Nook n Cranny Home Inspections Hamilton, Burlington, Dundas, Grimsby, Ontario

• Next
• Print
• Print this page

During my home inspections, I very often find bathrooms with only a window, or no ventilation at all!

The issue here is a simple one: No ventilationmeans an excess build up of moisture from bathing/showering and no way to get rid of it properly. What will tend to happen, is all that warm moist air will make its way into the attic. If your attic is improperly ventilated, this can lead to conditions that promote mold growth and could even rot the wood framiong members of your roof. This can result in damage or collapse under the right (or wrong) conditions, such as heavy snow loads.

I know that years back, it was acceptable building code not to have a bathroom fan, if you have a window installed. But let's be realistic here; Who is going to open that window in January when it's - 25C outside with a - 40C windchill?  NOBODY! - Right.

So, installing a bathroom exhaust fan is really the best thing to do. Just remember: The exhaust fan has to vent to the exterior properly, NOT into the attic space. This defeats the purpose and you'll end up with a huge expense to repair your roof if you do this.

Here is a link to my favorite DIY expert Bryan Beumler, that explains how to do this. If you have the want and skills to try this yourself, that's great but if not, contact a licensed electrician and they can do this for you.  See Bryan Beumler here: