Are You Properly Ventilating Your Bathroom?

Bathroom remodeling in Maryland usually means homeowners focus on the bigger, more visible items, like picking a new tub, fixtures for the faucets, modernizing the toilet, upgrading the shower, and, of course, tiles for the floor and walls. But there’s one thing that homeowners should always keep in mind, especially for older homes, or for people thinking of adding a new bathroom where there wasn’t one before, and that’s ventilation.

It’s More Than For Smells

Many residents are familiar with a bathroom that has a fan that you flip on with a switch, or, at the very least, the presence of a window. Although some people question the idea of having a window in a bathroom, since people perform private activities here like using the toilet or washing themselves, a window, like a fan, is not there for cosmetic purposes, or even to provide people with a nice view while in the room. Nor is a window there to compromise privacy by giving voyeurs a peephole.

Windows, like fans, are there for one function, and that is to ventilate a bathroom. While not as active as a fan, the goal is to move air from the bathroom and outdoors. Some people may see the addition of a window or an extraction fan as an unnecessary expense for bathroom remodeling in Maryland if an existing bathroom doesn’t already have one. But why does it matter?

One reason, of course, is that ventilation can remove odors from a bathroom faster than natural dispersion. After someone uses a toilet, the smell lingers in the room and gradually spread to the rest of the home. With a fan or window, the odors travel outside at a much faster rate. However, ventilation does more than just this.

Moisture Issues

One of the biggest benefits of having an extraction fan or window is the removal of moisture. Every time a toilet is flushed, a sink runs or a bath or shower is taken, moisture is added to a room. In the case of baths and showers, it’s a huge amount of moisture in a short period, and with the door closed, it’s all confined to the room with no place to go.

High humidity can shorten the lifespan of fixtures in a bathroom. It is also a factor in encouraging the growth of mold, mildew and other bacteria. While the wetness of a bathroom is going to be a natural attractor for these organisms to grow in, a humid environment is going to make their invasion much easier.

Not Just After The Toilet

The best to use an extraction fan, or open a window is not only after toilet use. Showing is one of the times when you introduce the most humidity into a single room. With proper ventilation, you can quickly move the steam out, reduce condensation on glass and mirrors in the room, and help to preserve the condition of fixtures in your bathroom.

Always think about ventilation when you’re getting bathroom remodeling n Maryland done. Talk to an experienced remodeler about what’s more appropriate for your room.