Extractor fan installation through solid wall (bathroom)
Discussion
Just need some advice and maybe a sense-check on this one really.
Recently got the keys to first house, needs some decorating and jobs done before move-in so I'm currently putting something resembling a programme together and getting quotes etc.
The bathroom will be adequate for now after a clean up (and it'll have to be for a few years due to budget), but it's accessed through a small bedroom that will function as an office.
It doesn't currently have an extractor of any kind, and the window opening is pretty small, so I'm looking to have one installed. There's no signs of damp or mould currently, although the house has been empty for close to a year. Some of the ceiling paint is peeling a bit though.
I'll probably opt for one of those silent continuous running ones to keep the air moving.. As this is a small old mid-terraced cottage, the ceiling goes into the roofspace, so there's no attic space to access, therefore the vent / ducting would need to be cut through solid wall.
Photos for reference:
So my queries are:
Recently got the keys to first house, needs some decorating and jobs done before move-in so I'm currently putting something resembling a programme together and getting quotes etc.
The bathroom will be adequate for now after a clean up (and it'll have to be for a few years due to budget), but it's accessed through a small bedroom that will function as an office.
It doesn't currently have an extractor of any kind, and the window opening is pretty small, so I'm looking to have one installed. There's no signs of damp or mould currently, although the house has been empty for close to a year. Some of the ceiling paint is peeling a bit though.
I'll probably opt for one of those silent continuous running ones to keep the air moving.. As this is a small old mid-terraced cottage, the ceiling goes into the roofspace, so there's no attic space to access, therefore the vent / ducting would need to be cut through solid wall.
Photos for reference:
So my queries are:
- Who would I use to install this? I'm assuming an electrician but is the wall drilling a bit more than they'd typically undertake?
- Are there any risks, issues, or things I need to be aware of re. drilling the wall? Obviously ensuring the installer is competent and seals it properly etc
- Any other things to consider? The house will be getting paint and flooring before moving in so I'm keen to get 'messier' jobs like this and some other electrical work done first...
Panamax said:
You should be able to sort that out between the rafters. i.e. Up though the ceiling, over the top of the wall and down through the eaves.
That's what I would do.inline fan in the loft, exhaust through the soffits.
Inlie fan is much quieter.
I'd want to make access to that flat ceiling section if there is none, to get insulation in.
By solid wall I just mean no cavity.
Would an inline fan fit? As I say there's no existing access to what would be a very small area between the ceiling and the rest of the roof so I think it might be a big job to get anything installed in there.
The house is about 150 years old so this bathroom won't be original, I imagine at some point when the upstairs was reconfigured and the ceiling plastered etc that the small roof 'cavity' would have been insulated
Would an inline fan fit? As I say there's no existing access to what would be a very small area between the ceiling and the rest of the roof so I think it might be a big job to get anything installed in there.
The house is about 150 years old so this bathroom won't be original, I imagine at some point when the upstairs was reconfigured and the ceiling plastered etc that the small roof 'cavity' would have been insulated
In our old en suite, the fan was in the ceiling going into the eaves, with no exit in the soffits. 
When we got it done the fitter drilled through the solid wall (house is 118 yrs) and just re routed the electrics.
The problem with older houses is being prepared for a significant amount of bodgery that you will uncover and having the funds to fix it.
I would understand the electrics and loft situation before you do anything.
Cracking the window after a shower is best bet until then.
Pic when half done
When we got it done the fitter drilled through the solid wall (house is 118 yrs) and just re routed the electrics.
The problem with older houses is being prepared for a significant amount of bodgery that you will uncover and having the funds to fix it.
I would understand the electrics and loft situation before you do anything.
Cracking the window after a shower is best bet until then.
Pic when half done
First of all congrats. I hope you have many happy years in your first home.
Struggling to visualise what you're meaning bu the roof cavity. In the ideal world you want to fit the fan in the ceiling and duct it through the loft space to put under the eaves.
Core drilling through a double brick wall or stone wall is all doable. The weak point is the person doing it in that it's best to find someone who isn't going to soil themselves at some proper work and will turn up with the right tools.
The Ava rage electrician just may not have a big enough drill and bit for the task as most of what they do will be cavity walls and they can go through each side using a relatively shallow bit and a modest drill.
Are you in an area where there are lots of such old houses? Out here for example, most of the houses are solid stone so lots of the local trades have the right kit or easily hire it for the job etc.
If there is any way to go into the roof void and duct to the outside then that would be best. Or is it a flat roof extension on the rear of the cottage?
The other solution is an extractor in the window? Might not be ideal but could be the most cost effective means to just get up and running and revisit when the cash haemorrhaging has abated?
Struggling to visualise what you're meaning bu the roof cavity. In the ideal world you want to fit the fan in the ceiling and duct it through the loft space to put under the eaves.
Core drilling through a double brick wall or stone wall is all doable. The weak point is the person doing it in that it's best to find someone who isn't going to soil themselves at some proper work and will turn up with the right tools.
The Ava rage electrician just may not have a big enough drill and bit for the task as most of what they do will be cavity walls and they can go through each side using a relatively shallow bit and a modest drill.
Are you in an area where there are lots of such old houses? Out here for example, most of the houses are solid stone so lots of the local trades have the right kit or easily hire it for the job etc.
If there is any way to go into the roof void and duct to the outside then that would be best. Or is it a flat roof extension on the rear of the cottage?
The other solution is an extractor in the window? Might not be ideal but could be the most cost effective means to just get up and running and revisit when the cash haemorrhaging has abated?
Edited by DonkeyApple on Friday 4th October 14:31
It's a job for a spark. Most sparks will have a core drill to do the job, but you are paying a skilled man's rate for him to stand there holding a drill for a long period of time.
I would find a spark and ask him what he wants to do. There are a lot of firms that just do core drilling, and a lot of sparks sub any large hole drilling out to them. They will usually have a better drill and cutter, and will do it quicker and cleaner than somebody who drills the odd hole now and again.
I have an Erbauer kit from Screwfix, with a 117 cutter. They currently sell for £65. I have probably drilled about 10 or so holes through double skin walls of varying hardness and thickness with a 2 kg DeWalt SDS drill. Some have taken longer than others, but it's easy enough to do it yourself. If the wall is solid though, it might take a while, and you might need another extension bar or two.
I would find a spark and ask him what he wants to do. There are a lot of firms that just do core drilling, and a lot of sparks sub any large hole drilling out to them. They will usually have a better drill and cutter, and will do it quicker and cleaner than somebody who drills the odd hole now and again.
I have an Erbauer kit from Screwfix, with a 117 cutter. They currently sell for £65. I have probably drilled about 10 or so holes through double skin walls of varying hardness and thickness with a 2 kg DeWalt SDS drill. Some have taken longer than others, but it's easy enough to do it yourself. If the wall is solid though, it might take a while, and you might need another extension bar or two.
Ive done this loads of times, easy diy if you can get to both sides of the wall, just need a core drill and a smaller like 19mm drill long enough to go right through the wall.
Drill the small hole first to mark a centre, then use the core drill from one side halfway, then from the other side, otherwise you risk blowing the bricks on the outside.
Oh and dont use a hammer drill. nice and slow wins the race.
Drill the small hole first to mark a centre, then use the core drill from one side halfway, then from the other side, otherwise you risk blowing the bricks on the outside.
Oh and dont use a hammer drill. nice and slow wins the race.
Lots of good info guys, thanks. I think it will be worth getting someone that has done similar work round to have a look and see what think would be the best option(s)..
For a bit more clarity (hopefully), this is the roof layout (mine is the middle terrace, so the one on the left in the photo:
The front bedroom, so the one with the window on the left in the photo, looks like this:
So you can see how the ceiling goes into the roofspace, it's quite a tall room as a result.
And the rear bedroom / office, adjacent to the bathroom, looks like this:
Slightly lower ceiling as the roof on the rear half of the houses is smaller overall. The rear half of the house - on the first floor anyway - is about a foot lower than the front half, you can just make out the grey skirting against the 'step' in the second bathroom photo above.
That little hatch in the main bedroom as all the loft space I have, it's basically a small cupboard over the landing / stairs that abuts the adjoining wall.
Edit: I'll have to start a little build thread for this as there's a few things I plan to get done and it'd good to document my first little gaff
DonkeyApple said:
Are you in an area where there are lots of such old houses? Out here for example, most of the houses are solid stone so lots of the local trades have the right kit or easily hire it for the job etc.
It's a mixed bag, this part of the town there's a few old cottages, our little trio are ~1850, there's quite a few bigger older ones dotted around and then streets or small estates of 1950s, 70s, 90s and new etc. I'll have a look at what my neighbours have at least, I've only had chance to meet one side since getting the keys last week For a bit more clarity (hopefully), this is the roof layout (mine is the middle terrace, so the one on the left in the photo:
The front bedroom, so the one with the window on the left in the photo, looks like this:
So you can see how the ceiling goes into the roofspace, it's quite a tall room as a result.
And the rear bedroom / office, adjacent to the bathroom, looks like this:
Slightly lower ceiling as the roof on the rear half of the houses is smaller overall. The rear half of the house - on the first floor anyway - is about a foot lower than the front half, you can just make out the grey skirting against the 'step' in the second bathroom photo above.
That little hatch in the main bedroom as all the loft space I have, it's basically a small cupboard over the landing / stairs that abuts the adjoining wall.
Edit: I'll have to start a little build thread for this as there's a few things I plan to get done and it'd good to document my first little gaff
Edited by smithyithy on Friday 4th October 20:57
Possibly, yeah.. I just prefer proper ventilation so you know that moisture is being pulled out of the room without relying on the relatively small window, especially in the winter..
There's some other work I need doing early too like chasing and fitting a couple of new wall sockets in the office adjacent, which I need doing before I paint it all and get new carpet in..
There's some other work I need doing early too like chasing and fitting a couple of new wall sockets in the office adjacent, which I need doing before I paint it all and get new carpet in..
Have just been through this not long ago, was initially going to do the same and go through the wall but ended up fitting an inline in the loft and venting out through the soffit.
Fitting the vent in the bathroom and fan was easy however due to the pitch of the roof it was a right PITA to get it out of the soffit, ended up having to remove lots of tiles and knock out some bricks in order to get it done, doesn't look great but for the moment it is acceptable.
You can also get tile vents which look much better and I'll be fitting one when I get round to sorting out the extractor fan in the kitchen.
Fitting the vent in the bathroom and fan was easy however due to the pitch of the roof it was a right PITA to get it out of the soffit, ended up having to remove lots of tiles and knock out some bricks in order to get it done, doesn't look great but for the moment it is acceptable.
You can also get tile vents which look much better and I'll be fitting one when I get round to sorting out the extractor fan in the kitchen.
richhead said:
Ive done this loads of times, easy diy if you can get to both sides of the wall, just need a core drill and a smaller like 19mm drill long enough to go right through the wall.
Drill the small hole first to mark a centre, then use the core drill from one side halfway, then from the other side, otherwise you risk blowing the bricks on the outside.
Oh and dont use a hammer drill. nice and slow wins the race.
You can do it that way but you don’t need access to both sides to do a neat job. Just slow down a bit before you break through and it’s usually fine. Drill the small hole first to mark a centre, then use the core drill from one side halfway, then from the other side, otherwise you risk blowing the bricks on the outside.
Oh and dont use a hammer drill. nice and slow wins the race.
I think it’s Ventaxia do a vent kit that installs from inside the building that expands on the outside to cover any minor imperfections. MUCH easier than trying to core drill off ladders.
Milwaukee do a core drill with a “soft hammer” function. It makes a big difference.
DonkeyApple said:
The Ava rage electrician just may not have a big enough drill and bit for the task as most of what they do will be cavity walls and they can go through each side using a relatively shallow bit and a modest drill.
You don’t usually need a very deep core drill. Clear the core drill after the first skin and then use extension bars if needed to reach the second. If you decide to DIY, OP, please don’t do it using an SDS with no clutch. Core drills can and do bind and you really don’t want to be on the wrong end of a clutchless SDS if that happens. Remember to remove the pilot bit too when the core has started to bite. Also remember that ducts are usually sold based on the internal diameter, use a core drill of the same size and you have a problem…!
One thing nobody has mentioned is the dust… core drilling generates quite a quantity. That would be a reason to do it from outside if you can but, as several have said, getting an inline through the roof would be better (remember to take condensation into account).
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