James wrote:
We have a vacation cabin in the remote mountains. This place was built
many years ago, and this county is so remote, not much attention is paid to
building codes, etc.

I have a very small bathroom adjacent to an upstairs bathroom, that was
built as an after-thought. It is real nice, but it has always had a
problem. It has NO ventilation. It is **fully** enclosed, except for
the door, which leads off our bedroom.


Because the bathroom has no ventilation, it stinks, not so much from human
use, but from mice droppings/ dead mice that get trapped in the walls, etc.
I know that if I could air it out, it would be 100% better.

I have thought of a small window. I know that would allow it to air out,
and would do the trick. Yet, that is a bit costly, and would not "match"
the exterior lines of the house.

I have also thought of a ventilation fan, but I know nothing about them.
Are they really, really, effective ? I know they usually ventilate
through a ceiling vent, but I would prefer not to go through my roof. Can
they be vented horizontally, with a hole on a side wall? Most
importantly, would a good exhaust fan do as well as having a small window
that I could open from time to time ?

There is another possibility..... on the single door on this small bathroom,
there is a transom area, currently covered with paneling. I could
physically install an exhaust fan there, but of course it would be blowing
out into the bedroom. The bedroom has plenty of windows, and thus is
well-ventilated.

Some of my ideas or comments may sound like I am a greenhorn, and I am.

I will appreciate constructive ideas and comments. I suppose one of my
main questions is how well an exhaust fan would ventilate this small
bathroom, especially compared to a small window.


(Please note: Although I want things to be safe and effective, there is no
worry about building codes here).

Thank You !!

James


Is there an accessible attic above? Is the bathroom close to a sidewall
that gets a good breeze, downstream from windows? If you can get power
in the ceiling, you can easily add a normal bathroom fan with a
through-wall vent. If any of the bathroom walls are outside walls, you
can install a through-wall fan, but those are prone to air leakage and
frost buildup problems.

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