Duct Liner vs Duct Wrap
Duct Liner vs Duct Wrap
Both duct liner and duct wrap serve similar purposes. They are meant to insulate HVAC ductwork, preventing air leakage and condensation. Both are common methods of insulating duct, and in many applications either one can perform effectively.
But let’s take a closer look.
Duct Wrap
- Prevents air leakage, condensation, and energy loss
- Can be retrofitted onto existing duct systems
- More expensive (including labor) than duct liner
Duct Liner
- Prevents air leakage, condensation, and energy loss
- Available in specific NRC values for acoustical performance
- Installed into the duct during fabrication, saving you field labor time
- Optional Double wall systems for high negative pressure applications
When it comes to the basic function of insulating duct, both duct wrap and liner function well. Choosing the correct one for a specific job is about understanding the needs of your project. If the mission is to retrofit a warehouse, where a substantial portion of old duct will be left in place, then the only approach is duct wrap.
For commercial buildings where occupants engage in professional jobs and interact with the public and co-workers, the answer is duct liner. The main reason is acoustical performance.
The elastomeric foam or fibrous glass liner used to insulate the interior of ductwork offers acoustical insulation and vibration dampening properties.
Duct liner is often sold with specific Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) values. For a given design, the thicker the insulation, the higher the NRC value.
Duct Liner Density
Once the choice has been made to go with duct liner, the subject of liner density is often the next concern. For a specific job, how will the weight and thickness of duct liner impact the performance for a given job. Is thicker better?
The answer is not as easy as it once was. Today, advancements in materials technology make density alone less important to thermal and acoustical performance. In the mid-1980s, the performance-based ASTM C1071 duct liner standard was established for fibrous glass duct lining insulation. Instead of relying on density, this standard relies on thermal and acoustical properties of interior duct liner material.
Where density still must be considered is during installation and hanging. Density is directly related to weight, such that the denser the lining material, the more stress it will place on the duct supports, especially over the lifetime of the project.
Double Wall Insulation
Double wall lined duct takes the idea of duct insulation to its highest level, achieving several key qualities that are in demand by the HVAC industry today.
- Double wall lined duct delivers the highest energy efficiency and tightest air seal
- Reduces noise from airflow, fans, and connectors, and vibrations
- Installation efficiencies, saving time often taken up by the application external insulation
The sheet metal interior wall protects the insulation from airflow while it stops fiberglass erosion. This keeps particulate build up from happening inside the ductwork which can give mold spores and microbes in the airflow a chance to take hold.
Built In for Affordable, Cutting-Edge Performance
Duct wrapping must take place on the job site and requires an unknown quantity of labor. It may or may not be done well, depending on the experience of the labor and the configuration of duct supports on site.
Liner built into the duct adds cost to the fabrication process, but is entirely predictable, completely consistent in quality, and adds no time to the installation process. Therefore, when calculating the probable cost of wrapping duct with insulation, the additional cost of lined duct often balances out, ultimately delivering a better result for the same cost.
Duct Fabrication is TCG’s Business
At TCG Duct, we can provide all or part of your HVAC fabrication needs. Your project is priced from a Material List or via a take off from prints you provide. Our team of engineers, fabricators and technicians are trained on the latest equipment and methods that enable us to meet your exacting standards.
Let TCG Duct be your partner in the HVAC Industry as an experienced, high-quality manufacturer of HVAC duct of all types. Our goal is to partner with our customers in ways that make the entire workflow from order to installation a seamless exercise in time and cost savings.
The Cincinnatus Group supplies traditional Rectangular Ductwork as well as Spiral Ductwork, Double Wall Spiral Duct , PCD Ductwork, and Industrial Welded Ductwork.
Why Choose The Cincinnatus Group?
As your partner, The Cincinnatus Group helps your organization stand out in its marketplace, win more bids, save substantial costs, and build the knowledge and skills your team needs to continually meet new challenges effectively and profitably.
Our strong work ethic, accountability, and pursuit of excellence sets us apart from other contracted sales and marketing services, and our unique expertise and proprietary ductwork systems make us unique amongst our competitors.
At The Cincinnatus Group, our fabrication partners gain access to our unique experience and expertise in contracted sales and marketing.
Our assets help you navigate the ever-changing markets of the 21st century.
To learn more about our Contracted Sales services or other services we provide: Contracted Estimating and Take Offs, CAD/BIM/Coordination Drawings, and Project Management Assistance, please call The Cincinnatus Group at 878-295-8009, or visit our Contact Us page today. We are looking forward to the opportunity to help grow your business.
