The Truth About Bathroom Ventilation in East Texas
The Lungs of Your Home: Why Proper Ventilation is One of the Secrets to a Mold-Free East Texas Bathroom
At Ekon Bath, our experience in countless Longview and Tyler homes has shown us a consistent "hidden" problem: bathrooms that can’t breathe. We’ve seen beautiful renovations destroyed by moisture because the ventilation was an afterthought.
If your bathroom stays foggy long after you step out of the shower, your ventilation is failing you. Here is the Ekon guide to doing it right.
The Mistakes We See Every Day
In our time serving East Texas, we’ve noticed two dangerous trends:
- Venting into the Attic: Many older homes simply dump humid air into the attic space. This is a recipe for disaster, leading to rotted roof decking, ruined insulation, and massive mold colonies hidden above your head.
- Undersized Fans: We frequently find fans that aren't powerful enough for the room they serve. A fan that can’t move enough air is just a noisy light fixture.
The Ekon Bath Standard: Compliance & Power
We follow strict local building codes to ensure your home stays healthy.
- Exterior Venting ONLY: Every fan we install is ducted directly to the outside of the home—never the attic or crawlspace. This is a non-negotiable requirement for a "Red Carpet" installation.
- CFM (Cubic Feet per Minute): This measures how much air the fan moves. We ensure your fan is rated for your specific space. The standard rule is 1 CFM per square foot. If your bathroom is 80 square feet, you need an 80 CFM fan to be effective.
- The Sone Scale: A "Sone" is how we measure sound. A typical refrigerator is 1.0 Sone. The high-performance Panasonic Whisper fans run as low as 0.3 Sones—so quiet you won’t even know they are protecting your home.
The Secret Weapon: The Timer Switch
To keep your 2026 home efficient, we recommend pairing your new fan with a Timer Switch.
- The 60-Minute Rule: In our high East Texas humidity, moisture lingers long after the mirror clears. We recommend running the fan for 60 minutes after every shower to ensure the pipes and walls are fully dry.
- Save Your AC: A timer switch allows the fan to do its job and then shut off automatically. This prevents your precious air conditioning or heating from being sucked out of the house all day long.
Why it Matters
Poor ventilation is the #1 cause of mold and mildew development in bathrooms. By investing in a high-performance, correctly-vented system, you are protecting your health and your home's value.
Ready to give your bathroom the fresh air it deserves? Stop by our showroom at 530 East Loop 281, Suite 102, Longview, Texas 75605 to see our active, ultra-quiet ventilation displayed in our bathroom! Hear the difference yourself before deciding what is best for your home.
P.S. **We are ordering a Panasonic Whisper Vent Fan and installing one as I write this blog, call our offices to confirm it is ready before stopping by!**
