fixing incorrect bathroom vent roof cap

Bathroom vents that goes into the attic is supposed to be connected to a roof cap, but the ones in my attic are just placed under roof vents. Here are some photos:

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Is this an acceptable solution? I would think not, since moist air can accumulate inside the attic and cause mold to grow.

Can this be corrected without having to walk onto the roof? If yes, then I can try to fix it myself. If not, then I will hire someone to do it. What type of contractor should I look for?

Reply to
bob
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I assume they are fan vents not plumbing vents?

The one flex line looks like a fan vent for sure.

The consider is not 'ok' but it depends on where you live (yearly climate condtion)

If I didn't want to walk on the roof, one kinda ok way to fix these would to place a 'mirrored' vent flashing on underside of the exsiitng ones. Cut away the wood, goop up the flashing & "glue it" to the roof felt. Rig a "retainer means" to really hold it in place. Fix the vent pipe / hose to the underside flashing and now you've got a completely sealed path with very little volume to accumulate moisture.

Alternatively you poke a a hard vent tube up through the flashings & connect old work to it in the attic. Of course you'd be missing the vent caps....all the rain that falls on the open tube with wind up running down the tube. :(

cheers Bob

Reply to
DD_BobK

Bob,

How long has the houe had these vents? What mold problems do the pictures show? Why do you think these attic vents shouldn't be used like this? Is there a local code requiring vent caps? Looks as if you can easily go into the attic and stuff something around the vent pipes to seal the pipes and the roof. Note that these roof vents will no longer vent your attic space if you do this.

Dave M.

Reply to
David L. Martel

I worked on a job about 15 years ago where we used some bailing wire to string up metal duct tubing from the bathroom fan up under the roof vents. This was a "fancy" house, too, with 10 foot walls and such. According to the builder this was required by the inspector.

A few years ago when I redid my bathroom, I installed a proper flap-valve vent on the roof, and my house isn't that fancy.

Jon

Reply to
Jon Danniken

Because today, it's against code, in most places. As well as being a sloppy half-assed approach when the right way is well known and easy.

Is

Which is a half-assed solution that then potentially creates another problem, by reducing the ventilation. If it's not required by code, and he's OK with it, then he can just leave it the way it is.

Reply to
trader4

a sloppy half-assed approach when the right way is well known and easy.

Reply to
DD_BobK

I don't like it, but it "probably" works.

Were it my house, I'd fix it right, with a proper flapper-vent. However, that *would* require going on the roof. Another alternative would be to rework the vent tubing and use a soffit vent. That would possibly be more work and expense, and you'd still have to go up on a ladder to install the vent in the soffit... personally I prefer the roof vent myself. If you have asphalt shingles, an appropriately sized hole saw (or a scroll saw) a hammer, some roofing nails, and a can of asphalt roofing cement, it's really not an enormous job.

nate

Reply to
Nate Nagel

Whether you guys like the use of the attic vents does not strike me as relevant. The question is whether this needs to be fixed. I saw nothing in the photo suggestive of a problem. If it works in this case I say leave it alone. If there are problems he may be able to vent from a soffit or eave. Not a hard fix and mostly attic work.

Dave M.

Reply to
David L. Martel

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