You just bought a brand new home. Everything is fresh and clean. So your air ducts must be clean too, right? No! New construction homes often have the dirtiest ducts of all. Let’s talk about why residential air duct cleaning in Boston matters even in brand-new houses.
Do New Construction Homes Have Dirty Ducts?
Yes, and they’re often worse than older homes. Sounds crazy, but it’s true.
What Is Construction Dust?
Construction dust is drywall dust, sawdust, concrete dust, insulation fibers, paint particles, dirt from workers’ boots, and debris from installation. This stuff is everywhere during construction. It’s super fine and gets into everything.
Drywall dust is the worst. When workers sand drywall joints, that white powder goes everywhere. It’s so fine it stays airborne for hours and travels through the whole house.
How Does Construction Dust Get Into Ducts?
Builders install HVAC systems early in construction. The ducts sit there open while all the messy work happens. Drywall sanding, sawing, painting, and flooring installation. Every bit of dust in the air gets sucked into those ducts.
Workers sometimes use the HVAC system to heat or cool the house during construction. This pulls even more dust into the ductwork. By the time you move in, your brand-new ducts are packed with construction debris.
About 90% of new construction homes have significant construction dust in the ducts. It’s not a maybe, it’s almost guaranteed.
Why Don’t Builders Clean Ducts After Construction?
Most don’t because it’s not required by code. Cleaning ducts costs $300 to $500. Builders look for ways to cut costs, and duct cleaning is an easy thing to skip since buyers don’t usually think to ask about it.
Some builders do a basic cleaning, but it’s usually just changing the filter and vacuuming visible dust. That doesn’t get the construction dust deep inside the ductwork.
What Problems Does Construction Dust Cause?
Let’s compare homes with and without post-construction cleaning:
Without cleaning, air quality stays poor for 6 to 12 months. You need to dust surfaces daily. HVAC filters need to be replaced monthly instead of every 3 months. System efficiency drops 10% to 15%. Allergy symptoms are common. You risk voiding your HVAC warranty. Long-term component wear happens.
With post-construction cleaning, air quality is good immediately. Normal cleaning schedules work fine. Filters last their full 3 months. HVAC runs at full efficiency. Minimal allergy issues. Warranty stays protected. No early damage to components.
Can Construction Dust Damage Your New HVAC System?
Yes, absolutely. Construction dust is abrasive. It scratches and wears down moving parts like the blower motor. It clogs the evaporator coils, making the system work harder. It can damage the compressor, the most expensive part to replace.
Some HVAC warranties specifically say damage from construction debris isn’t covered. If your new system breaks and they find construction dust, you might pay out of pocket even though everything is brand new.
Does Construction Dust Affect Indoor Air Quality?
Badly. Every time your HVAC runs, it blows construction dust into your home. You see it on furniture, counters, and floors. You breathe it constantly. This triggers allergies, asthma, and respiratory irritation.
People moving into new homes often get sick and think it’s the “new home smell” or off-gassing. Sometimes it’s just construction dust circulating through the air 24/7.
When Should You Clean Ducts in a New Home?
Schedule a residential air duct inspection in Boston right after you close on the house, but before you move in. This is the perfect time. The house is empty so the cleaners have easy access. You’re not living there yet, so the disruption doesn’t matter.
If you have already moved in, clean the ducts within the first 3 to 6 months. The longer you wait, the more that dust circulates and damages your system.
Also Read: 5 Hidden Costs of Skipping Air Duct Cleaning
How Much Does Post-Construction Duct Cleaning Cost?
Expect to pay $300 to $500 for a typical new home. This includes cleaning all supply and return ducts, the main trunk lines, and the HVAC unit itself.
Compare that to what you save. Better air quality immediately. Filters lasting 3 times longer save $100 to $150 yearly. Your new HVAC system lasting its full 15 to 20 years instead of dying early saves thousands.
Post-construction cleaning pays for itself within the first year through filter savings and energy efficiency alone.
What Should You Look For When Hiring Duct Cleaners for New Homes?
Find someone who specializes in post-construction cleaning. It requires different techniques than regular maintenance cleaning. They need powerful vacuums to pull out all that fine dust.
Ask if they clean the HVAC unit itself, not just the ducts. Construction dust gets everywhere, including the blower, coils, and fans.
Make sure they show you before and after photos. You should see how much construction dust they removed.
Get Your New Home’s Ducts Clean Before You Move In
You’re excited about your brand new house. But every time the heat or AC runs, white dust settles on everything. You’re dusting twice a day. Your nose is stuffy. Your kids are sneezing. This isn’t what you expected from a new home. You thought new meant clean, but your air quality feels worse than your old house.
Mass Green Air Duct Cleaning specializes in post-construction residential air duct cleaning in Boston. We’ve cleaned hundreds of new construction homes. We know exactly where builders leave the worst dust and how to get it all out. We clean before you move in, so your new home is actually clean when you arrive.