How Bathroom Fans Help to Prevent Mold and Mildew Problems

Trying to clean mold out of your bathroom can be an ongoing battle. Mold is stubborn and once it gets a hold, it often fights you pretty hard. Many people are dismayed to discover that just days after scrubbing the soap scum, mildew, and mold off of their shower walls, bathroom floor, ceiling and shower curtain, the mold comes right back. One of the best ways to take care of mold is to prevent it from getting a foothold in the first place. The best way you can do this is by using a bathroom exhaust fan. If you don’t have a window in your bathroom this is particularly vital. Even with a window though a bathroom fan can still help.

Installing a Bathroom Fan

A bathroom fan needs to be installed in the ceiling of your bathroom. Depending on the set-up of your home, this process may be simple or it may be complicated. If your house doesn’t have an attic, then the fan will vent straight through the roof to the open air outside. If however your house has an attic, you don’t want to vent that humid air straight into your attic! You’ll need to have a duct running through the attic which can carry the humid air out of the house through the roof. You’ll also need to provide electrical wiring so that the fan can be powered. Just one circuit is generally sufficient, even if the fan also includes a light and heat source.

When you choose the location for the new fan, try to aim for a spot near an exhaust duct. Then you’ll have to cut a whole in the ceiling with a drywall saw or similar rotary cutting tool. Flip your power off at the breaker while you install the fan for your own safety. The fan will need to be attached to a ceiling joist and will need to vent into the exhaust duct. You can check to see if you’ve wired the fan properly by turning the power back on at the breaker and then running a test. If the fan works, then turn the power back off at the breaker again and finish up your work. You’ll have to fill in the hole you cut around the new fan with new drywall and then do your best to hide the boundary between the new and old drywall.

A Short Conclusion

A bathroom fan is an excellent way to prevent mold and mildew from getting a foothold in your bathroom—which also makes your job of cleaning up a lot easier. Additionally the extra light can be a pleasant feature, as can the heat on cold days when you step out of the shower and don’t want to freeze. It’s best to look up a few videos to make sure you know what you’re doing before you attempt this project on your own. You can always hire a building contractor to come in and do the job for you as well.