Whole-system duct and dryer vent check with before-and-after photos - you see exactly what came out of your vents
That "$99 whole-house special" is a bait ad - the real number appears once they are in your hallway, or the "clean" is a shop-vac at the register. We photograph the inside of your ducts before and after instead.
Before
After
Before
After
Before
AfterFast, Reliable Duct Sealing Across University Place
Duct sealing in University Place typically costs $450 – $1,200 for a whole-home system, with most jobs completed in a single visit. If you’re seeing dust streaks around your vents, uneven heating between rooms, or a musty smell when the furnace kicks on, your ductwork is likely pulling air from places it shouldn’t. Call Hollis Air Duct Cleaning at (361) 326-5060 for a free estimate with a written price before any work starts.
We’ve worked in University Place homes long enough to know the local patterns. The 1960s ranches off Cirque Drive, the split-levels climbing the gentle slope toward Chambers Bay, the newer townhomes with sealed duct systems near the Sound – each has its own duct sealing challenges. Our crews dispatch from the Seattle office and serve University Place directly, so we’re familiar with the marine climate, the crawlspace conditions, and the specific contamination concerns that come with living inside the Tacoma Smelter Plume zone. This isn’t generic work. The same sealing approach that works in a dry Eastern Washington basement will fail here.
Why Hollis Air Duct Cleaning Is University Place’s Preferred Duct Sealing Company
We’ve been part of the Garrison Partners family since 2004, and our Duct Sealing team has built a reputation in Pierce County by showing up inside the window, pricing in writing, and leaving the site clean. That’s The Garrison Standard, and it applies to every University Place job we take.
Our technicians are background-checked and uniformed. You know who’s walking into your home before they arrive. The price we write down before touching your system is the price you pay – no ballooning at the door, no per-vent add-ons, no “we found another problem” upsells once the work is underway.
Every repair we make carries the 365-Day Done Right Promise. If the seal fails within a year, we come back and make it right at no charge, including a free second visit. We put that in writing on every job. Competitors in this trade rarely match that in writing.
Phones are answered by a live person 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. No voicemail loops, no callback queues, no waiting until Monday to schedule.
Duct Sealing Services in University Place
Duct Sealing Services in University Place focus on closing the gaps, seams, and failed joints that let heated or cooled air escape into your crawlspace, attic, or wall cavities. Most local homes – the ranch and split-level stock built from the 1960s through the 1980s – run galvanized steel or early flexible ductwork through damp, tight crawlspaces. Over decades, original duct tape dries and lifts, mastic cracks, and seams reopen. A typical whole-home duct sealing job in University Place runs $450 – $1,200 depending on system size, accessibility, and how many joints need attention. We price per system, not per vent, and we agree on that price before any work starts.
Return-Air Sealing and Plenum Repair
The return side is where University Place homes suffer most. Leaky return plenums and gaps at the air handler cabinet pull crawlspace air directly past your filter, drawing in moisture, mold spores, and the arsenic- and lead-laden dust that characterizes this area. We seal these with mastic and reinforced mesh, then verify with pressure testing. Skipping the return side is a common shortcut that defeats the whole job.
Supply Trunk and Branch Sealing
Supply leaks waste the air you’ve already paid to heat. In older University Place homes with galvanized trunks, we find failed tape joints and corroded seams where crawlspace humidity has done its damage. We clean the seam, apply mastic over fiberglass mesh, and let it cure to a hard, permanent seal. No foil tape alone – that lifts within a season in damp conditions.
What happens when you call
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A real person answersNo phone trees - you reach a local pro.
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You get an upfront price rangeHonest numbers before anyone is dispatched.
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A background-checked tech heads outLicensed & insured, dispatched right away.
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You approve before work beginsNothing starts until you say go.
Duct Insulation in University Place
Duct Insulation in University Place addresses a separate but related problem: the heat loss that occurs when warm air moves through uninsulated metal ductwork in a cold, damp crawlspace. Even perfectly sealed ducts will bleed energy if the metal runs bare through 45-degree underfloor space for eight months of heating season. A typical duct insulation job in University Place runs $600 – $1,800 depending on linear footage and whether we’re wrapping existing ducts or replacing degraded insulation. We use professional-grade materials from Abatement Technologies and Guardsman, not the hardware-store wrap that compresses and loses R-value within a few years.
Vapor-Barrier Wrapping for Crawlspace Runs
University Place’s marine climate means crawlspace humidity year-round, not just in winter. Standard fiberglass insulation without a proper vapor barrier soaks up moisture, sags, and breeds mold. We install wrapped insulation with sealed seams that maintain its thermal barrier and keep moisture out of the duct cavity. This matters especially on the north-facing slopes where ground moisture lingers.
Insulation Replacement for Failed Wraps
We see a lot of insulation that has been chewed by rodents, soaked by crawlspace flooding, or simply degraded after thirty-plus years. We remove the failed material, inspect the duct beneath for corrosion or leaks, seal any gaps we find, then install new insulation. The job isn’t done until the duct is both sealed and properly insulated as a complete system.
Trusted Brands We Service in University Place
Hollis stocks parts and materials from Rotobrush, Nikro, Honeywell, Aprilaire, Abatement Technologies, and Guardsman – the same professional-grade equipment commercial crews use, not hardware-store gear. For University Place homeowners, this means faster turnaround on jobs that need specialized fittings, HEPA filtration media, or compatible insulation wraps. We don’t order parts from a catalog while your crawlspace sits open. Our vans carry the mastics, meshes, and filtration products that match the duct systems common in local 1960s – 1980s housing stock, so most jobs start and finish the same day.
Common Duct Sealing Problems We See in University Place Homes
- Foil duct tape failing on galvanized joints. The tape dries out in crawlspace humidity, lifts at the edges, and reopens the exact seam that was pulling arsenic- and lead-laden dust in from below. We remove the old tape entirely and replace it with mastic and mesh, which bonds to clean metal and stays bonded.
- Mastic applied over wet, dirty seams. Some crews brush mastic right over dust and moisture. It never bonds properly, peels within a season, and leaves a gap that’s harder to locate than the original leak. We clean and prime every seam before sealing.
- Sealing supply ducts but ignoring the return side and air handler cabinet. Gaps at the return plenum and blower motor compartment keep drawing crawlspace air past your new seals and around the filter. A complete job addresses both sides of the airflow loop.
- Fogging “sanitiser” sold as a fix for musty ducts. This masks odor for a few weeks but does nothing about the moisture source or the contaminated debris still sitting in the run. It isn’t a substitute for source removal, and in University Place, where heavy-metal dust is the real concern, it’s a distraction from the actual problem.
Pricing for Duct Sealing in University Place, WA
Whole-home duct sealing in University Place typically runs $450 – $1,200. Smaller systems with accessible crawlspaces and ten to fifteen joints fall at the lower end. Larger homes with extensive galvanized trunk lines, multiple branches in tight spaces, or significant contamination cleanup push toward the higher range. Duct insulation adds $600 – $1,800 depending on linear footage.
What moves the price: accessibility of your crawlspace, number of joints and seams requiring attention, whether we’re cleaning contaminated debris before sealing, and whether insulation replacement is needed. We do not quote per-vent pricing. One flat price per system, agreed in writing before work starts. No teaser coupons that balloon once the technician is inside your home.
Every estimate is free. Call (361) 326-5060 to schedule.
We Also Serve Cities Near University Place
Our crews work throughout the south Puget Sound area. We regularly handle Duct Sealing in University Place and also serve Steilacoom, Lakewood, Tacoma, and DuPont. The same Tacoma Smelter Plume concerns extend into parts of Tacoma and Ruston, while Steilacoom and Lakewood share similar marine-climate duct conditions. Wherever you are in the area, we apply the same written-price, written-guarantee standard.
Serving University Place, WA - Our Local Coverage Area
We’re based in the University Place area and know this community well. Use the map below to see our service coverage - if you’re nearby, we can almost certainly help.
FAQs About Duct Sealing in University Place
University Place’s combination of aging 1960s – 1980s ductwork, year-round crawlspace humidity, and the Tacoma Smelter Plume contamination legacy creates more stress on duct joints than in drier or newer-built areas. The marine climate keeps furnaces running eight months a year, pulling more air through any gap, while the heavy-metal dust adds a health reason to seal that doesn’t exist in most nearby markets. Call (361) 326-5060 for a free inspection.
Yes, by stopping the moisture source. Sealing prevents humid crawlspace air from entering the duct system, which removes the conditions mold needs to grow. But sealing alone won’t kill existing mold – if we find active growth during inspection, we’ll recommend source removal and HEPA filtration before sealing. The fogging upsell some companies push does not solve the moisture problem. Call (361) 326-5060 to discuss what your system actually needs.
No. Fogging masks odor temporarily but does not remove contaminated debris or fix the moisture source. In University Place, where arsenic- and lead-laden dust is the specific concern, fogging is especially inadequate – it doesn’t capture or dispose of heavy-metal particles. Source removal with HEPA filtration and proper sealing of the duct envelope is the only approach that addresses both the contamination and the airflow that spreads it. Call (361) 326-5060 for an estimate on actual duct sealing work.
We use HEPA-filtered negative-air machines from Nikro and sealed containment on every job in the smelter plume zone. Technicians wear appropriate PPE, debris is bagged and disposed of per Washington Department of Ecology guidance, and we run HEPA vacuums on the duct interior before sealing any seam. This is standard protocol for Hollis in University Place, not an add-on. Call (361) 326-5060 to confirm this protocol is included on your job.
Yes. Newer townhomes typically have sealed, low-profile duct systems with fewer joints but tighter access. We use smaller agitation tools and flexible camera systems to inspect and seal these without damaging the finished surfaces. The materials differ too – modern flex duct needs compatible mastic and careful support, not the heavy mesh we use on old galvanized steel. Call (361) 326-5060 and we’ll match the technique to your home’s construction era.
Written by Roy Castellanos, Owner at Hollis Air Duct Cleaning, serving University Place since 2004.