Making Wet Area Ventilation Easy

Copyright (c) 2015 Matt Reardon

The wet areas in a home are those supplied by water. They include the bathroom, toilet and laundry room. Each area has its zones. The dampest area in the home is the bathroom. Its zones are:

Zone 1 - the area within a radius of 200 millimeters around the bathtub or shower. Vertically, it covers up to two and a half meters above the tub/shower floor.

Zone 2 - the area beyond zone 1 up to half a meter measuring horizontally. Vertically, it is still the area within two and a half meters above the shower floor.

Zone 3 - this is the driest of the three regions, starting from two and half meters beyond zone 2 horizontally and ends vertically at two and a half meters.

The fan needs to be positioned in a way that the moisture it draws from the air in the room is mostly from zone 1. That is when it will be considered effective.

Australian Standard AS3740- "Waterproofing of Wet Areas within Residential Buildings' classifies the shower area as a high risk zone that must be ventilated well. The area, including the walls and junctions must be waterproofed. The floors must be drained in addition to being waterproofed.

The bathroom is a medium level risk area. Where there are timber floors, they must be waterproofed.

Heat recovery ventilation is the best way to go to ventilate your bathroom. When you use such as system, not only is the moisture drawn from the bathroom, but also heat is supplied so the bathroom stays at a comfortable temperature.

There are brilliant solutions to adopting mechanical means to ventilate this part of the house. Over the years, quieter fans have been invented. They works so noiselessly you can almost forget they are in place. In addition to drying air, they dispel any odors and sharp scents so your bathroom stays fresh. There are 'smart' machines that have timers which can be reset. These estimate the length of time needed to shower and after you leave the room, automatically get to work.

The wettest areas are the most prone to mould growth and structural damage. Apart from the risks associated with mould, it is quite disgusting to use a slimy bath. This is part of the reason why wet area ventilation is a must.

As you may know, mould will cause your structures to collapse, the substances it produces will aggravate any allergies, especially of the respiratory system. They also cause hay fever. Worst of all, it may damage the nervous system. Who would look forward to showering in a permanently damp musty smelling bathroom anyway?

So why compromise? Get a fan fixed conveniently in your bath. If it is electrical, extra care is needed because it is easier to get electrocuted. Follow all guidelines when working with electrical appliances near water. Better yet, get the best supplier and fitter to position it out of reach. One brilliant safety measure is having a cord that starts the fan when pulled instead of a switch. This way, no accidents can happen.


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Matt Reardon works at Mould Buster. The firm is dedicated to improving indoor air quality in Australian homes. They stock nothing but the best heat recovery ventilation systems, browse http://mouldbuster.com.au/wet-area-ventilation/ to see all their services.