Ventilation of stud wall in bathroom?

[sponge007007008]

Hi,

I have just had the bathroom of my ground floor flat re-tiled, floor and walls to the celing have been tiled.

The right hand wall in the bathroom is a timber framed stud wall, this wall backs on to a stone wall which is actually internal but goes through to the next doors basement.

Before the wall was tiled it did have a vent about 5 inches up from the floor, this is just one of those vent-plates, so wasn't venting to anywhere outside, I guess its purpose was to let the cavity in the stud wall breathe.

This has been tiled over although I could cut a hole and re-fit a vent, my question (i may be wrong thinking this) is as this is in a bathroom is refitting the vent going to let moisture and steam (from showers etc) into the cavity and do more harm that having vent on at all?

As I say I may be wrong but any advice would be apreciated.

Thanks,

 

[Alastairreid]

No you dont need a vent to the cavity.
There should be a membrane between the studwork and plasterboard or lining.
Should also have mechanical extraction as well.

 

[MINDEX]

alastairreid is absolutely right
you have to remember if moist air is lighter than dry so hole by the floor has nothing to do with ventilation.
Salute
MINDEX

 

[mointainwalker]

you have to remember if moist air is lighter than dry so hole by the floor has nothing to do with ventilation.

Not sure if you are saying moist air is lighter than dry air ? If so, I do not agree.

 

[MINDEX]

Not sure if you are saying moist air is lighter than dry air ? If so, I do not agree.[/quote]

http://www.poultryventilation.com/tips/vol21/n12

 

[^woody^]

The basics are that warm air holds more moisture than cold air, and as warm air rises then by definition air near the ceiling could be more humid than air near the floor

That link is actually misleading. It talks about moist air being lighter because the water molecules displace oxygen and nitrogen molecules. In that case the air is not the same "air" as it has less oxygen and nitrogen

So air, of the same composition and temperature will be heavier with moisture than without

And a vent near the floor will aid ventilation by aiding circulation when rising air currents moving past the vent draw air through the vent

 

[sponge007007008]

Thanks for the replies.

Am I right that a vent could cause more of a problem from bathroom usage (steam etc) getting in the vent and behind the wall and causing more damp than not having a vent in the first place?

Question is to put a vent on or not hmmm

 

[^woody^]

A vent needs to be venting to external air, and a vent on an internal wall does not do anything

You need to be extracting the steam from the bathroom via a fan or window , in which case a vent at the bottom of an internal wall or door is good as it replaces the extracted air. Otherwise this internal vent may as well not be there

 

[sponge007007008]

I have a vent above the bath that extracts the steam to outside, but obviously not all, so thats all good. Im not suggesting the wall vent to the stud wall in the purpose of extracting steam from the bathroom.

The only reason im considering the vent in the wall is to ventilate the stud wall ... but my thoughts are that if on a daily basis a bit of steam is getting up in the stud wall .. then thats doing worse than having any vent on at all ..

 

[^woody^]

Oh no, you don't need to ventilate a stud wall