Vent a Bathroom

3 Ways How to Vent a Bathroom with no Outside Access

Last Updated: 2023-09-14By

In modern homes, cases are rare, when you have no windows in the bathroom. However, if you bought a house that is 30-50 years old, there is a very high probability that you will encounter this. So how to vent a bathroom with no outside access?

To ventilate a bathroom with no outside access, you can use the HVAC system, additional exhaust fans, and dehumidifiers. Depending on the chosen ventilation method, the price can vary from $ 200 to $ 3000.

If you do not know how best to provide high-quality ventilation in your bathroom, then the best solution would be to contact a specialist. A professional HVAC technician will be able to diagnose your ventilation system to determine the best way.

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Methods of Bathroom Ventilation

There are three effective ways to vent a bathroom with no outside access. Each of them perfectly copes with this task but differs in price, installation, and the possibility of use in each specific case.

3 Ways How to Vent a Bathroom with no Outside Access

  1. Add Exhaust fans
  2. Ventilation in the floor
  3. Dehumidifiers

Let’s take a closer look at each of the methods so that you have an idea of what difficulties you may encounter during installation.

To Increase the Quality of the Ventilation System

A high-quality ventilation system is the best way to ventilate both the bathroom and the whole house. In the case when your bathroom has no outside access, it is worth making sure that the number of ventilation holes is sufficient.

If you are faced with the fact that the HVAC system does not cope and everything in the bathroom is exactly very humid and stuffy, then you need to resort to increasing the ventilation in the room. This can be done in two ways, by installing more powerful exhaust fans or by increasing the number of vents.

If you have already installed exhaust fans, it is worth inspecting them first. Perhaps the problem lies in the fact that they are out of order and do not provide the proper airflow. If they are in good working order, you can choose more powerful fans.

The second way to improve the ventilation system in the bathroom is to add additional ventilation ducts. An exhaust fan is installed for each additional hole, thereby increasing air ventilation in the room.

It should be noted that this method is a significant intervention in the ventilation system. To make this type of change, you need to seek the help of an HVAC specialist.

The cost of exhaust fans ranges from $ 10 – $ 30 per unit. If you have planned to add additional vents, then such work can cost $ 700 – $ 1300, depending on the complexity and the number of vents.

Adding Ducts

To ventilate the bathroom, you can also use the ventilation shafts located in the floor. They are usually installed in inconspicuous places, behind a toilet, under a bath, or next to a sink.

The use of such ventilation is very convenient when you need to make it invisible. This ventilation system is directed directly to the outside of the house, which facilitates the rapid drainage of moisture from the bathroom.

If you decide to install ducts in your bathroom, it will be worth a substantial investment. Renovation work and the project itself can cost $ 1700 – $ 3200. It is also worth noting that the structure of your home can affect the price. For example, if it is not possible to make holes in the load-bearing wall, then the installation price will increase significantly.

Buy Dehumidifier

The previous two methods are great for improving ventilation in the bathroom, however, they involve some renovation work. Most of the time people face the problem of poor ventilation when the renovation is done and you don’t want to punch holes in the walls, floor, and ceiling.

There is a way of how to vent a bathroom with no outside access and without doing renovations. To do this, you need a dehumidifier. This is an electronic device that you just need to install in the bathroom and plug into a power outlet.

Dehumidifiers come in a variety of shapes and capacities, but overall they do a great job in indoor environments. The only thing you need is to adjust its operation, and from time to time change the tank with the liquid that the device collects.

Air dehumidifiers are a great option when you are not planning a renovation and want to get rid of an excess moisture problem. Dehunidifiers cost $ 200- $ 300 and you just need to buy it in the store and install it in the bathroom.

What are the Consequences of Poor Air Ventilation

Lack of good ventilation can have many consequences for both your health and the renovation of your bathroom. How do people usually know that the ventilation system is failing?

When entering a room, you will feel heavy, humid air, especially after taking a hot shower. If you are faced with this problem, then you need to seriously think about improving ventilation in the room.

How Increased Moisture Can Harm Your Health

High humidity in the room will not harm your health in any way. It will be difficult for you to play in a room with high humidity, but this is only discomfort. However, high levels of moisture make your room an ideal place for mold and mildew to grow.

Various types of mold can negatively affect your health. They provoke respiratory illnesses that can have serious consequences. Fungi can also harm your health, namely your skin and nails.

To protect yourself and your loved ones, Remodel On Point recommends that you take a responsible attitude to the issue of ventilation and cleaning in the bathroom.

High Humidity Can Ruin Bathroom Renovations

In addition to being harmful to health, high humidity in the bathroom can also affect its appearance. For example, due to high humidity, stains and streaks can appear on the ceiling and walls, which will spoil the appearance of your room.

Also, under constant exposure to moisture, damage to the solution on which your tile is held can be damaged. Over time, this can cause some of the tiles to fall off and require repairs.

Water is a very strong oxidizing agent, and prolonged exposure can harm everything in the bathroom. Metal surfaces can rust, paint peels off, and other parts.

The most serious consequences can arise if moisture penetrates the walls. Because of this, there will be a risk of short-circuiting the wiring and rotting wooden beams. This can lead to the need for major repairs.

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Each building has some sort of driveway or at least should have. The main reason is for vehicles to come closer without need to walk all the way. Some homes are residential with small driveway for their car to come in and park before garage or front entrance, and others can be large commercial buildings with loading docks, delivery entrances and casual parking entrances. On Point Remodeling was asked for suggestions on residential driveway for new home construction, and we decided to write detailed article for all our readers. Using this guide you can select the material for your driveway and see what works for your budget. Here are the materials for driveway we will be discussing in our guide:
  • Asphalt
  • Concrete
  • Paver Stone
  • Crushed stone
  • Brick
  • Seashell
  • Gravel
To find good contractor for your driveway, you can either ask our team by email or try to find someone local that worked with neighbors or nearby buildings.

Installation process of any material surface on your driveway

a) Demolition and Excavation – Before anything is done, your contractor will get heavy machinery and scratch off old layer of driveway. They need to go down at least 5-6 inches to insure proper layering before your final layer of material is installed. b) Material Purchase and Delivery – At this point your contract is signed and you already know how the surface will look. Contracting company purchases necessary materials and delivers them to site. Double check if material is correct and not damaged. c) Preparation of Sublevel – Whatever you place as final material, it cannot just be installed directly on top soil. Gravel is the first choice of material that goes down at this stage. Other preferred material is screen sand that can go on top of gravel and works better with stone and bricks. d) Compaction of Ground – To prevent your driveway from moving and changing shapes, all the layers from bottom up have to be properly compacted. Do not leave any spot untouched while doing this or you can get small holes and cracks in driveway after installation. E) Final Installation – This is when all the magic happens. After all preparations and dirty work the final installation is made literally within hours and you can enjoy new driveway. Stone and brick is set up by hand, while other materials require some sort of machinery with manual labor to even out surface.

1. Asphalt

Probably the most used material for road top surfaces as well as driveways is asphalt. This is a mix of gravel and sand that is mixed in and combined by asphalt cement with crude oil. Pros of Asphalt Driveway
  • Very popular and easy to find materials/contractor
  • Completed in 1 day and you can drive on it after
  • Patches and small holes can be fixed fast
Cons of Asphalt Driveway
  • Easy to damage and cracks appear in few years
  • Almost everyone else has same surface
  • Oily surface and chemicals used in mix
Prepared for asphalt driveway will cost you around $5 per square foot to finish. The contractors that take care of entire process from taking out old driveway surface, install subsurface and compact the ground with new asphalt on top, will charge on average $5500 per regular size driveway at single home property.

2. Concrete

What we call concrete is a mixture of Portland cement, aggregate as well as sand with gravel. Suggested thickness of concrete for driveway is 6 inches. The mixture needs to cure without being touched or driven on top for several days. Pros of Concrete Driveway
  • Durable material for large weights
  • Long lifespan if installed properly
  • Winter and summer friendly
Cons of Concrete Driveway
  • Has marks and stains over time
  • Hard to repair without replacement
  • Super hard to DIY
To hire contractors for concrete driveway it will cost around $7-$9 per square foot. This will include site preparation with gravel spread and new concrete installation. They will order full truck of concrete (or several for larger driveways) to pour inside forming. Smoothening and curing is required after installation.

3. Paver Stone

The most luxurious material that you can use to create driveway path with is paver stone. It is made out of natural stone with uneven rough shapes that have different line patterns. Paver stones are very heavy and are perfect for weights on top of them. Almost every city in Europe has roads and walks made out of stone that were installed centuries ago. Pros of Paver Stone Driveway
  • Creative designs can be done
  • Personal looks, can match the house
  • Can replace single stone in minutes
Cons of Paver Stone Driveway
  • Weeds growing through
  • Stone can move over time
  • Most expensive material
There is wide selection of stone that can be purchased for your driveway. On average we recommend settling with $17-$20 per square foot for stone with installation included. Working with this material is very intense labor and we recommend hiring professionals that do this type of work every day.

4. Crushed Stone

Our readers sometimes mistake crushed stone with gravel, but this is not the same material. Crushed stone material is achieved when machine is mechanically crushing larger pieces of unused stone for this specific purpose. It is larger than gravel and can have smooth finish. Crushed stone can also have a mix of colors, which is much pleasant to eyes than gravel. Pros of Crushed Stone Driveway
  • Low maintenance required
  • Fits rural area style
  • Can be reused for other purposes
Cons of Crushed Stone Driveway
  • Gets very hot during summer
  • Can be messy after many drives
  • Hard to remove snow and ice
Buying crushed stone and installing it on your driveway is as easy as it gets. Similar to other rough materials discussed in this post, only small tools like shovels, dolly and buckets are required to spread it on the road. The cost of crushed stone driveway is between $4 and $6 per square foot from professional local contractors that can finish the job in several days.

5. Brick

The same brick we see being used in wall construction can be installed as top driveway surface. Brick is manufactured by compressing clay with plastic mass. It is heated to extreme temperature and dried up to become as solid as you know it. Pros of Brick Driveway
  • Variety of selections in shapes and shades
  • Bricks are recyclable
  • Slip resistant with rough top part
Cons of Brick Driveway
  • Needs regular maintenance
  • Change color over time
  • Old fashion looking
Installing brick on driveway costs $10 per square foot, which is not too far from masonry brick laying as part of the wall. To save money you can use or purchase old brick, that was part of a wall before. Do not mix these two jobs and contact landscaping professionals instead of masonry contractors that work with bricks.

6. Seashell

This material is popular on the coast line where shells can be found near the water. Construction companies use seashells to add in other materials as well as spread them on driveway in rough condition, without adding anything else. It usually comes in white or pearl color and darkens within year because of mixing with sand and dirt. Pros of Seashell Driveway
  • Environmentally friendly
  • Has natural drainage
  • Creates worm vibe of beach house
Cons of Seashell Driveway
  • Break and crack under light weight
  • Sharp and very hard to walk on
  • Gets stuck in shoes and tires
To deliver and spread seashells on driveways costs below $4, which is only slightly more expensive than rough gravel. As you go further from coast line, cost of material increases due to delivery. This material is elegant and very soft. We recommend adding edge lines with darker color landscape material to create visual path.

7. Gravel

This material is used in other construction mixes and underlayment systems. It’s literally fragments and small crushed stones that are put on top of soil. It is easily spread out by hands and anyone can do it. Pros of Gravel Driveway
  • Cheapest of them all
  • Easy DIY Job
  • Can install another material on top
Cons of Gravel Driveway
  • Needs to be graded very often
  • Will mix with dirt and leaves
  • Washes up with heavy rains
It is rough material and can be purchased in bulk (by metric tons or cubic meters). The cost of driveway with gravel should not exceed $3 per square foot, but you can save tons of money by purchasing materials and doings installation by yourself. You do not require specific tools or heavy equipment for the job and delivery of gravel can be arranged directly to your project.

Conclusion

To properly finish any and all of these driveways requires skills and experience. There is no way you can complete any of these projects without heavy equipment and tools that regular home owner’s just store in their garages. Most of those who will read this post will prefer to install asphalt driveway, because of its popularity and low costs. We want to encourage home owners to go for personal preference and what matches your house, rather than getting the most affordable and popular items. Driveway jobs have to be completed fast; otherwise you will need to park elsewhere while the project is running. To not overpay, ask us for quotation sample on material you prefer in specific region where the work need to be done and our team can provide some numbers.

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