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Replacement a Bathroom Fan

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Turn off the power. Before you begin, you will need to turn off the power to the fan from the circuit breaker box. Unplug the motor and disconnect the wiring. Put on a pair of gloves, safety goggles and a respirator and remove the grille covering from the old fan. You may be shocked at the amount of dirt and debris that fall out of it!


Unscrew or unplug the motor blower assembly from the housing unit, then open up the electrical splice unit and carefully pull out the wires. Remove the connectors and untwist the wires to disconnect them. It’s a good idea to double check that power to the wires is off before doing this. Loosen the cable clamp to free the electrical cable from the fan housing.


Go to the attic and remove the housing. In the attic, detach the duct pipe from both the housing unit and the vent cap connector duct. Pull the electrical cable and wiring free from the housing unit. Use a power drill to remove the screws securing the old fan’s brackets to the joists, then lift the old fan from the ceiling.


Install the new fan. Head back down to your bathroom and remove the new fan from its packaging. If it has the same measurements as your old fan, you will be able to install it immediately. But if the new fan is bigger than the old one, you will need to enlarge the hole in your ceiling. You can do this by tracing the outline of your new fan onto the ceiling, then cutting around the outline with a drywall saw.


If your new fan is smaller than the old one, you can caulk around the edges of the housing unit to fill in any gaps once the fan is installed. Go to the attic and lower the new fan into the preexisting or newly enlarged hole. Make sure the unit is properly oriented for all electrical and duct work connections. Slide out the extendable mounting brackets and secure them to the joists using your power drill and 1 inch (2.5 cm) drywall screws. You may need a helper to hold the fan in place from below as you do this.

Applying Bathroom Paint

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Apply a thin coat of primer to the vanity and drawers/doors. Use a brush to cover the edges with primer, then finish by covering the flat surfaces with a foam roller. Let the primer dry overnight so the paint can sit and harden. Remember to apply primer to the drawers and doors as well. Only use primer if you’re painting with latex or oil-based paint. If you’re using chalk paint, skip priming and go straight to painting.

Older paint and primer formulas needed to be paired by type, such as oil-based with oil-based or latex with latex, but current formulas can be mixed and matched. If you chose a glossy finish paint, make your priming layer as smooth as possible. Glossy paint shows imperfections much more visibly than flat finish.

Pick from oil-based, latex, or chalk-finish paint. Keep in mind that oil-based and latex paints require a primer, while chalk-finish paint does not. Oil-based paint is strong and durable, resists chipping, and levels out any imperfections. However, it has a strong odor and is difficult to clean up.

Latex paints are water-based and very durable. Choose a satin finish to have a nice, light sheen that’s not too shiny. Chalk paint is a quick, easy option with a smooth, flat finish. It dries fast and because it’s thick, it requires fewer coats of paint. However, its thick consistency also means it’s easy to leave brush marks.

Apply a coat of paint to the vanity and let it dry overnight. You can use a brush or foam roller to paint or a combination of the two. Foam rollers also create a more even coat of paint, so use them for larger, flat areas, then paint over any detailing or edges with a brush. Start by filling a tray with paint, then add more as needed. Remember to paint the drawers and doors as well, keeping them on the dropcloth to prevent mess. Always paint in the direction of the wood grain.