A Bathroom Inspection should check, first of all, whether the bathroom is properly ventilated. Ventilation can be provided either naturally, trough an openable window, or mechanically, through an exhaust fan. If you see an exhaust fan during the bathroom inspection, try to determine where it discharges. The air drawn through the fan should be discharged into the atmosphere, by means of a duct that terminates on the side or the building or one that terminates above the roof.
If a bathroom is located on the level just beneath the attic, the exhaust fan often discharges directly into the attic. The moisture-laden air, however, can cause condensation problems in the attic, so this practice is not recommended.
Bathroom Inspection – Common and Recurring Problems
Many builders often connect the exhaust fan to the lighting circuit to offer more convenience by enabling occupants to control them both by one switch. While this may be convenient, it is not an energy-efficient installation because the exhaust fan is not always needed. For more efficiency, the fan should be rewired so that it can be controlled by a separate switch.
Usually, a recurring problem in bathrooms is water leakage through cracked and open tile joints around the tub or shower. If you come across this condition during the bathroom inspection, record it on your worksheet because it requires periodic maintenance. Otherwise, it can cause considerable cosmetic damage.
Check the tiles for cracked and open joints. Lean over the bath tub or go into the shower and press on the tiles, particularly on the ones at the lower portion of the walls. If the tiles are loose, they will move slightly or even come out. If the tiles yield, it usually indicates that the plaster or plasterboard backing has been deteriorated by water seepage. Depending on the severity of the deterioration, that portion of the wall may need rehabilitation. In some cases, the cracks are not readily visible, but will still allow water to seep through and wet the wall behind the tiles. Use your moisture meter in the tile wall to check for leakage.
The walls around the tub and shower must be kept watertight, otherwise water can leak around open areas, wet the ceiling below and eventually rot the wood framing, causing the ceiling to deteriorate. Any missing tiles must be replaced, loos tiles resecured and cracked and open joints must be caulked or regrouted. Caulking is generally used for making repairs.
If the walls around the bathtub or shower have a panel finish instead of tile check the joins for cracked or open sections. In some cases, the tub or shower and its associated walls are an integral unit made of molded plastic, which would eliminate the possibility of leaks through open joints. In many houses, you will find showers with doors to prevent water from splashing onto the floor. In this case, the doors must be made with safety glass or plastic and inspected for cracked panes and ease of operation.
If the shower base is covered with ceramic tiles or it terrazzo-constructed, a faulty shower pan may cause a problem. A large lead or plastic sheet is typically installed below the tiles at the base of the shower to collect water that infiltrates through cracked and open tile joints. When the shower pan is in perfect condition, it directs water down the drain without incident. As it ages, however, the joints very often deteriorate, causing water leakage through those joints. If there are large water stains on or damage to the ceiling of an area below the shower, there likely is a shower-pan problem.
You can test for a faulty shower pan by covering the shower drain and filling the shower base with about one inch of water. Let the water stand in the base for about 45 minutes. If there are cracks in the base tile joints and the shower pan is faulty, water will seep through and wet the ceiling below.
If the tile joints at the base of the shower are all sealed, there will be no leakage even if the lead pan is faulty. Many homeowners prefer to simply recaulk the tile joints at the base of the shower instead of replacing a faulty shower pan. During your bathroom inspection, look for such makeshift. If you find a heavy layer of caulking at the shower base, there may be shower-pan problems.