Saturday, October 21, 2006
Today is the day
So it begins. Today is the day I am going to install a ventilation fan for my bathroom. I think I have all the things I need and I am going to get some help from my girlfriend's dad. I am excited, but still apprehensive about the whole project. I can visualize the fan going in and the ductwork. However, I am worried about connecting up the electrical and venting out to the outside.
First, a little about me. I do not consider myself to be handy at all. I have changed the odd leaky washer and replaced some light switches before, but that is pretty much it. Prior to this project, the biggest thing I may have done was install a door jamb. I'm not so big on getting my hands dirty. It's not that I am totally inept. I do the change between winter and summer tires by myself, and I know the difference between a Phillips screwdriver and a Robertson screwdriver. I just have never been big on doing any home renovation like work.
I am a software person. I am very good at troubleshooting things related to software. As complex as the interactions may sometimes be, I am much more comfortable in that domain. I have always loved cooking. I usually improvise and hardly ever completely follow a recipe. (And I don't think I have killed anyone yet). I have recently learned the joys of gardening despite most of my plants are inherited from the previous owner.
So, why start? Well, I figured that one of attributes of humans is the ability to shape their environment. My house is my environment. Therefore, I would like to be able to shape it.
My bathroom currently does not have a ventilation fan. It does have a window, but I am getting tired of having it open in the frigid months of winter. I am also seeing some mold and mildew forming. Initially, I was waffling between doing it myself or hiring some else to do it. So, for now, I am going to give it a shot.
The plan is to cut into the ceiling of the bathroom, screw in the mounting bracket, snap in the fan, attach the ducting, cut a hole in the soffit, install the soffit vent, slip on the duct insulation, attach the duct to the soffit vent, connect up the electrical to the bathroom switch et voila! Easy, right?
Well, there is a bit of a challenge. The attic has a combination of the pink fibreglass insulation and the blown in stuff. When the previous owner(s) went up there to do electrical work for some lights, they left the place in quite a mess. There was also a mice infestation earlier on this year (more on that some other day). I have cleared enough space (I hope) for the work. That was not fun as insulation is very dusty and itchy and I have to crawl around a lot. I am concerned about the electrical connection. I'm not sure how that is going to be done without tearing out a bit of wall. But my girlfriend assures me that her dad will be able to figure it out. The other big concern I have is connecting up the ductwork to the soffit. There is very little space there and I'm not sure if I can reach it even if I'm lying flat on my stomach. We'll see.
First, a little about me. I do not consider myself to be handy at all. I have changed the odd leaky washer and replaced some light switches before, but that is pretty much it. Prior to this project, the biggest thing I may have done was install a door jamb. I'm not so big on getting my hands dirty. It's not that I am totally inept. I do the change between winter and summer tires by myself, and I know the difference between a Phillips screwdriver and a Robertson screwdriver. I just have never been big on doing any home renovation like work.
I am a software person. I am very good at troubleshooting things related to software. As complex as the interactions may sometimes be, I am much more comfortable in that domain. I have always loved cooking. I usually improvise and hardly ever completely follow a recipe. (And I don't think I have killed anyone yet). I have recently learned the joys of gardening despite most of my plants are inherited from the previous owner.
So, why start? Well, I figured that one of attributes of humans is the ability to shape their environment. My house is my environment. Therefore, I would like to be able to shape it.
My bathroom currently does not have a ventilation fan. It does have a window, but I am getting tired of having it open in the frigid months of winter. I am also seeing some mold and mildew forming. Initially, I was waffling between doing it myself or hiring some else to do it. So, for now, I am going to give it a shot.
The plan is to cut into the ceiling of the bathroom, screw in the mounting bracket, snap in the fan, attach the ducting, cut a hole in the soffit, install the soffit vent, slip on the duct insulation, attach the duct to the soffit vent, connect up the electrical to the bathroom switch et voila! Easy, right?
Well, there is a bit of a challenge. The attic has a combination of the pink fibreglass insulation and the blown in stuff. When the previous owner(s) went up there to do electrical work for some lights, they left the place in quite a mess. There was also a mice infestation earlier on this year (more on that some other day). I have cleared enough space (I hope) for the work. That was not fun as insulation is very dusty and itchy and I have to crawl around a lot. I am concerned about the electrical connection. I'm not sure how that is going to be done without tearing out a bit of wall. But my girlfriend assures me that her dad will be able to figure it out. The other big concern I have is connecting up the ductwork to the soffit. There is very little space there and I'm not sure if I can reach it even if I'm lying flat on my stomach. We'll see.
Labels: bathroom fan, insulation, mice
# posted by Wing-Leung Chan @ 11:42 a.m. 
