We purchased a home last fall. Only 7 years old.It has 2 sky lights, one in the front entry and one in the bathroom off the master bedroom.When it gets cold outside they seem to get full of condensation and the water runs down and is ruining the wall and textured ceiling.It's worse in the bathroom, actual chunks of ice are forming in the low corners of the sky light.The wall board is peeling back and black mould is apparent.We have a bathroom fan, but i don't think it can handle the job.Especialy after we have a shower. What can be done to fix this problem and how do i get rid of the black mould now?
Answer:
Warm air ends up on the skylight lens because warm air is lighter than cooler air. The lens is an ideal place for it to condense because there is a major temperature difference from one side of it to the other. About the only remedy I've found here is to install a fabricated 4X4 beam inside the skylight well and high enough up to accommodate a large diameter ceiling fan. The beam is wired and installed firmly because the fan will need that kind of support. Neither should the fan ever be turned off. It will blow air downward at slow speed keeping the well cooler and getting away from it causing condensation to form.
Courtesy of Ren Molnar, Construction Consultant at HomeFocus.com. I can also be reached at (613) 748-3003 and Home Focus phone-in is broadcast live 8 to 10 A.M. (Ottawa, Ont. time) on Saturdays on www.cfra.com.
