"Paula" wrote in message
om...
I have a very small ensuite bathroom (approx. 5 ft x 7 ft) and I
renovated it by replacing a tiled 5'x 2.5' shower with a 36" corner
shower. There is a small problem with this renovation that we did not
think of: poor ventilation causing severe condensation on the walls
and wrecking the paint.

This is the reason (I think): Normally, in most bathrooms, there is a
lowered portion of the ceiling that goes over the tub. In my
bathroom, this lowered ceiling was kept in tact and the new shower has
a higher shower door, so I think it doesn't allow the steam to
ventilate the same way. We installed a brand new, fairly strong fan
(which is rated to work for a bathroom 4 times the size of this one)
and checked that it is ventilating properly through the tube in the
attic and to the outside of the house. It is.

I have a couple of questions:

What is this lowered area of the ceiling in the bathroom over the
tub/shower typically for? Can you tear this out? Would removing this
solve my problem?

Should I just install I higher-powered fan to solve the problem? I
can buy a super-duper heavy-duty fan that is used for huge rooms.

This condensation problem is especially prevalent in the winter, when
the bathroom is cold and there is more mist generated from a hot
shower.

Thanks in advance for your help!
Paula

soffit. it's usually put in to make the shower area appear smaller. you
don't need one, but you might check there's no ductwork inside it before
taking it down. that's a favorite place to hide things.

tile all the painted surfaces! that'll give you a much better sound when you
sing in the shower.