Bathroom renovations rarely miss on homeowners’ to-do lists. Unfortunately, most homeowners ignore one important aspect of a bathroom remodel – ventilation. Lack of proper ventilation could degrade your home’s air quality and ruin the costly bathroom upgrades you made. Take a look at the ventilation solutions you should consider when renovating your bathroom.
Airflow Rating
Bathroom ventilation fans have different airflow ratings, measured in cfm (cubic feet per minute). To get the right fan, you’ll need to measure the square footage of our bathroom. The fan should have one cfm for every square foot and at least 50 cfm. If your bathroom is bigger than 100 square feet, make sure you add:
- 50 cfm for every bathtub, shower, and toilet
- 100 cfm for every whirlpool
Sone Rating
Fan noise is measured in sones. The higher the sone rating, the louder the fan. Fans with a sone rating of 0.5 to 1.2 are exceptionally quiet. Fans rated above 4.0 are usually noisy. Be sure to choose a fan with a sound level you can put up with for around 15 minutes.
Proper Venting
The exhaust duct connected to the fan should be well insulated, properly sized, and vented to the outside. Don’t allow the fan to vent into a basement, attic or any other enclosed space where mold can easily grow unnoticed.
Energy Efficiency
Purchase Energy Star-qualified bathroom ventilation fans. That’s because devices that have been rated by the federal Energy Star program are energy efficient.
Smart Options
You should consider getting fans with advanced features. For example, fans with motion sensors only operate when there’s someone in the bathroom. Humidity-sensing fans click on when they detect excess humidity.
Placement
Fan placement can affect ventilation. The best area to place your fan is at the center point between your toilet and shower.
By upgrading your ventilation during renovation, you’ll boost your indoor air quality and the durability of your cabinetry, wall finishes, and other bathroom upgrades. To learn more about the HVAC considerations you should make during bathroom renovations, contact us at Ace Hardware Home Services, proudly serving the Dayton area.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Dayton, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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