Had my entire roof replaced a few years back and I'm dumbfounded to discover when replacing the exhaust fans in my bathrooms that the contractor never bothered to connect the ducts! Now I have to climb up there and do it myself. Lord give me strength fixing other people's laziness throughout the years.
I agree 💯 with you! This new Gen.. is not even close to what it used to be! Now you have to constantly be supervising the work you are paying for. If you can't find a good honest company that does the job done right, it's better to learn and do it yourself!
Always love it when Tom Silva steps me through a project I'm about to take on. After watching this video, I installed a couple vents on my roof. If you're thinking of doing the same, here are a couple notes you might want to consider: (1) My shingles were much less cooperative than the ones in this video (breaking the seal (2:50) without breaking any shingles required a lot of patience). (2) Remember that your initial nail location is a bit arbitrary, so you can make it easier on yourself by adjusting the location so that the top edge of your shingle cut-out is right at the bottom of a shingle course. (3) It looks like Tom only removed the top layer of shingle. Other videos want you to go deeper. I don't know what's right, but be sure to give this point some thought. (4) Tom's vent cap didn't have a duct flange attached to it. This made it easier to slide into place (maybe he got away breaking fewer seals because of this), but it also introduces a condensation risk: moisture-laden air will be flowing (under pressure) through the open area between the flange nailed to the roof and the the vent cap and the plywood sheathing. A simple fix for this is to add sealant between the flange and the plywood. Incidentally, my vent caps had flanges already attached, but the attachments seemed pretty leaky so I sealant where they connected to the vent cap.
Peeling apart shingles is best when its warm outside. It helps soften the tar bead under the shingles. So you can slide in the new roof jack / roof vent etc..
Tom did it correctly. When you reroof, you'd run the shingles up to the vent, then nail the jack down, then continue roofing. Just pretend you're water, and trace the path where it would go. If it hit the top of the jack, it will go around and flow down. Water can run sideways, especially wind-driven, which is why he sealed the shingles on either sides. I usually use a much bigger jack when reriofing, but that doesn't work well when you retrofit.
I wondered about his not putting sealant around the duct on the roof and attic side of it. Not sure if it’s necessary but something I would do just to be extra safe,
I would call it a day after getting those plywood sheets up through the attic hatch to use as a work platform. 6 months later the fan would still be venting thru the soffit and I would be wondering where all my plywood went.
You know, as a kid I HATED when my dad would watch This Old House on TV. Now as an adult here I am looking up videos of it out of interest or at times need for my own projects.
Nodding to your comment. I think many of us are in the exact same boat. I try to engage my own kids a little bit when we watch together by asking them questions periodically.
When I was a kid "This Old House" didn't exist because a TV didn't exist in the early 1950's at "Our Old House". I enjoyed watching my Dad do all sorts of repairs though, like sweating a steel pipe joint with a blow torch, a cloth and maybe lead back then. Blow torches were really "cool". I especially enjoyed getting on the roof with him. Mom would always have a fit when we did that. I'd like to know what Tom Silva's safety rope was attached to. I suspect it went over the roof peak to something on ground level, like the trailer hitch on his truck. Gotta use a rope that won't stretch much though. I used a safety harness on the job for many years. Should have used one years earlier but fortunately I survived that period of my life on the job.
Litterally was thinking the same thing. Between this and Nascar he would tape both and rewatch them later and I would think This Old House was boring. I never got the appeal. Lol now I am watching the same thing but on UA-cam and I love all of this stuff.
I watch a lot of home improvement videos and the thing that strikes me the most about TOH and especially Tommy, is the fact that they are so non-judgemental. There are too many content creators that have to denigrate the previous work. Thank you for helping maintain a sense that trying things and fixing mistakes is ok and not out of reach.
I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that Tommy is probably one of the best contractors out there and he has nothing to prove, nor no ego to feed by denigrating other contractors mistakes.
Tommy is the best. Years ago I was wearing my "This Old House" hat and Tommy was at the fair at a booth. We talked a while and he signed my hat and a picture. This video inspired me to install a vent into my upstairs bathroom in my 1880s house. Thanks Tommy!
@@monte1270 Use the "Black Polyurethane Roof and Flashing Sealant" tube or roof cement instead of silicone. That's what I used and I think that will hold up better than generic silicone due to the high heat and abuse roofs get.
I’m a new homeowner and just discovered this series - I can’t express how grateful I am for it. I am learning so much about the anatomy of my home, and the teaching style here is clear, concise, and instills confidence in my ability to tackle projects I’ve never done before. I don’t know if Tom actually monitors these comments, but THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
Same here... I thought I knew a lot based on what I helped my dad out with when I was a kid, but man, when I got my own house, the only thing I learned was how much I didn't know.
This is not intimidating, believe me. Although being on a second story roof, yes, that's intimidating. I'm glad both wore a harness. A fall like that could kill or paralyze you.
I want the whole This Old House crew to build my house. I love these guys. You know they can be trusted and that's something money can not buy...a piece of mind.
For me, the hardest part of that job is getting on and off the roof. Love the harnesses, OSHA will be proud. Safety first. Well done guys. Making it look easier than it is.
Side note: NEVER purchase or use any safety or test equipment from lying cheating lack of quality control communist china. A large company near me must have had a serious problem &/or accident with a safety harness made in cheating china. They will not allow any contractors or their own workers to wear safety equipment made in cheating no good scum bag china. Like to have ten dollars for every old attic that I had to work in that had bathroom exhaust fan exhausting into attics. Some locations make you install insulation on first 10' feet in attics and others entire length to prevent condensation.
Thanks Tom. Up until I watched your video I was going to vent to soffit vent . I never considered the vent sucking the moisture back into the attic. Thanks to you I may have avoided a big mistake.I will be venting through the roof.👍🏻
Thank you so much for what you do. We live in a large city and there’s so much demand the roofers wanted $680 and 8 weeks waiting to install a roof vent. Having renovated several houses ourselves we knew this was a very simple job and couldn’t believe people pay that. We trust the This Old House Brand and we’re able to install the vent confidently based on your video.
@@seane6616 They gotta drive out, setup, cover their insurance costs, it's not cheap running a business. You want to climb up 2 or maybe 3 stories, risk falling off your own roof and end up in a hospital or worse?
gotta love these videos with trussless attics... my attic is all engineered trusses, no plywood or planks to walk on, and 20" of blown in AttiCat on top of the old batts
Tom and this homeowner have NO fear of climbing ladders at that height. YIKES!!! And credit to the camera person, too, for climbing that high to film this story. Nice work by the guys! 😎
@@blakewhite3131 Yes, that does help them but it sure would not help me climb onto that high roof on that ladder with my fear of heights and vertigo issues on ladders if I climb too high,
@@DougCeleste Oh, of course! I get very nervous while I'm high, but if I feel secure and have safety gear that keeps me from falling, I'm able to get past those nerves. But if you get unstable while you're up high, that only further makes the situation worse, I'd completely understand avoiding heights!
@@blakewhite3131 Thanks for your reply! Your comments reminded me of having the courage to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 2002 on that tour with others on my final full day in Australia. I have to admit that I was feeling TERRIFIED at the thought of doing this climb but since we wore a special uniform with safety gear connecting us to a rail while we did the climb to the top and then back down, I felt a bit more at ease. Thank God we had a GREAT young tour guide in his 20's who gave the 12 of us in our group MUCH confidence and I felt so relaxed through it all for the 2-3 hours on the tour. It was easily the MOST EXHILARATING moment of my life and I went back to the hotel a bit teary-eyed that I had accomplished something that I NEVER thought I could do. I also have large photos to remember the unforgettable experience. But I am now 70 and no more bridge climbs for me. I can go up on a step-ladder only so high before feeling a bit dizzy and can no longer go on the roof of my home. But that is ok since I will always have the VERY fond memory to cherish of that afternoon in Sydney, Australia. Cheers from New Mexico USA! 😎
@@DougCeleste That sounds amazing, I'm so glad you were able to do something so out of your comfort zone, it clearly left a lasting impact! It must've taken a lot of courage to sign up for that! I love steep rollercoasters, but the slow, clicking climb always fills me with such strong dread and regret, but it washes away to excitement and joy the instant it crests over and starts to plummet. I get in line again knowing full well what I feel on the climb up, because I know how I feel on the rest of the ride and I think it's worth it :)!! I'd love to go see natural thrills like you, it sounds majestic. Cheers from BC Canada!
This fan works very well. ua-cam.com/users/postUgkx7yWIKcrbA9KMHkGSfcgxW2lsjHT6B8Sh I replaced my old fan as our radon levels began to spike. When I remove the old fan water poured out of the fan. Must have entered in through the out spout. Replaced with this unit and levels dropped a bit but still over 4.0.Did some more digging and found that we had a small hole under our waste pipe that was allowing some water and radon in.Patched the hole and the levels dropped almost overnight.I really would recommend the radon sensor. It gives real time readings. Without it we would have never known that we had this issue.
@@DougCeleste When I lived in Fort Dodge Iowa the radon was 8.0. I had to put in a mitigation system to get it lower. I installed a sub floor system which goes down to the gavel and applies vacuum under the basement floor venting out through the attic. The levels were brought down to 0.8. Note, some of the radon infiltration comes through the sump pump hole. First thing to do is seal that up nicely and attach a 2 inch pvc pipe from the the top and vent it outside.
@@jimturner4937 WOW, what a job! Did you do this yourself or did you hire a contractor? I have friends in Ankeny, IA. and they never mentioned to me about radon issues. But since I will see them in the fall, I will have to ask them about this.
@@PaulRudd1941 the nail he used is called a roofing nail it's how you fasten shinglesand it self seals. Zip ties are less secure and have holes for water to leak
@@coreydeschambault8190 but the whole point is to use it as a reference for cutting a larger hole. So it doesn’t matter if you use a nail or screw or zip tie or whatever.
and the lighting is brighter than most folks kitchen, I'm wedged up in my attic with the light from my phone...lol. It is a great vid tho and everything done right.
Right? Like I really should do this to my house and it's well within my abilities, but it would involve moving god knows how much junk in a dusty attic where I can't even stand up straight. I wish Tommy would come do it for me but unfortunately I don't have the right accent.
@@kornchip2 I used to flip houses with a friend. The first few days in a "new" house it was always "What the hell did they do?!!" "This right here is why they have building codes!!!!" " I can't belive this place didn't burn down/flood/collapse, 75yrs ago. None of that happens on "This Old House".
If someone has already provided the following, excuse me for duplication. This is a superb video. Thank you for publishing it. A vent hood that is very similar or perhaps the very one shown in this video is the Nutone Broan RVK1A. The collar (part that connects the hood to the flex ducting) is included and removable, which makes a retrofit situation easier or possible. Many other vent hoods have integrated collars that are not removable. I haven't tried, but I imagine that it would be tough to get a hood and collar inserted into existing shingles. I spent most of my morning trying to find a vent hood online and in frustration went to my well stocked True Value in Ashland, WI. Fortunately they had the Broan RVK1A for $22. I opened the package to inspect it. Perfect! I got everything else I needed for this project there and will wait for a cooler day. I''m not a pro, but I think it would be best to not cut and lift your shingles when they are hot. Getting on the roof when it's hot is not only uncomfortable, but it's most damaging to your roof. Also, you will need a 5" hole saw and arbor to make the hole for this Broan hood. 5" is necessary because you need that much space to insert and turn the collar into the vent hood.
Thank you so much for this video! I'd found so many on *replacing* exhaust fans but nothing on how to install a new one. I recently purchased a 50 year old home with no bathroom exhaust fans, but after spending 14k on plumbing repairs plus another 1k on furnace work and radon mitigation, my savings are tapped for a while, so I plan to do a lot myself. I feel much better about doing this repair myself after watching!
Thank you sir I just got done doing everything exactly how you did it it was my first time doing a hole on my roof it feels good to get over your fears
Great video - helped me figure out how to do this for my first time. I was very nervous - but this video made it very simple to understand and I had the whole project tackled start to finish in no time!
Very professional work ! ...Meanwhile in snowy Canada we usually install the bathroom fan exhaust in the soffit because during the winter you would have to clear the snow off that roof vent every snowfall and sometimes that would be several times a day..... we block like 16 inches of soffit each side of the vent to make sure that the moist warm air doesn't go back in the attic.
Something that is just as important as venting to the outside, most people don't let their fans run long enough to "dry out the duct", should also install a countdown timer as well.
True ,and I would add when putting the ceiling fan in to buy one that has double the output needed for your bathroom ( as it ages will still be efficient) and one that is rated whisper quiet
Great video. My elderly mother needs a new roof on her home and the bathroom vents weren't correctly done after the last room was put on. We exchanges notes and talked about the vents and she got some quotes. One roofer wanted to do bathroom fan soffit vents like the owner did here before Tommy showed up. Just sent this video to her to watch. The new roof is supposed to go on this Fall.
He used Geocel 2300 Tripolymer Sealant to seal the vent to the roof, but Sherwin Williams bought out Geocel and changed the formula (not as good as it use to be) so I would suggest NPC Solar Seal #900 (Clear) instead, also that 4" Roof Exhaust Vent is not the best option out now, IPS Snap Cap is a better option with less problems plus its easier & faster to install.
Simple fix for this is to use pieces of batt Insulation and stuff them into two soffits opening on either side of the bathroom vent cheap and a lot safer for DIYers not comfortable on roofs and don't forget to put a piece in the opening where the duct and vent are located
Thanks Tommy and TOH. I always wished you had your own show. Some of your tips, tricks and just cool ways of doing things is like watching a magic show. I see you do something, and I'm like, 🤯 then I rewind it and watch it a few more times just so I can absorb what I just witnessed. 😳That was cool!
Thanks! We've had a temporary setup that routs the bathroom vent pipe along the wall in the attic and out the side, but a lot of condensation was accumulating in the pipe making it droop down and even drip! A nice, elegant solution like this is exactly what I need!
It's nice to have that much space in the attic to have plenty of room to work in. My attic is so small that I can barely fit by crawling in there. I also need to add vents to my two bathrooms.
I feel you there. I just completed one of mine. Had to put a skinny piece of plywood down and perform all the work lying on my back. I doubt the duct was even an 18" run! One down, one to go. Good news is the other one is easier to get to.
+Eric Olson We're on the same boat Eric. Did you follow the steps provided in the video or did you do it a different way, using different materials? A roofer here in FL wants to charge me $600 per vent and I have two to do. That's freagin highway robbery if you ask me.
+Van S. I pretty much followed it exactly if I recall. The caulk I used was specific for roofing (it's black, not clear). Oh, one other difference was that my cap had the collar built in and was therefore very tricky to slide under the shingles. Ended up pulling up shingles a bit more than preferred, but I was very generous with the caulk. Anyway, no leaks so far after many heavy storms.
+Eric Olson Cool. Where did you purchase the louver from? I've read online that some are good and some are bad. The bad ones get a backdraft from heavy wind and rain. And some rusts away very quickly due to poor materials used and craftsmanship. Thanks in advance. Links would help as well... Cheers.
I need to add two of these to this 1965 house i bought that doesnt have restroom vents, but holy crap i wish i had this guys attic... my attic is about 24" from top to bottom... it sucks, its a crawl space lol.
Wish I had done this 12 years ago when we bought our place and discovered it had been vented into the soffit like this one. I just had a Mould remediation company come to remove / treat my attic. Cost me just under $3,000.00 to have that work done. Builders who take shortcuts cost the home owner LOTS of money and aggravation. A simple proper roof vent would cost a tiny fraction of what I had to pay.
This video helped give me the confidence to install a new vent on my roof. Just got it in an hour ago. My only wonder is how much wind this vent can handle.
Home owners do not appreciate all the overhead it took to produce that work... the ladders, safety harnesses, roofing scaffolding, multiple tools. And they also won’t appreciate the hands on experience required to do the work. I wish every person I met was as appreciative as Tom’s TOH clients
thats because alot of contractors are crooked and dont do a good job, they cut corners and a few month later its broken. They let anyone get licenses these days!
I think side wall is acceptable too (like through the gable end of the roof). Just as long as it avoids the soffit vents, otherwise you'll have the same problem.
I have a soffit bath vent and my plan is to replace/open the soffit and put in vented vinyl but I will now stay far enough away from the soffit vent/bathroom. A gable vent/fan w/thermostat is also in my plan. Major part of the soffit is up wind from this B/Vent as the bath is on the corner of the building. So glad to see this issue, prior to my project. I have no interest in being on the 2nd floor roof of any building.
Did this a few years ago ... my two upstairs bathrooms were not vented and of course, we got all foggy mirrors, condensation, etc.... the only different thing I did was to use the black tar sealant around the metal vent on the roof.
The hardest part of this in the Pacific Northwest is having a dry day to do this. Haven't been able to use my bathroom fan in over a month now to test out since i can't do the venting part 😂
Great vid on the Braun vents I am putting in. Get a hook blade for the exato knife Tommy, it will cut thru the shingles like butter. All three of my bathrooms have no exhaust fan. A little sick of opening windows for 28 years.....and I wish my shingles lifted up so easy, mine were baked on for 10 years.
I live in Arkansas, and I moved from Pennsylvania. I was shocked when I had my house built that AR code does not require fart fans to be vented outside. Mine vent right into the attic. I do have 2 big whirly birds at the roof peak. It's been that way for 10 years, and every year, I check there's no mold. The vent out of the fan just clears the blown in insulation, and everything looks great.
Who else is jealous of the thickness of that roof sheathing and the incredibly easily accessible attic?
Couldn’t agree more, I’m in my attic crawling around hoping I don’t hit my head on a roofing nail
💯 😂
@@mikez8277i wear a hard hat when I go up there cause of the nails in my attic lmao
I bet that plywood they were crawling on was added by the team for safety during filming. It didn't look permanent.
LOL...my first thought when I saw them in the attic was "gee must be nice"
Had my entire roof replaced a few years back and I'm dumbfounded to discover when replacing the exhaust fans in my bathrooms that the contractor never bothered to connect the ducts! Now I have to climb up there and do it myself. Lord give me strength fixing other people's laziness throughout the years.
People are basically lazy and have no trouble ripping other folks off.
America has changed a lot.
That's old code, and so it's not uncommon to see that in old houses.
Can you call the contractor back to do the job that he should have done?
I agree 💯 with you! This new Gen.. is not even close to what it used to be! Now you have to constantly be supervising the work you are paying for. If you can't find a good honest company that does the job done right, it's better to learn and do it yourself!
I’ve seen this to many times where I’m at as well.
Always love it when Tom Silva steps me through a project I'm about to take on. After watching this video, I installed a couple vents on my roof. If you're thinking of doing the same, here are a couple notes you might want to consider: (1) My shingles were much less cooperative than the ones in this video (breaking the seal (2:50) without breaking any shingles required a lot of patience). (2) Remember that your initial nail location is a bit arbitrary, so you can make it easier on yourself by adjusting the location so that the top edge of your shingle cut-out is right at the bottom of a shingle course. (3) It looks like Tom only removed the top layer of shingle. Other videos want you to go deeper. I don't know what's right, but be sure to give this point some thought. (4) Tom's vent cap didn't have a duct flange attached to it. This made it easier to slide into place (maybe he got away breaking fewer seals because of this), but it also introduces a condensation risk: moisture-laden air will be flowing (under pressure) through the open area between the flange nailed to the roof and the the vent cap and the plywood sheathing. A simple fix for this is to add sealant between the flange and the plywood. Incidentally, my vent caps had flanges already attached, but the attachments seemed pretty leaky so I sealant where they connected to the vent cap.
Peeling apart shingles is best when its warm outside. It helps soften the tar bead under the shingles. So you can slide in the new roof jack / roof vent etc..
you the real MVP, thank you for these notes!
what do you mean by point 4
you would like to see the base plate of the vent have a crimped piece to attach a vent hose directly to?
Tom did it correctly. When you reroof, you'd run the shingles up to the vent, then nail the jack down, then continue roofing. Just pretend you're water, and trace the path where it would go. If it hit the top of the jack, it will go around and flow down. Water can run sideways, especially wind-driven, which is why he sealed the shingles on either sides. I usually use a much bigger jack when reriofing, but that doesn't work well when you retrofit.
I wondered about his not putting sealant around the duct on the roof and attic side of it. Not sure if it’s necessary but something I would do just to be extra safe,
I would call it a day after getting those plywood sheets up through the attic hatch to use as a work platform. 6 months later the fan would still be venting thru the soffit and I would be wondering where all my plywood went.
You know, as a kid I HATED when my dad would watch This Old House on TV. Now as an adult here I am looking up videos of it out of interest or at times need for my own projects.
Nodding to your comment. I think many of us are in the exact same boat. I try to engage my own kids a little bit when we watch together by asking them questions periodically.
I loved it as a kid 😅. Then I just wanted to see how things work and how to build new things... Now I actually need the instructions!
When I was a kid "This Old House" didn't exist because a TV didn't exist in the early 1950's at "Our Old House".
I enjoyed watching my Dad do all sorts of repairs though, like sweating a steel pipe joint with a blow torch, a cloth and maybe lead back then. Blow torches were really "cool". I especially enjoyed getting on the roof with him. Mom would always have a fit when we did that.
I'd like to know what Tom Silva's safety rope was attached to. I suspect it went over the roof peak to something on ground level, like the trailer hitch on his truck. Gotta use a rope that won't stretch much though. I used a safety harness on the job for many years. Should have used one years earlier but fortunately I survived that period of my life on the job.
@@mikeh2291 okay
Litterally was thinking the same thing. Between this and Nascar he would tape both and rewatch them later and I would think This Old House was boring. I never got the appeal. Lol now I am watching the same thing but on UA-cam and I love all of this stuff.
I watch a lot of home improvement videos and the thing that strikes me the most about TOH and especially Tommy, is the fact that they are so non-judgemental. There are too many content creators that have to denigrate the previous work. Thank you for helping maintain a sense that trying things and fixing mistakes is ok and not out of reach.
TOH IS BETTER THAN THEM HOME DEPOT SMELLY CONTRACTERS
I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that Tommy is probably one of the best contractors out there and he has nothing to prove, nor no ego to feed by denigrating other contractors mistakes.
Contractors are well aware of the right way to do it. Slop work is the trademark of many.
Tommy is the best. Years ago I was wearing my "This Old House" hat and Tommy was at the fair at a booth. We talked a while and he signed my hat and a picture. This video inspired me to install a vent into my upstairs bathroom in my 1880s house. Thanks Tommy!
Nice story. How has the vent held up over time?
Just followed this exactly to vent both my bathrooms. Was nervous putting holes in the roof but got it done. Came out great.
any leaks since?
@@LastingDays shu7
What kind of silicone did you use on the roof?
@@monte1270 Use the "Black Polyurethane Roof and Flashing Sealant" tube or roof cement instead of silicone. That's what I used and I think that will hold up better than generic silicone due to the high heat and abuse roofs get.
@@mae2759 you are 100 percent correct.To many people think regular silicone is fine fine for a roof. It does not adhere to the shingle as well.
I’m a new homeowner and just discovered this series - I can’t express how grateful I am for it. I am learning so much about the anatomy of my home, and the teaching style here is clear, concise, and instills confidence in my ability to tackle projects I’ve never done before. I don’t know if Tom actually monitors these comments, but THANK YOU SO MUCH!!
Same here... I thought I knew a lot based on what I helped my dad out with when I was a kid, but man, when I got my own house, the only thing I learned was how much I didn't know.
Tommy's the best. Wouldn't you love to have him in the rxtended family? Give Uncle Tommy a call...
You just saved me from making exactly this mistake: venting my bathrooms right into the soffit vents. Thank you, Tom!!!
Pro tip. If you can do this on a warmer day it helps a lot. Roof shingles become more brittle to bending the colder they get.
Tom Silva does such a great job walking everyone through intimidating jobs. Thank you.
This is not intimidating, believe me. Although being on a second story roof, yes, that's intimidating. I'm glad both wore a harness. A fall like that could kill or paralyze you.
I want the whole This Old House crew to build my house. I love these guys. You know they can be trusted and that's something money can not buy...a piece of mind.
That’s why there was so many law suits against bob vilas work
@@fishydubsfishing6516 Didn't know that.
For me, the hardest part of that job is getting on and off the roof. Love the harnesses, OSHA will be proud. Safety first.
Well done guys. Making it look easier than it is.
Side note: NEVER purchase or use any safety or test equipment from lying cheating lack of quality control communist china. A large company near me must have had a serious problem &/or accident with a safety harness made in cheating china. They will not allow any contractors or their own workers to wear safety equipment made in cheating no good scum bag china. Like to have ten dollars for every old attic that I had to work in that had bathroom exhaust fan exhausting into attics. Some locations make you install insulation on first 10' feet in attics and others entire length to prevent condensation.
I had vertigo issues just seeing how high those ladders were. YIKES!!!
Thanks Tom. Up until I watched your video I was going to vent to soffit vent . I never considered the vent sucking the moisture back into the attic. Thanks to you I may have avoided a big mistake.I will be venting through the roof.👍🏻
Thank you so much for what you do. We live in a large city and there’s so much demand the roofers wanted $680 and 8 weeks waiting to install a roof vent. Having renovated several houses ourselves we knew this was a very simple job and couldn’t believe people pay that. We trust the This Old House Brand and we’re able to install the vent confidently based on your video.
$680 was a bargain.
@@gora876 no, its being ripped off LOL
@@seane6616 They gotta drive out, setup, cover their insurance costs, it's not cheap running a business. You want to climb up 2 or maybe 3 stories, risk falling off your own roof and end up in a hospital or worse?
@@chrisstromberg6527 lawl, what nonsense. Only someone who has no business being a roofer falls off
@@seane6616yeah, we don't need no stinkin' OSHA. Just don't fall off. SMH.
gotta love these videos with trussless attics... my attic is all engineered trusses, no plywood or planks to walk on, and 20" of blown in AttiCat on top of the old batts
Trust me you dont want a trussless system. Dealing with roof sag is a nightmare
Tom and this homeowner have NO fear of climbing ladders at that height. YIKES!!! And credit to the camera person, too, for climbing that high to film this story. Nice work by the guys! 😎
They are wearing harnesses so that helps
@@blakewhite3131 Yes, that does help them but it sure would not help me climb onto that high roof on that ladder with my fear of heights and vertigo issues on ladders if I climb too high,
@@DougCeleste Oh, of course! I get very nervous while I'm high, but if I feel secure and have safety gear that keeps me from falling, I'm able to get past those nerves. But if you get unstable while you're up high, that only further makes the situation worse, I'd completely understand avoiding heights!
@@blakewhite3131 Thanks for your reply! Your comments reminded me of having the courage to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge in 2002 on that tour with others on my final full day in Australia. I have to admit that I was feeling TERRIFIED at the thought of doing this climb but since we wore a special uniform with safety gear connecting us to a rail while we did the climb to the top and then back down, I felt a bit more at ease. Thank God we had a GREAT young tour guide in his 20's who gave the 12 of us in our group MUCH confidence and I felt so relaxed through it all for the 2-3 hours on the tour. It was easily the MOST EXHILARATING moment of my life and I went back to the hotel a bit teary-eyed that I had accomplished something that I NEVER thought I could do. I also have large photos to remember the unforgettable experience. But I am now 70 and no more bridge climbs for me. I can go up on a step-ladder only so high before feeling a bit dizzy and can no longer go on the roof of my home. But that is ok since I will always have the VERY fond memory to cherish of that afternoon in Sydney, Australia. Cheers from New Mexico USA! 😎
@@DougCeleste That sounds amazing, I'm so glad you were able to do something so out of your comfort zone, it clearly left a lasting impact! It must've taken a lot of courage to sign up for that!
I love steep rollercoasters, but the slow, clicking climb always fills me with such strong dread and regret, but it washes away to excitement and joy the instant it crests over and starts to plummet. I get in line again knowing full well what I feel on the climb up, because I know how I feel on the rest of the ride and I think it's worth it :)!! I'd love to go see natural thrills like you, it sounds majestic. Cheers from BC Canada!
Love you and the gang Tommy! Thank you for a lifetime of happiness when I see you all and learn and make it a better world!
This fan works very well. ua-cam.com/users/postUgkx7yWIKcrbA9KMHkGSfcgxW2lsjHT6B8Sh I replaced my old fan as our radon levels began to spike. When I remove the old fan water poured out of the fan. Must have entered in through the out spout. Replaced with this unit and levels dropped a bit but still over 4.0.Did some more digging and found that we had a small hole under our waste pipe that was allowing some water and radon in.Patched the hole and the levels dropped almost overnight.I really would recommend the radon sensor. It gives real time readings. Without it we would have never known that we had this issue.
What part of the country do you live in to have radon that high?
@@DougCeleste When I lived in Fort Dodge Iowa the radon was 8.0. I had to put in a mitigation system to get it lower. I installed a sub floor system which goes down to the gavel and applies vacuum under the basement floor venting out through the attic. The levels were brought down to 0.8. Note, some of the radon infiltration comes through the sump pump hole. First thing to do is seal that up nicely and attach a 2 inch pvc pipe from the the top and vent it outside.
@@jimturner4937 WOW, what a job! Did you do this yourself or did you hire a contractor? I have friends in Ankeny, IA. and they never mentioned to me about radon issues. But since I will see them in the fall, I will have to ask them about this.
Tom Silva is the best. I have always enjoyed watching him over the years. A great talent as a craftsman and teacher.
mind blown when he did put the nail through the roof. Here I was thinking of measuring distances and all hahah
I just drill through the bottom and put a zap-strap through...
You crazy. Unless you really like geometry. Nothing wrong with that.
@@PaulRudd1941 the nail he used is called a roofing nail it's how you fasten shinglesand it self seals. Zip ties are less secure and have holes for water to leak
@@coreydeschambault8190 but the whole point is to use it as a reference for cutting a larger hole. So it doesn’t matter if you use a nail or screw or zip tie or whatever.
@Karl but the assistant would provide an audible signal as a bonus!
Tom Silva is the Pro's Pro. You can never go wrong with his advice!
They always work on clean attics i wish i was that lucky.
Haha, yea, and they don’t seem to ever have multiple generations of janky repairs to deal with. “This old house” lmao
and the lighting is brighter than most folks kitchen, I'm wedged up in my attic with the light from my phone...lol. It is a great vid tho and everything done right.
Right? Like I really should do this to my house and it's well within my abilities, but it would involve moving god knows how much junk in a dusty attic where I can't even stand up straight. I wish Tommy would come do it for me but unfortunately I don't have the right accent.
@@kornchip2 should be like a used a car. Channel should be named “this use house” in lieu of this old house lol
@@kornchip2 I used to flip houses with a friend. The first few days in a "new" house it was always "What the hell did they do?!!" "This right here is why they have building codes!!!!" " I can't belive this place didn't burn down/flood/collapse, 75yrs ago. None of that happens on "This Old House".
If someone has already provided the following, excuse me for duplication. This is a superb video. Thank you for publishing it.
A vent hood that is very similar or perhaps the very one shown in this video is the Nutone Broan RVK1A. The collar (part that connects the hood to the flex ducting) is included and removable, which makes a retrofit situation easier or possible. Many other vent hoods have integrated collars that are not removable. I haven't tried, but I imagine that it would be tough to get a hood and collar inserted into existing shingles.
I spent most of my morning trying to find a vent hood online and in frustration went to my well stocked True Value in Ashland, WI. Fortunately they had the Broan RVK1A for $22. I opened the package to inspect it. Perfect! I got everything else I needed for this project there and will wait for a cooler day. I''m not a pro, but I think it would be best to not cut and lift your shingles when they are hot. Getting on the roof when it's hot is not only uncomfortable, but it's most damaging to your roof.
Also, you will need a 5" hole saw and arbor to make the hole for this Broan hood. 5" is necessary because you need that much space to insert and turn the collar into the vent hood.
I think that's the vent I have. I know I need to buy a bigger hole saw so I'll have to look into that.
Beautiful work by one of America’s true men Mr. Silva!
Thank you so much for this video! I'd found so many on *replacing* exhaust fans but nothing on how to install a new one. I recently purchased a 50 year old home with no bathroom exhaust fans, but after spending 14k on plumbing repairs plus another 1k on furnace work and radon mitigation, my savings are tapped for a while, so I plan to do a lot myself. I feel much better about doing this repair myself after watching!
Absolutely amazing how well the process and the reasoning is explained. So easy to understand and follow. Great work. Keep it up.
Thank you sir I just got done doing everything exactly how you did it it was my first time doing a hole on my roof it feels good to get over your fears
Mr. Tom Sliva! Your tone is amazing!! Amen Brother. You are among the best. No. I'm not there yet.
Great video - helped me figure out how to do this for my first time. I was very nervous - but this video made it very simple to understand and I had the whole project tackled start to finish in no time!
Best carpenter/builder in America today.
Very informative, straight to the point, and very practical! Great video.
I love watching him work! Years of experience make the job look simple and easy.
I wish he was my dad.
Very professional work ! ...Meanwhile in snowy Canada we usually install the bathroom fan exhaust in the soffit because during the winter you would have to clear the snow off that roof vent every snowfall and sometimes that would be several times a day..... we block like 16 inches of soffit each side of the vent to make sure that the moist warm air doesn't go back in the attic.
Once I seen this video I didn’t have to see anymore. He covered everything I needed
Tom knows how to do everything around a house and makes it look easy!
@Hello Jeff how are you doing
@@lydialas8756 Hello, Lydia!
Good work. This guy is the Scotty Kilmer of houses.
Something that is just as important as venting to the outside, most people don't let their fans run long enough to "dry out the duct", should also install a countdown timer as well.
True ,and I would add when putting the ceiling fan in to buy one that has double the output needed for your bathroom ( as it ages will still be efficient) and one that is rated whisper quiet
night fangs I prefer a noisier fan to cover the sounds made inside the bathroom.
One could use a humidistat instead that would keep the fan running as long as the humidity in the bathroom exceeds a certain value.
Good idea.
One of the best videos on the Internet.
Great video. My elderly mother needs a new roof on her home and the bathroom vents weren't correctly done after the last room was put on. We exchanges notes and talked about the vents and she got some quotes. One roofer wanted to do bathroom fan soffit vents like the owner did here before Tommy showed up. Just sent this video to her to watch. The new roof is supposed to go on this Fall.
TOH has the best in the business. Tommy, Rich, Norm, and Roger - when you make a call for a repair you're praying someone like them shows up.
Sweet! I'll be doing this in a couple weeks. Great video!
The best handyman of America
Thanks for the video! I just wish I had that much space in the attic compared to having to belly crawl across 2x4s!
Ditto
Ditto :)
My attic for half of my house I have no room at all and would need to hire a child to do any work in it and it leaks too.
My chest hurts just reading that. I'm in the same boat :(.
Ditto
Always a pleasure to watch a master at work
He used Geocel 2300 Tripolymer Sealant to seal the vent to the roof, but Sherwin Williams bought out Geocel and changed the formula (not as good as it use to be) so I would suggest NPC Solar Seal #900 (Clear) instead, also that 4" Roof Exhaust Vent is not the best option out now, IPS Snap Cap is a better option with less problems plus its easier & faster to install.
Thanks for the tip.
tripolymer
Roof RT is that Good or is black tar cement BETTER
it's clear and it's a Tripolmer, not fiber cement or tar
ya Geocel 2300 will last and Henry won't
May 2023 and this video helped me turn my unvented bathroom into a properly vented one!
Very helpful video. I just had two vents installed for two bathrooms when I got a new roof. It looks like the company put the vents in right. Yay!!
How much did it cost you for the two vents
Tommy is the best !!!. The best carpenter around to have.
4:16 He's so damn good, the aluminum tape becomes UL listed just because he put it on.
maynardr6 that’s funny 🤣
Hahaha..... I noticed that.
It's one step better: TS listed
white privileged
WN Continental Broadcasting why the race card?
Best builder ever. No shortcuts.
Really helpful video. Just had to do this exact thing for a bathroom rebuild I am doing in our house. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!
Same!
This video gave me the confidence to install mine today. Great video.
Thanks for making this video. It helped a lot. I now have a new bathroom exhaust fan done right.
Excellent. He makes it look so easy.
I have 3 bathrooms I have to do.
Thank you so much for your videos 🤗👍🙏
Simple fix for this is to use pieces of batt Insulation and stuff them into two soffits opening on either side of the bathroom vent cheap and a lot safer for DIYers not comfortable on roofs and don't forget to put a piece in the opening where the duct and vent are located
*excellent video, we bought a house with no vents on bathrooms, I will do exactly what you did, thank you very much sir*
Thanks Tommy and TOH.
I always wished you had your own show.
Some of your tips, tricks and just cool ways of doing things is like watching a magic show.
I see you do something, and I'm like, 🤯 then I rewind it and watch it a few more times just so I can absorb what I just witnessed.
😳That was cool!
Thank you!! I installed two yesterday for my bath remodel. Great advice!
The Yellow Jackets in the Northeast would LOVE that vent hood. Perfect nesting area.
Excellent video.Installed two roof vents per /video instructions.Thank you!
Tom Silva Is Amazing At His Craft
Thanks for this information.
It helped me to install the vent on the roof. It was easier than I feared it may be.
David Visser how long of a project was that for you? I need to do the same thing and am hoping it’s only a day project at most
@@jgibs81683 I wonder the same thing. We have a bathroom that vents right into the attic.
This is not the correct way to install one of these. Please don’t do this. Once the caulking fails the roof will leak.
@@bretwoods9208 So what is the correct way?
@Hello David how are you doing
Hey this is very helpful. I just bought a house and the dam fan wasn't vented at all. Straight into the attic. Awesome job. And thanks.
Tom you are amazing, Thank you for all of your hard work!
Love these guys and their New England accents.
Great information - comprehensive. It applies to my roof dryer vent install - this answers my questions about properly working around the shingles.
Not really for your dryer take off the metal grate
Thanks! We've had a temporary setup that routs the bathroom vent pipe along the wall in the attic and out the side, but a lot of condensation was accumulating in the pipe making it droop down and even drip! A nice, elegant solution like this is exactly what I need!
It's nice to have that much space in the attic to have plenty of room to work in. My attic is so small that I can barely fit by crawling in there. I also need to add vents to my two bathrooms.
I feel you there. I just completed one of mine. Had to put a skinny piece of plywood down and perform all the work lying on my back. I doubt the duct was even an 18" run! One down, one to go. Good news is the other one is easier to get to.
+Eric Olson We're on the same boat Eric. Did you follow the steps provided in the video or did you do it a different way, using different materials? A roofer here in FL wants to charge me $600 per vent and I have two to do. That's freagin highway robbery if you ask me.
+Van S. I pretty much followed it exactly if I recall. The caulk I used was specific for roofing (it's black, not clear). Oh, one other difference was that my cap had the collar built in and was therefore very tricky to slide under the shingles. Ended up pulling up shingles a bit more than preferred, but I was very generous with the caulk. Anyway, no leaks so far after many heavy storms.
+Eric Olson Cool. Where did you purchase the louver from? I've read online that some are good and some are bad. The bad ones get a backdraft from heavy wind and rain. And some rusts away very quickly due to poor materials used and craftsmanship. Thanks in advance. Links would help as well... Cheers.
Ditto
I need to add two of these to this 1965 house i bought that doesnt have restroom vents, but holy crap i wish i had this guys attic... my attic is about 24" from top to bottom... it sucks, its a crawl space lol.
Wish I had done this 12 years ago when we bought our place and discovered it had been vented into the soffit like this one. I just had a Mould remediation company come to remove / treat my attic. Cost me just under $3,000.00 to have that work done. Builders who take shortcuts cost the home owner LOTS of money and aggravation. A simple proper roof vent would cost a tiny fraction of what I had to pay.
Now you know. That's why programs and books are so valuable.
This video helped give me the confidence to install a new vent on my roof. Just got it in an hour ago.
My only wonder is how much wind this vent can handle.
2:08 "Has a screen right here to keep the crittaz' out"
Philip DeSimone lmao!!! Right. Wicked pissah!!
Tom is THE GREATEST
Awesome video! Just did this today, added the fan and everything. You're video made everything move smoothly, thanks a lot
This old house has the best how to videos
I need this dude in my home
Who doesn't? I would also benefit from his help.
I’ll use this tomorrow. Thank you!
Just happened to have the same issue and I can’t thank you enough for the easy instructions.
Subscribed.
The video editing on this video is superb.
Home owners do not appreciate all the overhead it took to produce that work... the ladders, safety harnesses, roofing scaffolding, multiple tools.
And they also won’t appreciate the hands on experience required to do the work.
I wish every person I met was as appreciative as Tom’s TOH clients
Apperication comes in form of payment
Ric C I just place a mattress on the ground to break my fall 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
thats because alot of contractors are crooked and dont do a good job, they cut corners and a few month later its broken. They let anyone get licenses these days!
Very helpful video, installed in just under 90 min. Thank You!
Does it make any difference whether you install the vents on the roof or thru the side wall?
I think side wall is acceptable too (like through the gable end of the roof). Just as long as it avoids the soffit vents, otherwise you'll have the same problem.
I have a soffit bath vent and my plan is to replace/open the soffit and put in vented vinyl but I will now stay far enough away from the soffit vent/bathroom. A gable vent/fan w/thermostat is also in my plan. Major part of the soffit is up wind from this B/Vent as the bath is on the corner of the building.
So glad to see this issue, prior to my project. I have no interest in being on the 2nd floor roof of any building.
thanks very informative. Really liked the tip of letting condensation flow out the bottom. Never would've thought of that.
I love the authentic human interactions
Tommy you're the best.
Tom Should Be a National Instructor for Residential Construction
You saved me a lot of time, thanks!
Love these oldschool no bs vids!
Tommy flies away into the sunset everytime he finishes helping someone with their projects
Krave Shack lmao, ascends back to home improvement heaven where he presides
The Marry Poppins of home improvement...
Did this a few years ago ... my two upstairs bathrooms were not vented and of course, we got all foggy mirrors, condensation, etc.... the only different thing I did was to use the black tar sealant around the metal vent on the roof.
I love this channel! So informative.
Wondering if venting the fan out via side wall or windows could be a better option?
The hardest part of this in the Pacific Northwest is having a dry day to do this. Haven't been able to use my bathroom fan in over a month now to test out since i can't do the venting part 😂
Great vid on the Braun vents I am putting in. Get a hook blade for the exato knife Tommy, it will cut thru the shingles like butter. All three of my bathrooms have no exhaust fan. A little sick of opening windows for 28 years.....and I wish my shingles lifted up so easy, mine were baked on for 10 years.
if I was a billionare I would have Tommy build my dream home with me
+phxtonash LOL! Me too!
+phxtonash Same Here !
over a simple vent...
Yea, because that's the only task Tommy is expert at.
phxtonash о
I live in Arkansas, and I moved from Pennsylvania. I was shocked when I had my house built that AR code does not require fart fans to be vented outside. Mine vent right into the attic. I do have 2 big whirly birds at the roof peak. It's been that way for 10 years, and every year, I check there's no mold. The vent out of the fan just clears the blown in insulation, and everything looks great.