Bathroom Vent Attic Mold

Wood rot is an absolute certainty over time should you dump bath exhaust into an attic.

Bathroom vent attic mold.

How to install a bathroom vent fan. Bathroom exhaust fans perform an important function by removing excess moisture from your home. Here this old house general contractor tom silva shows the proper way to install a bath vent fan. Mold in air vents.

Attics usually have a passive ventilation system in which outside air comes in through the soffit eave vents at the bottom warms up in the attic and escapes through the can or ridge vents at the top because hot air rises. We explain how to install bathroom exhaust fans or vents the vent ducting. This article series explains why bathroom vent fans are needed and describes good bath vent fan choices necessary fan capacity and good bath vent fan and vent duct installation details. The most common cause of attic mold by far is blocked or insufficient ventilation of the attic space.

In this particular installation tom ran the exhaust duct into the attic and through a sidewall to the outdoors. If you allow the air from your bathroom exhaust fan to mix with the air in your attic which is usually the same as the outside temperature it can cause condensation wetting the wood allowing for mold growth and over time weakening the structure of your home while causing possible health issues for your family. Bathroom ventilation codes require a bathroom exhaust fan to vent to the exterior not the attic for health and structural reasons. When venting a bathroom exhaust fan make sure to vent the air to the outside rather than into your attic where it can cause mold and mildew to form.

Most building codes require that bathrooms be equipped with active ventilation in the form of a ventilation fan. Moist air from showers and tubs can build up and start a breeding ground for mold and mildew. The fan s job is to move moist air outside the house before it can condense and permeate into mold prone materials. But more importantly it will help prevent moisture related problems such as the growth of mold and mildew.

This exhaust pipe for a bathroom fan is a ticking time bomb of mold mildew and wood rot. Bath vent fan installation building codes bath vent fan troubleshooting bath vent fan repair. The bathroom vent fan is a major weapon against bathroom mold. Common symptoms and health problems caused by black mold may include.

Bathroom fan vent code requirements include no venting to attic areas to help reduce mold or structural problems. Bathroom ceiling fans are great for keeping a room comfortable and circulating air but they don t extract odors. The symptoms may vary from person to person and can also depend on the length of exposure and the amount of spores inhaled. Bathroom fans are essential to improving air quality and minimizing moisture damage.

Options for venting a bathroom exhaust fan include best to worst.