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Dont you think a bathroom needs a window ?? We do not have a window in our bathroom and have to run the nosiey fan all the time . there is no such thing as a quiet fan. will a window help .

Hmmm. My first thought was of course a bath needs a window - then got to thinking. My own master bath has a large window above the garden tub but it's just one big pane of glass. The hall bath has a small window above the tub/shower combo that does open but because of the Texas weather we usually don't open any windows. Most of the homes here have a "toilet closet" in the master bathrooms where the commodes are and they don't usually have windows. Guess my question to you is why is your fan noisy? Can it be replaced by a quieter model? Of course, if you do have an outside wall in your bath and want to, go ahead an have a contractor put in a window that will open.

There is a quiet fan...
http://www.continentalfan.com/products.php?p=Bathroom Ventilation&fid=199
the motor is in the attic or outside

We've installed them in residential and commercial settings and been very pleased.

I'll share with you what a city inspector told me in a snippy voice when I asked why we have to do fans because most people hate the noise... a fan is there to control humidity which is why it must vent to the outside and not drop off into the attic... If it's to control humidity it should be located in the tub/ shower area and not the toilet area and humidistat controls should be manditory.... if that's what they are after ... or have it wired to the light switch so be sure it comes on... Can you imagine that???
In Texas we put a fan in each bath plus utility areas. Builder put in the cheapest on out there and no one wants to use them...

I have a downdraft stove ... and I will be replacing the existing fan with this type so I don't have to listen to the noise in there plusit does a better job.

Becky

I have a home where in the bath there is only a window for ventilation. It does a TERRIBLE job.

There are many quiet fans out there. Even putting up with the noisy fan you have is better then a window, which is not cheap to install.

I LOVE my bathroom windows! It is so nice to walk into a bright space and not need a light on during the day! We have the windows open as much as possible. I will not have a bathroom without a window!(and it must be one that opens)

We currently have one bath/laundry room with no window, and a vaulted ceiling. We will either install a skylight or a narrow/wide window over the tub area on the outside wall. I also like some sort of natural light in a bathroom, regardless of whether it vents/opens or not.

Oh, I like windows. We installed a skytube to get light in one bath. They are just not good for ventilation. In the winter you can't open them very far because it will get too cold inside. In the summer, it is already humid outside and lets all that hot air in. Even in the fall, spring, there is not enough draw to really ventilate the space... even a very small bath.

Conrad, you may want to look at skytubes. They let in an amazing amount of light, easy to install and seem to be more weather resistant than skylights. We've had ours maybe 10 years now and even in winter with snow it lets in a lot of light.

Thanks, I have considered the tubes (they are great for smaller ceiling areas, especially). We have a metal roof on our mountain home, and lots of beautiful clouds, so I am thinking a larger skylight might be a better fit for us, since the hall bath is large, and contains the washer/dryer too. Metal roof systems last for many, many decades but climbing gear is recommended for working on the slicker surface.

We've have two Verilux skylights on our enclosed 3 season porch for about 14 years, and have had no bad issues with them at all. I love to look up and see the lightning too!

We have an interior bathroom with NO window and it is driving me nuts! We have discussed putting in a solar tube to give the room some form of natural light. If I developed film, THIS room is perfect for a dark room. I go so far as to take into this bathroom, a solar light charged throughout the day to give some light into the cavern. People like this bathroom because someone had torn wallpaper to mimic marble. It's not a bad look. I just keep watching the edges of the paper to release from humidity. I believe this is why the previous owners installed a ventilation fan.

Lately...I've had the idea to cut a very small transom window into the wall attached to the foyer...to get a fragment of light into this space. I've yet to share this idea with my hub. It is the only bathroom WITH a ventilation fan. The other bathroom has the windows sans ventilation fan. NOT convenient to solely rely on the windows, winter temps would not welcomed opened windows. Therefore, the solar tube lighting system with ventilation could go in cavern bathroom1, and repurpose the vent into the window bathroom2.

Thanks for letting me vent here. Hub says he can only handle so much of my creativity.
Almost forgot...my hub's idea of creativity..."We need a bigger house." lol

This message has been edited. Last edited by: trish212,

Natural lighting is good and all, but it's not the only consideration.

The setting in which your house resides is very important to, are you in a tight subdivision in a first story house with no privacy between houses? Then the bathroom window is probably not the best idea, unless you just enjoy showing your neihgbors what you got. If you are a celebrity, probably not a good idea.

If you live in a fairly wooded area on a large lot then go for it.

See the reason we ask these questions is simple, what would other people want. Despite what anyone says, most people don't want to be viewed in the bathroom.