ᐅ Bathroom in a Wooden House

Hi!

A friend wants to buy a wooden house and rent it out to me and another friend. It is located about 130m (430 feet) from a lake, shaded and partly under trees.

My question is not about insulation (cool in summer and not too cold in winter), but about moisture after showering.

The bathroom does have a window, but in a typical bathroom, the heat from showering tends to generate too much moisture.

However, I am doubtful about the possibility of using a shower properly in a wooden house. At least not if you don’t want to take cold showers, right? I’ve heard about fully enclosed shower cabins (I don’t want to post a link to avoid appearing as advertising), which are sealed units. But even then, the heat has to escape somewhere, doesn’t it?

How is this issue usually resolved? I don’t want to have to tile the entire wooden bathroom.

Best regards, Tobias Müller

What problem? You can take a shower in any house – in every house this creates moisture, so you need to ventilate.

However, ventilation in a wooden house will not work as effectively. Moisture tends to accumulate more quickly there.

DoktorAcula85 schrieb:
But ventilating a wooden house won’t work so well. Moisture builds up faster there.

How does the moisture build up exactly?
And why would this happen faster in a wooden house than in a solidly built house?

Edit: The moisture from shower steam in the bathroom is, in my opinion, independent of the construction type. Where and how the moisture condenses depends on the surface temperature and corresponding dew points. This, in turn, can be influenced by your wall structure. However, the “amount of moisture” is not affected by that.
The moisture must then be removed from the bathroom through a window or another form of ventilation.

Jochen104 schrieb:
How does moisture develop?
And why should it dissipate faster in a timber-framed house than in a solidly built house?

Edit: The moisture produced by showering in the bathroom is, in my opinion, independent of the type of building construction. Where and how moisture settles depends on surface temperature and corresponding dew points. This, in turn, can depend on your wall structure. However, the “amount of moisture” is not affected by this.
Moisture must then be removed from the bathroom through a window or other type of ventilation.

That’s correct, moisture is generated by the shower, not the building.
Cold walls = condensation ⇒ ventilation needed, regardless of the building type.

I am wondering if you might have concerns because you expect wood-clad walls in the bathroom? Most timber-frame houses have interiors lined with drywall or mineral-based boards. According to current trends, these are then finished with a plaster surface, allowing for the installation of full spa-like bathrooms without any issues. About 80% of prefabricated houses are timber-frame constructions. You might want to visit a prefab home center to see for yourself. There are even wood enthusiasts who claim that wood as a building material can better regulate moisture thanks to its hygroscopic properties.

I hope I was able to ease your concerns.

All the best

Susanne Junghans