Frequently Asked Questions
Do you serve Whistler and Pemberton?
Yes. I am based in Squamish and provide residential sheet metal, ductwork, and ventilation services throughout the Sea to Sky corridor, including Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton, Britannia Beach, Furry Creek, Brackendale, Garibaldi Highlands, and nearby communities.
Do you work with homeowners as well as builders?
Yes. I work directly with homeowners on ductwork repairs, bathroom fan venting, range hood venting, dryer vents, heat pump ductwork, and crawlspace repairs, and I also support builders, renovators, and HVAC contractors who need residential sheet metal and ductwork.
What should I send to get an accurate quote?
The most helpful things are photos of the fan, hood, vent, ductwork, attic, crawlspace, or mechanical room, plus the project location, the type of project (repair, renovation, or new construction), any measurements or drawings, and appliance or HVAC model numbers if they're relevant. The more I can see up front, the faster and more accurate the estimate.
Do you supply and install furnaces, heat pumps, or air conditioners?
No. I'm a sheet metal and ductwork trade, not a heating-and-cooling equipment dealer. I design, fabricate, and install the ducting and ventilation that connects and supports those systems, and I frequently work alongside HVAC installers who supply the equipment. If you need duct changes for a new furnace or heat pump, that's exactly the part I handle.
Do you do residential work, commercial work, or both?
My focus is residential: houses, townhomes, suites, and the renovations and new builds that go with them. I also support builders and HVAC contractors on residential projects. For light commercial ventilation, ask me and I'll let you know if it's a fit; I don't take on industrial-scale sheet metal manufacturing.
Do you handle ductwork and venting to code?
Yes. Residential ductwork and ventilation, where exhaust fans terminate, how dryer and range hood venting is run, and how HRV/ERV systems are laid out, is governed by the building code, and I do the work to meet it. For renovations and new construction I coordinate with the builder or general contractor on any permits the overall project requires.
What can you fabricate custom ductwork for?
I fabricate custom ductwork, fittings, transitions, plenums, boots, and ventilation components for residential HVAC and ventilation systems, including renovations, custom homes, and retrofits where off-the-shelf parts do not fit.
Do you support HVAC contractors and builders?
Yes. I provide custom sheet metal and ductwork support for HVAC installers, builders, and renovation contractors who need fabricated components or duct routing that fits site constraints.
Why are some rooms hotter or colder than the rest of the house?
Uneven temperatures usually come from undersized returns, leaky duct joints, or runs that are too long or crushed. I measure the duct layout, find the restriction, and resize or reseal the ducting so air actually reaches each room.
Can ductwork be repaired, or does it need full replacement?
Often it can be repaired. Sealing leaking joints, replacing a crushed section, or adding a properly sized return frequently fixes airflow without replacing the whole system. I assess the existing ducting before recommending replacement.
Can a bathroom fan vent into the attic?
No. A bathroom fan must vent to the outside, not into the attic, soffit, or crawlspace. Venting into the attic dumps humid air into a cold space where it condenses, causing moisture damage and mould. I reroute the duct to a proper exterior termination.
Why does my bathroom fan cause condensation or mould?
Usually the duct is uninsulated, sags and traps water, or never reaches the exterior. Warm humid air hits cold duct or attic surfaces and condenses. I replace sagging flex with insulated rigid duct and run it to an outside termination.
Does a range hood need to be vented outside?
For real performance, yes. A ducted range hood vented outside removes smoke, grease, and steam; a recirculating hood only filters and returns air to the kitchen. I duct hoods to an exterior termination sized to the hood's airflow.
Why is my range hood loud but not clearing the air?
Usually the ducting is undersized, too long, or full of restrictive flex and elbows, so the fan works hard but moves little air. I install smooth rigid duct sized to the hood and route it to a clean exterior termination.
Why does my dryer take multiple cycles to dry clothes?
A restrictive vent is the usual cause. Long runs, tight bends, ribbed flex, and lint buildup all trap moist air so the dryer can't exhaust. I replace flex with smooth rigid duct, shorten the run, and clear the path to a proper exterior vent.
What kind of duct should a dryer use?
Smooth-wall rigid metal duct is best. Ribbed plastic and foil flex sag, catch lint, and are a fire risk. I run rigid duct to an exterior hood with a damper, keeping the path short and the joints smooth so lint moves through.
What is the difference between an HRV and an ERV?
Both recover energy from outgoing air to temper incoming fresh air. An HRV transfers heat only; an ERV transfers heat and some moisture, which can help manage humidity. Either way, the ducting has to be balanced and sealed to work, and that is the part I install and correct.
Why does my HRV duct sweat or drip?
Usually the ducting carrying cold outside air isn't insulated, so warm indoor air condenses on it. I insulate intake and exhaust runs and seal the joints so the system moves fresh air without creating moisture problems.
Can my existing ducts work with a new heat pump?
Sometimes, but often not without changes. Heat pumps generally move more air at lower temperatures than older furnaces, so undersized returns and restrictive runs cause noise and uneven comfort. I assess the ducting and resize or rework the parts that limit airflow.
Why is my home uneven after a heat pump was installed?
Usually the ducting wasn't updated for the new equipment. The heat pump needs more airflow than the old ducts were built for, so some rooms starve. I correct returns, trunks, and transitions so the system can deliver even heating and cooling.
Why are my floors and rooms cold even though the furnace runs?
In homes with under-floor ducting, the cause is often a disconnected or crushed duct in the crawlspace dumping heated air under the floor instead of into the rooms. I reconnect, replace, and reseal the affected runs so heat reaches where it should.
Do you work in tight or low crawlspaces?
Yes. Crawlspace ducting is exactly where a lot of duct problems hide. I access the runs, reconnect and replace damaged sections, support the ducting off the ground, and seal the joints so the system stops leaking heat.
When should ductwork be addressed during a renovation?
Before walls and ceilings close up. Once a layout changes, existing ducting often conflicts with new walls and new rooms may have no supply, return, or exhaust. I plan and route the duct and ventilation work while the framing is open, which is far easier than retrofitting later.
Can you add ducting and exhaust to a new room or suite?
Yes. I extend supply and return runs to new rooms and add bathroom, kitchen, and dryer exhaust where the renovation creates them, fabricating custom transitions where standard parts don't fit the existing framing.
Do you work with builders and general contractors on new homes?
Yes. I rough in and install the duct and ventilation systems for new homes and coordinate with the builder and the other trades so the duct routes are planned early and don't clash with framing, plumbing, or electrical.
When in a new build should ventilation be planned?
Early, at the design and framing stage, not after. Planning duct routes, exhaust points, and HRV/ERV layout before framing closes lets the system be sized and routed properly instead of squeezed into whatever space is left.
What is the difference between kitchen ventilation and range hood venting?
Range hood venting is the duct run from the hood to the outside. Kitchen ventilation is the whole picture (the hood duct, the right exterior cap, and make-up air for powerful hoods) planned together during a renovation so the kitchen clears smoke and steam properly.
Does a kitchen renovation need make-up air?
A high-output hood can pull more air than a tight house can replace, which makes doors hard to open and can backdraft other appliances. During a renovation I check the hood's airflow against the home and rough in make-up air where the numbers call for it.
Why does the exterior vent cap matter so much?
The cap is where the duct meets the weather. A good one lets air out, keeps wind-driven rain, cold air, and pests from coming back in, and stays sealed to the wall or roof. A cracked or damper-less cap undoes an otherwise clean duct run.
Can a bathroom fan and a dryer share one exterior cap?
No. Each exhaust should have its own correctly sized termination. Sharing a cap chokes airflow and lets one appliance push air or lint back into another. I give each vent its own properly sized, dampered exterior cap.
Is it ever okay to vent a bathroom fan into the attic?
No. A fan must terminate outside the building. Venting into the attic, soffit, or crawlspace pushes warm, humid air into cold space where it condenses on the sheathing and framing, leading to moisture damage and mould over a winter.
How do you fix a fan that vents into the attic?
I reroute the duct from the fan to a proper exterior wall or roof termination, insulate it where it crosses cold space so it does not sweat, seal and support the run, and slope it so any condensation drains outward. The work can usually be done from the attic.
Why does one room never get enough airflow?
It is usually the duct serving that room, not the furnace or heat pump. A disconnected joint, a crushed or kinked flex run, a long restrictive route, or an undersized return can all starve a single room. I trace the run back to find the actual restriction and fix it.
Did my airflow get worse after a renovation or heat pump?
It can. Renovations reroute or pinch ducts, and a heat pump often moves more air than the old ducting was sized for. I check the affected runs and returns, then repair, resize, or rebalance so the air gets where it should.
Can you fabricate a transition when off-the-shelf parts do not fit?
Yes, that is a core part of what I do. I fabricate transitions, plenums, takeoffs, boots, and offsets to suit the actual equipment and framing, so the connection is clean and airtight instead of a forced fit full of tape and gaps.
Do you work directly for HVAC contractors?
Often. I supply the custom sheet metal side of a job, plenums, transitions, and fittings, so the HVAC installer can set their equipment and connect to clean, properly sized metal. I focus on the ductwork, not selling the equipment.
What ventilation does a basement suite need?
A suite needs exhaust for its bathroom and kitchen, a dryer vent if there is laundry, and a fresh-air path (often HRV or ERV ducting) so the space does not stay damp and stuffy. I plan all of it to suit the suite and route the exhaust to proper exterior terminations.
Can you fit ventilation ducting into a low basement?
Usually, yes. Tight basements with low ceilings and beams are where standard duct does not fit, so I fabricate transitions and route runs to work with the framing. Planning it during the renovation, before drywall, makes a big difference.
What I do, and what I don’t
What I do
- Residential sheet metal and custom fabrication
- Custom ductwork, transitions, and plenums
- Bathroom fan and range hood venting
- Dryer vents and exterior terminations
- HRV / ERV and suite ventilation ducting
- Heat pump duct modifications and retrofits
- Crawlspace and attic duct repair and corrections
- Renovation and new-construction ventilation
What I don’t do
- Furnace sales
- Heat pump and AC equipment sales
- Boiler service
- Refrigeration service
- Emergency no-heat calls
- Commercial HVAC maintenance
I focus on the ductwork, venting, and custom metal that make heating and cooling systems work, not on selling or servicing the equipment itself.
Need ductwork or ventilation help?
Send a few details about the home, the issue, and the location. I will let you know whether I can help and what the next step looks like.