hope for the best, but after enough nights sweating in the living room and freezing in the bedroom, I finally got fed up and labeled everything. It’s not perfect, but at least now I know which lever does what when things get out of whack.
Mastic is messy as heck, but yeah, it actually stays put. I tried foil tape on a couple joints in the attic—looked great at first, but by the next summer it was peeling off like old wallpaper. Lesson learned.
Duct noise is just one of those things you kinda have to accept in these older places. I wrapped some leftover insulation around the worst spots and it helped a bit, but there’s still that low rumble at night. Honestly, I’ve started thinking of it as white noise... beats listening to my neighbor’s dog bark all night.
