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    • #31457

      We are in the middle of an eco renovation in Brighton – see our blog – http://www.brightgreenhomes.co.uk/wp/?page_id=244 – for more details.

      We have a very committed client who is interested in the principles of environmental design, but they do also want some of the creature comforts of modern living – and one of these is a large steam free mirror in the main bathroom downstairs. My issue is that the only way of doing this as I am aware is with an electrical heating pad. As we are trying to reduce electricity use to a bare minimum in the property (more natural light, LEDs, low energy appliances etc.) it seems incongruous to then use electricity to get rid of steam on a mirror?

      Are there any alternatives?

      Thanks – Alex

    • #37844
      Peter Bayer
      Participant

        Alex

        Do mirrors steam up in well insulated bathrooms?In a well insulated house the walls will tend to be at a steady room temperature and the mirror will be at the same temperature as the walls.
        In my own ( warm ) bathroom the mirror which is on an internal wall never steams up, the wc cistern on the other hand is sopping wet after every shower.

        Peter

      • #37845
        Anonymous

          Alex — just to point out that Paul Marriott has posted a reply as well, on the general public board, see https://aecb.net/forum/index.php/topic,2890.0.html

        • #37846
          Nick Grant
          Participant

            Paul's idea is ingenious and I was about to chip it then thought, has our mirror ever steamed up? I don't think it has.

            Perhaps smaller bathroom might be more of a problem, thinking of cheap hotels with tiny bathroom- warm but steam up easy.

            Obviously 'steaming up' can happen above the assumed dew point as when we breathe onto glasses to clean them.

            Nick

          • #37847
            Robert Rickey
            Participant

              Howard Liddle (see his book Ecominimalism) contends that using clay plaster in a bathroom will prevent mirror steaming. I haven't tried it yet, but it might be worth a punt – clay is also an absorber of pollutants so can't be bad.

            • #37848
              Tom Foster
              Participant

                Don't see to get it in this cob farmhouse's bathroom without ex fan – tho gappy window

              • #37849

                thanks all!

                As it turned out with a little gentle persuasion the client was convinced not to go down the electricity route – I'll let you know if they have a problem with steam after our 3 months retention.

                Thanks again for your input and I will think about the clever idea of pipes behind the mirror for the next job!

                Alex

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