Steamy Bathroom

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Guys,

I recently had a extension done, and created a small bathroom.
The bathroom also has a dome sylight which gets really steamy, the steam then drips onto the plasterboard, and now its all mouldy,

How can i prevent this?
Can i buy a special extractor fan, which is more powerfull in suction

Please help
Thanks
 
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have you got an extractor fan then? (you dont say you have or not)
 
Besides using a fan to get the humid air out of the bathroom, I'd paint the area where the condensation drips down with a paint specifically meant for bathrooms.

Bathroom paints, like Zinsser's PermaWhite Bathroom Paint, will contain mildewcides. These mildewcides have an affinity for water, and under wet or humid conditions, they actually migrate out of the paint film to the surface of the paint where they kill any mildew before it has a chance to grow.

So, by using a bathroom paint on those damp surfaces, you can at least remove the symptoms (mildew) if you can't cure the problem (condensation).

But, keep in mind that the mildewcides will leach out of the paint and be dissolved in the water, so the paint won't remain mildew free for very long under those conditions. Try to get a bathroom paint that has the highest gloss level. Those will use a stronger mildewcide that leaches out more slowly, and that's what you would need of the surface of the paint is actually getting wet with running water.

Also, because of the way that mildewcides work, putting on multiple coats of the stuff will make the surface remain mildew free for longer. It's a case of diminishing returns, however, because the mildewcide has to migrate out fast enough to ensure there's enough at the surface to be effective at killing mildew spores. The further it has to travel, the less of it is gonna travel the full distance to get out of the paint.

But, that's what I'd do anyhow.
 
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I idid a bit of reading on fans a few months ago. Couple of things to note. "power" and "amount of air they move" are not the same thing. Centrifugal fans can push air against some resistance (such as long duct runs) whereas impellor fans (I think that's what they're called) may move a lot of air, but only if there's very little resistance. Best approach is to pick a couple of fans that interest you and call the technical people at the manufacturers and let them advise. You'll need to tell them the size of duct and distance you want to run the air.

One manufacturer even told me an impellor fan would "stall" (which means spin without moving the air) and overheat if I didn't provide a big enough duct.
 
Sorry, don't know much about ceiling exhaust fans...

... but DHO5's advice to talk to some people with good technical expertise on the subject can't be wrong.
 

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