I'm mid-renovation in our 120+ year old brownstone and it rained in the middle of our house last week Thursday night when it was pouring. We had 100+ year old metal ducting removed to make space for closet/fridge space next to the former dumbwaiter, and a roof skylight off the airshaft was removed to make space for exhaust fans from each of 3 floors , plus laundry vent, up to and out the roof. Well, I guess the exhaust fan metal ducting is venting straight up and out of the house with NO COVER/protection - so it was raining into the metal ducting (not yet connected) and around it into the house.

Dumb question - is that bad Or is that just a "being renovated not fixed yet" thing? I like my contractor and will ask him more about it but thought to ask this forum too.

We are basically taking out an air shaft/skylight in our brownstone which has 3 floors, all with the bathroom and kitchen on the interior of the house with an air shaft and former dumbwaiter between them, in the same place on each floor of the house. Third floor the former dumbwaiter will be a closet and air shaft will house piping for laundry/other appliances. Second floor there will be a fridge where airshaft/dumbwaiter were as we make a bigger kitchen. Ground floor - closet and pipes.

I'm a bit worried about safety, water damage and mold. We're ok now, the house is pretty open but the goal is to make it more efficient and airtight and in that case water will be much more damaging.