ntyperteasy t1_j22019l wrote
Reply to comment by mcdiego in How to Insulate Bathroom Exhaust in Attic by mcdiego
Do get it fixed, as that moisture builds up and grows mold, and attracts small insects, which attract other insects, which attract mice, etc. The water is the first step in a thriving attic ecosystem....
As far as temporary fixes, you could extend the flexible hose to an eaves vent or to a gable vent and somehow secure the end of the flex pipe up against that vent for now. Then have a proper vent installed when you can, but don't wait too long...
I used a 4-inch "starting collar" (search your favorite hardware store for that part) to hold a piece of flex duct up against a gable vent until I could get a roofer out to install proper vents. It did the job... Bend the tabs to the side and screw it into place, then tape, zip-tie your flex duct to the starting collar. I wouldn't leave it like that for years, but will definitely get you through the rest of the winter.
mcdiego OP t1_j22bgb4 wrote
Yes, definitely want to get it fixed before we have some new house guests!
After the roofer installed the vent, did you just use the same duct work from your temporary fix? And did you have the vent installed on the gable?
ntyperteasy t1_j22deed wrote
I used pre-insulated flex ducting, which is good for this sort of vent (not good for a kitchen vent...) and just moved those over once the proper vents were installed. I decided to go straight up through the roof to keep the vent runs really short to minimize the chance for condensation. The gable would have been ok, but the nearest gable faced the street, so it would have been a bit ugly. If it was facing the side of the house, that would have been easier/cheaper and I would have done that. The original builder had left all three bathroom vents open into the attic ( grumble !%$?!) so I had them all fixed at once. It was a bit of a challenge to find a roofer to even show up for such a little job. In the end, I overpaid a guy $500 to install three vents into the roof (asphalt shingle). I had to go into the attic and attach my flex ducting to the inside of the new vents.
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