It's me again... with another basement bathroom question

[46erjoe]

I'm finishing off the basement in my new house and putting in a small bathroom with shower stall.

Will I have to vent the room? If so, how? I suspect that since the room is so small, the humidity will be a problem when the shower is in use. especially by a teenager. I could vent it into a large storage area behind the bath, but don't know if that would do or even be code. I suppose I could put in a fan and run a flex drier hose through the outside wall, but that would be a LOT of work.

This if further complicated by how to heat the room. The basement will probably remain at a constant 55-60 degrees. I'll be putting in a gas fireplace in the main area, but that will only be used only occasionally.

Now the kicker: if I put in a small baseboard electric heater in the bath, won't the vent just pull the heated air out and waste the energy? Remember, this is a very small room, 7' X 7'.

And, if I put in a vent, will I have to put a grill in the door for air-in?

Thanks.

[Malcolm Hoar]

Basement, shower, teenager... VERY bad combination!

You're pretty much asking for mold problems unless you actively manage the humidity. I would try pretty hard to install an outside vent. If that's a major no-no, you might want to consider installing a dehumidifier in the basement (not the shower itself).

A generous gap under the door is probably sufficient.

[bowgus]

I have a finished basement, as do many people ... and I have forced air heating/cooling so for me the basement is treated exactly the same as the other floors ... with properly situated air ducts. So, a question ... do you have forced air? If so, take adantage of it for your heating/cooling rather than a electric heater here, a window cracked open there. About the bathroom and venting ... put in a power exhaust for sure ... but put it on a timed switch ... worked well for my teenagers. And if you haven't considered it, think very seriously about basement fire exits.

[buffalobill]

[46erjoe]

On 11 Nov 2006 10:43:07 -0800, "buffalobill" wrotF:

I don't have forced air heat. I have hot water. So I guess I'll go with a vent with fan that auto turns on when the light is turned on. I'lll have to bash a hole through a block wall to get to the outside. No windows available. I think I'll just forget about heat for now. A running shower should heat up the room comfortably enough. And as for the toilet seat being too cold ... people will have to just grin and bear it... or maybe they sell heated toilet seats ; - )