WINDOWS AND VENTILATION FOR BATHROOMS

WINDOW (openable): Ventilation is very important in a bathroom. If a window is present and no exhaust fan is installed, the window should be openable. The inspector will ordinarily indicate "openable" if the window can be opened. In most municipalities ventilation is not required if the bathroom has no bathing facilities such as a tub or shower.  If the window is above or near the tub or shower, it should be tempered glass or other safety glazing material. The inspector will not determine whether the glazing is safety material. Determine if the glass is safety glass or other safety materials. Use caution around the window if it is over or very near the tub or shower, especially if it is not safety glazed. Should this window be broken while someone is in the tub or shower, or nearby, severe injury could result. Windows, and the framing around windows, placed within the confines of shower stalls or tubs with shower attachments, often are at greater risk of wood rot damage. Often any rot will be inside the wall cavity, especially if the window sill is tiled, and will be undetectable during a visual inspection. Be aware that the inspector is not allowed to probe any surface if the probing would damage the surface. Contact the inspector for further information regarding this limitation if necessary. 

The above information was provided by TWI Systems Copyright 1995-2005 1-800-553-5660