Last Updated on November 6, 2012
So you’re asking what the two have in common right? Everyone enjoys a newly renovated bathroom especially first thing in the morning.
- New tub and/or shower
- His and her sink /mirror setup
- New toilet perhaps with dual flush
- New cabinetry
- New flooring perhaps with in-floor heating
- Fresh paint and perhaps some crown mouldings
- New bathroom exhaust fan that is quiet
Sounds good doesn’t it. Homeowners spend thousands of their hard earned dollars on bathroom renovations and the majority are done by professional contractors (sometimes by not-so professional contractors).
So what’s this have to do with mold in the attic?
We have been in hundreds of attics for mold inspections, most homeowners were unaware until they were either selling the property or had some sort of roof problem and are now faced with mold removal costs. Only when forced to have a look up there is the mold problem found.
Over half of the attic mold problems are bathroom exhaust fan related
Over half of the attic mold problems are bathroom exhaust fan related. The do-it-yourself homeowner, the good contractor or the bad contractor never got around to venting the exhaust fan properly.
We have heard and seen them all.
- They forgot to finish the venting in the attic.
- They thought venting into the soffit was okay.
- They thought venting near an existing roof vent was good enough.
- They thought venting into the attic was acceptable
- The vent ducting fell off due to improper securing to the vent (duct tape isn’t the answer)
Whatever the reason the homeowner pays in the end, the bathroom fan puts hot humid air into the attic everyday unaware that they are feeding the mold growth.
Download our 10 Step Checklist for checking your Attic
When signing up for your next bathroom renovation make sure the contractor has made allowances for proper bathroom exhaust fan ventilation through the roof, this should be done roof side by a qualified roofing company.