design and construction advice from the Ccom forums (obviously...)

Adcurium

I am reclaiming some attic space. It isn't a big space, and I don't know if I am willing to incur the expense of dormers, but it will be my space nonetheless. A place to smoke when the weather is bad (and a place to hide from my wife and kids). I will have one, double hung window on each end, but was considering some sort of a ventilation system, similar to the type of exhaust fan a restaurant would have. I don't think I want to vent directly out the roof (or maybe I do... ) so I orignally thought of putting this vent on the side wall, close to the window (which would be my only 'wall' space if I wanted to avoid venting right through the roof). Any thoughts or suggestions?

Gray4lines

Are you planning on doing the vent work your self? And if so have you done that kind of thing before?

I am no help with building something like that, but I ask only to suggest that whoever does the job does it right! You have the right idea with a vent system though.

Edit: You may or may have not seen this article -- http://www.cigar.com/catalog/featuredArticles.asp?artnum=12

madurofan

A bathroom style fan should be plenty for one person smoking. You can buy an entire kit from the fan all the way out to the vent for like $50

jgibv

madurofan:

A bathroom style fan should be plenty for one person smoking. You can buy an entire kit from the fan all the way out to the vent for like $50

+1

Since you're on the "top floor" already, and smoke rises it shouldn't take much to pull it out of that room.
Crack the windows, maybe a window fan set to exhaust on one side so you can get a nice cross breeze --- I'd guess that will take out most of the smoke.

But an exhaust fan sure wouldn't hurt ....
Just make sure you get the proper "size"/CFM .... http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/catalog/servlet/ContentView?pn=KH_BG_KB_BA_Bath_Fans&storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053

kuzi16

the more powerful the fan the better. this is not the time to scrimp.

active return air has its benefits. the best one is that active return air can be heated/cooled before it hits the room. cracking the window makes for a cold smoke in the winter even with a space heater.

Adcurium

Well, there might be enough space for 3 people to smoke. And drink. And hide from our wives. Gray, I've hired a handyman to do the windows and venting.

Roberto99

Depending on the size of the room and the head space available, you could do a single fan that draws from 2-3 ceiling locations and still vents out the side wall. If you have any friends that are HVAC or Electricians they could give you advice.

cabinetmaker

I'd look into getting an ozone generator along with the venting.

madurofan

I thought it was bad to breathe ozone? I had an ozone treatment done on my rental house after a tenant smoked in it. We had to stay out for two days ...

cabinetmaker

Put it on a timer and run it a couple hours at night.

Gray4lines

madurofan:

I thought it was bad to breathe ozone? I had an ozone treatment done on my rental house after a tenant smoked in it. We had to stay out for two days ...

You are correct, ozone is a lung irritant. If used, it`s best you are not in there... overnight would work.

pross

I would use a gable vent fan. There are some very powerful ones out there for not a lot of money. I assume you have gable vents, most houses do.

A bathroom fan will not cut it unless you exhale directly int the pickup.

Rain

cabinetmaker:

I'd look into getting an ozone generator along with the venting.

Not sure this is a good idea.How big is the attic?

madurofan

pross:

A bathroom fan will not cut it unless you exhale directly int the pickup.

Dude the bathroom fan I installed when we renovated the last house will damn near pick you up off the toilet and throw you outside. We had issues with it being too close to this material shower curtain my wife had and it was trying to suck it into the fan. AND it was scary quiet. Cost me like $100 total

Adcurium

I actually have one of those Sharper Image ionizers which, I believe, is basically an ozone machine. Which I can run in the attic after I've left. I do have gable vent, but I'm planning on replacing them with double hung windows. I suppose I can vent a fan out of the soffet vents. I actually have a contractor coming over tomorrow to give me an idea on what dormers would cost. But regardless if I'm doing dormers or not, I'm finally going to have some space for me!

pross

madurofan:

pross:

A bathroom fan will not cut it unless you exhale directly int the pickup.

Dude the bathroom fan I installed when we renovated the last house will damn near pick you up off the toilet and throw you outside. We had issues with it being too close to this material shower curtain my wife had and it was trying to suck it into the fan. AND it was scary quiet. Cost me like $100 total

I just installed the largest inline bathroom style fan (340 cfm) I could find in my smoking area. When you are close to it, you would think you are going to get sucked through the duct. When I have 3 or more people smoking, it is obvious that smoke does not naturally rise all the time in a hurry.

There is a halo of smoke that hovers at eye level, that the fan is just not strong enough to pull up to the ceiling (about 9' high).

It will eventually clear all the smoke, but to make it comfortable to sit in, I have added a lower window exhaust fan to pull the smoke from the middle of the room.

madurofan

pross:

madurofan:

pross:

A bathroom fan will not cut it unless you exhale directly int the pickup.

Dude the bathroom fan I installed when we renovated the last house will damn near pick you up off the toilet and throw you outside. We had issues with it being too close to this material shower curtain my wife had and it was trying to suck it into the fan. AND it was scary quiet. Cost me like $100 total

I just installed the largest inline bathroom style fan (340 cfm) I could find in my smoking area. When you are close to it, you would think you are going to get sucked through the duct. When I have 3 or more people smoking, it is obvious that smoke does not naturally rise all the time in a hurry.

There is a halo of smoke that hovers at eye level, that the fan is just not strong enough to pull up to the ceiling (about 9' high).

It will eventually clear all the smoke, but to make it comfortable to sit in, I have added a lower window exhaust fan to pull the smoke from the middle of the room.

Interesting. Actual experience always trumps theory. That's good to know. My new house has a 2 car driver under garage. It's where I smoke when I can't be outside. Unfortunately there isn't a window and opening the garage door even just a foot keeps it basically the same temp as outside. I thought about putting two bathroom fans in but your experience has me leaning against that now. Sorry to thread highjack.

pross

madurofan:

pross:

madurofan:

pross:

A bathroom fan will not cut it unless you exhale directly int the pickup.

Dude the bathroom fan I installed when we renovated the last house will damn near pick you up off the toilet and throw you outside. We had issues with it being too close to this material shower curtain my wife had and it was trying to suck it into the fan. AND it was scary quiet. Cost me like $100 total

I just installed the largest inline bathroom style fan (340 cfm) I could find in my smoking area. When you are close to it, you would think you are going to get sucked through the duct. When I have 3 or more people smoking, it is obvious that smoke does not naturally rise all the time in a hurry.

There is a halo of smoke that hovers at eye level, that the fan is just not strong enough to pull up to the ceiling (about 9' high).

It will eventually clear all the smoke, but to make it comfortable to sit in, I have added a lower window exhaust fan to pull the smoke from the middle of the room.

Interesting. Actual experience always trumps theory. That's good to know. My new house has a 2 car driver under garage. It's where I smoke when I can't be outside. Unfortunately there isn't a window and opening the garage door even just a foot keeps it basically the same temp as outside. I thought about putting two bathroom fans in but your experience has me leaning against that now. Sorry to thread highjack.

No problem, not hijacking at all, all opinions help.

Here is the thread link to my project. You can see my fan install in the first few photos. Mathematically, it should work 100%, in reality, the smoke hovers.

New Man Cave

madurofan

pross:

madurofan:

pross:

madurofan:

pross:

A bathroom fan will not cut it unless you exhale directly int the pickup.

Dude the bathroom fan I installed when we renovated the last house will damn near pick you up off the toilet and throw you outside. We had issues with it being too close to this material shower curtain my wife had and it was trying to suck it into the fan. AND it was scary quiet. Cost me like $100 total

I just installed the largest inline bathroom style fan (340 cfm) I could find in my smoking area. When you are close to it, you would think you are going to get sucked through the duct. When I have 3 or more people smoking, it is obvious that smoke does not naturally rise all the time in a hurry.

There is a halo of smoke that hovers at eye level, that the fan is just not strong enough to pull up to the ceiling (about 9' high).

It will eventually clear all the smoke, but to make it comfortable to sit in, I have added a lower window exhaust fan to pull the smoke from the middle of the room.

Interesting. Actual experience always trumps theory. That's good to know. My new house has a 2 car driver under garage. It's where I smoke when I can't be outside. Unfortunately there isn't a window and opening the garage door even just a foot keeps it basically the same temp as outside. I thought about putting two bathroom fans in but your experience has me leaning against that now. Sorry to thread highjack.

No problem, not hijacking at all, all opinions help.

Here is the thread link to my project. You can see my fan install in the first few photos. Mathematically, it should work 100%, in reality, the smoke hovers.

New Man Cave

I feel poor after reading that.

cabinetmaker

You have to have a small fan to circulate the air. Ozone genny runs only when you're not in there, and only for a short while to kill the smokey smell in the walls and floor. Keeps it from getting musty smelling in the rest of the house too. The circulating fan keeps the air moving so the vent fan can evacuate the smoke. If you have several people smoking in there at once, you're gonna be ok running the ozone while you're there, it'll break up the smoke particles in the air and turn to O2 before it gets to you. .02

clearlysuspect

I have no advice but thanks for the day dream. Sounds nice.

madurofan

cabinetmaker:

You have to have a small fan to circulate the air. Ozone genny runs only when you're not in there, and only for a short while to kill the smokey smell in the walls and floor. Keeps it from getting musty smelling in the rest of the house too. The circulating fan keeps the air moving so the vent fan can evacuate the smoke. If you have several people smoking in there at once, you're gonna be ok running the ozone while you're there, it'll break up the smoke particles in the air and turn to O2 before it gets to you. .02

Cabinet, I'm not trying to call you out or anything just genuinely trying to learn more. Where are you getting this info? I know a little about Ozone, not enough to provide good sound advice but a little. Since I read your first post I've done a little more research and nothing I'm seeing says it's safe to be in a room with an ozone generator. In fact everyone of them gives timeframes before it is safe for any living animal to be in the space.

cabinetmaker

madurofan:

cabinetmaker:

You have to have a small fan to circulate the air. Ozone genny runs only when you're not in there, and only for a short while to kill the smokey smell in the walls and floor. Keeps it from getting musty smelling in the rest of the house too. The circulating fan keeps the air moving so the vent fan can evacuate the smoke. If you have several people smoking in there at once, you're gonna be ok running the ozone while you're there, it'll break up the smoke particles in the air and turn to O2 before it gets to you. .02

Cabinet, I'm not trying to call you out or anything just genuinely trying to learn more. Where are you getting this info? I know a little about Ozone, not enough to provide good sound advice but a little. Since I read your first post I've done a little more research and nothing I'm seeing says it's safe to be in a room with an ozone generator. In fact everyone of them gives timeframes before it is safe for any living animal to be in the space.

The thing to understand is you're not in there while its running. In all honesty, though, I've been in rooms where one was running while we were all around smoking. For years we did this. Most bars had them in them back when smoking in bars was not considered more dangerous than juggling nuclear warheads. They were necessary to keep the air clear enough to see more than 2 feet in front of you. All the environmentalists/nanny types have so conditioned the U.S. populace that everything is so dangerous/hazardous/bad for us that we forget to use common sense when dealing with it. Its safer than the information thats out there says it is. You just run it long enough to do its job, and don't be there when it is running. It'll eat the smoke and odor causing molecules and break them down to dust; and in the process the ozone destroys itself. Use one or don't, no problem for me either way. You'll like the result better with one, though, and so will your family - especially if, like my wife, they HATE the smell of smoke.