Question: Robert, we’ve been in our home for several years and we’ve dealt with an issue in the master bathroom constantly. We are hoping you can help with a fix for our problem.
The master bath is on the inside of the home, so no window for additional ventilation. We’ve installed the most high-powered exhaust fan we can find, which works really well to take out the steam. The issue we have is that the bath towels and shower curtain all end up smelling musty because they just don’t seem to have enough air in there to dry them out perfectly each time, despite us leaving the exhaust fan on.
Do you have any ideas on what can be done? Are there any exhaust fans we don’t know about that would help in this situation? Thank you in advance for your help. We are confident you’ll have an answer, you always do!
— George and Gina R.
Answer: George and Gina, yes I think I can help. If you are handy enough you can do this on your own and, depending on your aesthetic preferences and abilities, you may need to hire an electrician.
The issue is, without a doubt, lack of air circulation. Yes, the moisture is being evacuated from your bathroom but without adequate air circulation (no window to open for venting), you end up with somewhat stagnant air, which is causing your issues.
There are smaller wall-mount oscillating fans available that can be mounted high, near ceiling level, which will circulate the room’s air nicely and dry out these items for you. They can be found in different finishes to coordinate with your style and, though pricey, will solve the issue at hand and you’ll be happy with the results.
If you don’t wish to have a cord hanging down to the existing outlets, you’ll need to install an additional outlet near the ceiling. This, if you are knowledgeable, can be done yourself, or you can have an electrician in to complete the task for you. Give this a try and I’m confident your problem will be solved. Best of luck.