Real estate is one of the few areas of investment where “old” doesn’t necessarily mean bad. That is especially true when you have heritage or historic homes. An older home brings with it a unique style of architecture and, depending on the condition of the house, it may also have significant investment potential when it’s time to put it back up for sale.
However, an older home may also have some additional structural considerations to take into account before being ready for modern-day residents. Depending on how long a home has been around, its structural components may not have been touched in decades, if ever. Along with issues of plumbing or electricity, you have to think about the heating setup. You’ll most likely want to update the system, and you need to know that standard HVAC units aren’t your only option. Your older home is perfectly suited for ductless heating, and here’s why.
The Traditional HVAC System Doesn’t Suit Older Homes
One of the most significant issues with an old home is how to keep it cool in the summer and warm in the winter without adversely affecting the structure. Modern houses, especially those constructed from the 1970s and onwards, for example, are built with a central HVAC system. That usually means a furnace in the basement or a closet and a series of ventilation ducts that run under floors, leading to vents that “push” processed air into each room.
In the summer, however, this same HVAC system switches to a condenser outside cooling the air. It uses that same series of ducts to carry the cold air into each room. All of this is contingent on those ducts being built throughout the home, with individual vents leading to all the places that need it.
For older homes that don’t already have this infrastructure built in or don’t have the architecture to accommodate one, building the infrastructure for an HVAC system can be both disruptive and expensive.
The Ductless Heating Difference
When compared to HVAC systems for older homes, ductless heating is both an energy efficient and structurally friendly solution. Depending on the layout of a home, different areas or specific rooms can be outfitted with a heating and cooling unit on walls. So there’s neither a need to tear up floors and install vents nor a need for a central furnace unit in the basement.
Ductless heating even gives you more control over your environment as you can heat or cool specific rooms. That level of control saves you more money because you no longer have to heat or cool an entire home, only the places that actually need it. It’s an excellent solution for owners of an older house who want to avoid excessive remodeling too.
We Make It Happen
If you’d like to enjoy the benefits of a comfortable home all year round, ductless heating can help you. At Alpine Ductless, we’ll install the units for you. Just contact us for more details!
Visit our Ultimate Guide to Ductless Heating and Cooling in the Pacific Northwest to learn more about Ductless Heating and Cooling Systems and if it’s right for you.