Prevent Excessive Moisture In A Bathroom and Its Destructive Effects
BathroomWhen most people think of moisture in a bathroom, they are thinking about mopping up if the shower door is left open or after someone exits the tub or shower.
There is much more to moisture than that. Today bathrooms are more moist areas than in the past. Bathing has become a luxurious pastime as well as just a cleansing routine.
Bathrooms are now fitted with showerheads and jets that expel numerous streams of water at once. Bathtubs are becoming larger and holding more water. Then, there are the steam showers. All these items create a lot of moisture, and the moisture has to go somewhere.
Hopefully your bathroom is fitted with the right surface materials that can withstand water and moisture, but more measures need to be taken. Even the best of materials have their limits.
Many materials which withstand water on their surface can fall victim to moisture damage if it finds it's way under that surface.
Bathroom ventilation
Proper bathroom ventilation is a must. Windows can be of some help, but usually the windows in a bathroom are not of adequate size to do the complete job, and it is not convenient to have a window open when the weather turns chilly.
Installing adequate ventilation in a bathroom will be a good investment, that ultimately can save you money by avoiding damage and expensive future repairs.
You may be tempted to go cheap when purchasing a ventilating fan for your bathroom, after all it is not nearly as exciting as that beautiful new vanity or your new shower with the massaging jets. This kind of thinking could cost you far in excess of the additional dollars you would spend to buy a ventilating fan that would do an adequate job in your bathroom.
Moisture will find a place to go and can cause major structural damage and can also cause insulation to lose it's effectiveness.
Purchase an adequate and quiet fan
Measure your bathroom width, length and height to get the number of cubic feet. Take this information when you go shopping so you get a fan that will be adequate for the space you have.
Ventilating fans are rated in sones for their noise factor. One sone is comparable to the sound of your refrigerator. Bite the bullet and buy a fan with a one sone rating. More people fail to run their fans because of the noise factor. Not running the fan is the same as not having one.
One last note: When you install your new bathroom ventilating fan, vent it to the outside. Do not vent into the attic or rafter area. Either vent through a sidewall or through the roof to deliver the moisture completely outside of the house.
Richard chase offers more tips about bathroom ventilation as well as electrical and wiring in a bathroom.