I feel your pain on the ductwork surprises...my place isn't exactly historic, but it's definitely older (built in the late 60s), and when we upgraded our HVAC, we found out the ducts were weirdly undersized and routed in the strangest ways. Installer was scratching his head for days, lol. Ended up doing some creative rerouting and adding a booster fan. Not exactly cheap, but way better than tearing open walls. Now it's finally comfy without breaking the bank every month. Older houses always keep things interesting, don't they?
Your experience sounds pretty familiar. My place was built in the early 70s, and when we tackled our HVAC upgrade last year, we ran into similar ductwork mysteries. The installer found ducts that literally looped around rooms for no apparent reason—like someone was playing a practical joke decades ago. Anyway, here's what helped us:
First, we mapped out the existing duct layout as best we could (lots of flashlight crawling in the attic involved). Then, instead of tearing everything out, we strategically replaced only the worst sections with properly sized ducts. We also sealed up leaks with mastic sealant—made a huge difference in airflow efficiency.
Adding a booster fan like you did was our next step, and honestly, it was a game changer. It wasn't exactly cheap either, but compared to ripping open walls or ceilings...definitely worth it.
Older homes really do keep you on your toes. But once you get past these surprises, they're pretty rewarding to live in. Glad yours turned out comfy too!
Your ductwork adventure definitely struck a chord with me. My last flip was a mid-60s ranch, and I swear whoever installed the HVAC originally must've been improvising as they went along. We found ducts that branched off into nowhere, some sections crushed flat by previous renovations, and even one section completely disconnected—just blowing conditioned air into the attic space for who knows how long.
Mapping the duct layout was key for us too. We used colored tape to mark good vs bad sections, which made it easier when we brought in our HVAC guy. He suggested something similar to your approach—replace only what's absolutely necessary and seal everything else up tight. Mastic sealant is honestly underrated; people often jump straight to replacing ducts without realizing how much efficiency they're losing through tiny leaks.
One additional thing we did that might help others dealing with older homes was adding zoning dampers. It wasn't exactly cheap or easy, but it allowed us to control airflow better in different parts of the house without having to completely overhaul the system. Basically, we divided the home into two zones (living areas vs bedrooms) and installed motorized dampers controlled by separate thermostats. The result was impressive—much more consistent comfort throughout the entire home, especially during extreme weather.
I agree older homes can be challenging...but there's something uniquely satisfying about bringing them back to life and making them comfortable again. HVAC upgrades aren't glamorous, but they're one of those behind-the-scenes improvements that genuinely transform how a home feels day-to-day.
Glad you got yours sorted out too—it really does make all the difference once it's done right.
Your zoning damper idea is pretty clever—I wish I'd thought of that before we redid our upstairs. We have a classic two-story colonial, and the upstairs bedrooms always felt like a sauna in summer and an icebox in winter. We ended up adding mini-splits (which I love, btw), but zoning dampers might've been a simpler fix.
Also, totally agree on mastic sealant being underrated. It's like the duct tape of HVAC (ironically, actual duct tape is terrible for ducts...go figure). When we sealed ours, it was shocking how much quieter and more efficient the system became. Before that, it sounded like someone was bowling in our attic every time the AC kicked on.
Curious though—did you notice a big difference in your energy bills after zoning? I've heard mixed things from clients who've done similar upgrades. Some swear by the savings, others say comfort improved but bills stayed about the same...
We zoned our system about three years ago, and honestly, the comfort difference was night and day. Energy bills though...eh, maybe a slight drop? Nothing dramatic. I think we just stopped cranking the thermostat up and down constantly, so it balanced out. Still worth it for the peace treaty it brought to our thermostat wars—no more sneaky midnight adjustments from my wife, lol.
