| Windowless Bathroom Help |
| By Greg Vanden Berge |
Most bathrooms have Windows and these windows can be used for ventilation, as well as natural lighting. I have worked on bathrooms where the windows have been painted shut or are rarely opened. This provides light but not the proper ventilation necessary to remove moisture from warm showers or baths. Moisture without proper ventilation can eventually lead to mold and mildew and if left to long can lead to wood rot and termites. Moisture over long periods of time can cause damage to your house and this damage leads to money usually coming out of your pocket. If you have a bathroom without Windows, you should have a fan to draw the moist air safely out of the house. This fan is usually operated with an electrical switch, normally located next to the bathroom light switch. In some bathrooms the light switch operates the fan and the light at the same time. If you have a bathroom where the light switch operates the light and the ventilation fan at the same time, you could have problems with the fans operation, due to long periods of usage. These fans seem to run for long periods of time, especially if the bathroom light is left on overnight or while on vacation. Most of these bathroom ventilation fans can be replaced inexpensively and easily. There is normally one screw to remove and an electrical plug, to disconnect, which is located in the fan unit. These units can usually be purchased for around $20 at your local home improvement center. If you don't have a window in the bathroom, you lose natural lighting and natural ventilation. Now you are going to rely entirely on electricity to ventilate and light your bathroom whenever it is used. This isn't a good thing for the environment, especially if you spend lots of time in the bathroom. A suggestion if possible would be to install a window or a skylight to add some lighting and save electrical usage. I walked into a home one time for an estimate and found a painted window in the bathroom. Someone had actually painted what looked like a window with a nice view of a country farm. I loved it. Creativity can add comfort to your lifestyle and should be used constantly. If the bathroom is located in the center of the house, you'll have very little options to provide the bathroom with natural lighting and ventilation.
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