How does your Bathroom ventilation stack up?

Do you know where the steam from your bathroom goes?

For many years bathroom ventilation has been vented directly into the roof cavity. This is a way of cutting corners and reducing costs for the builders that can have long-term devastating effects on your home and the health of your family.

The issue with poor ventilation design

The biggest issue with pumping huge amounts of moisture (steam) into the roof cavity without adequate roof ventilation is the extreme levels of mould that it can cause, commonly seen on ceilings. While mould can have a major effect on the health of your family, moisture is also a cause of many other issues in the roof cavity – including:

• Reduced performance of insulation as it is wet
• Reduced lifespan of insulation
• Increased number of creepy crawlies
• Rotting of timbers and roof structure

Why you should be concerned

In addition to the concerning effects it can have on your building, the real concern should be on reducing the risk of health issues for your family, as mould can lead to:

• Respiratory tract issues
• Asthma
• Fungal infections and irritants
• Irritation of the eyes, nose and throat

The building code, now National Construction Code (NCC), still allows bathroom ventilation to be vented into the roof cavity as long as there is a minimum amount of roof ventilation to extract the steam or humidity that enters the roof cavity. Unfortunately, this is often not met or is inadequate for the roof cavity.

What is the best ventilation for a bathroom?

The best solution is still to directly vent your bathroom either through a ducted roof cowl or ducted eve vents. This way the moisture is removed directly out of the home and minimises the potential of further issues.

Solatube Australia’s national network provides installation for our numerous products – such as roof ventilation and whole house fans – that can help reduce moisture. Call us now on 13 16 19 to discuss how to improve your bathroom ventilation or visit our website to learn more about the ventilation products and skylight accessories we have available.