Everything You Should Know About Bathroom Ventilation

Proper ventilation is important throughout the entire home but is often overlooked in the bathroom. Although small in size, bathrooms can create major problems when moisture is not properly exhausted from the space. How does your bathroom ventilation system stack up? Read on to learn more.

Why is bathroom ventilation important?

Poorly ventilated bathrooms will accumulate high levels of moisture and humidity. This can warp woodwork, cause damage to drywall, promote mold and mildew growth, and produce unpleasant odors. All of these issues reduce home comfort and create costly issues.

How should bathrooms be ventilated?

Even if your bathroom already has an exhaust fan, it may not be doing its job properly. In some homes, bath fans are improperly ventilated into the spaces between ceiling joints or into unheated attics. Unfortunately, this does little more than to relocate moisture problems. A more effective and economical solution is to have the fan exhaust outside of the home. If you’re not sure where your exhaust fan vents to, it’s definitely a good idea to have a professional check it out on your behalf.

What should I look for in a bathroom fan?

The most important step in finding a bathroom fan is to ensure that it has the proper air flow capacity. This is measured in cubic feet per minute (cfm). For every square foot of floorspace within your bathroom, your fan will need to have 1 cfm. If your bathroom is larger than 100 square feet, you should add on 50 cfm for each toilet, shower, bath, or shower/bath combo and 100 cfm for each whirlpool.

After sizing has been completed, you should consider noise. If noise isn’t a factor, you’ll be fine with a fan rated at 4.0 sones or higher. Those that prefer an extremely quiet fan will need to look for a unit rated between 0.5 and 1.2 sones.

Talk to one of the experts at Sobieski Services, Inc. about how you can improve your home’s bathroom ventilation. We take care of the home comfort needs of residents throughout Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.

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