Mould In Bathroom

[Graham81]

Hi There

Hopefully I am posting this in the best forum for this question. I have a problem with mould that keeps reappearing in the corner of my bathroom. The corner is not exposed directly to any water but is on an outside wall, and is purely painted (no tiles etc) so suffered from condensation & subsequently mould. I have been looking into various methods of preventing this such as PVC panelling (expensive), tiling (would have to redo whole bathroom to match) & simply repainting every so often; & was wondering if you guys had any suggestions or solutions?

Thanks

PS the room is well vented with a vent that is open 24/7

 

[Richard C]

Assuming you don’t have a problem with damp penetration, once mould has appeared you must remove all trace of the mould spores before painting over or it will just grow back again. You can do this by lightly sanding &/or washing with a mixture of water, detergent & vinegar. Wash the area several times using one of those green kitchen scourers to ensure you thoroughly remove all traces of mould. Let it dry thoroughly before re painting & use an anti-fungicide bathroom emulsion. I wouldn’t advise covering it with PVC panelling, it won’t make it go away & it’ll just fester behind the panels & eventually smell awful.

Opening a window in conjunction with a fixed vent will help reduce condensation but you should consider fitting a fan. Forced ventilation is the best way to eradicate condensation in a bath/shower room & it’s now a Building Regulation requirement on refurbishments.

 

[Graham81]

Thanks for the sound advice. Fitting a fan to extract to the outside world would be awkward but I could fit one that could extract into my loft space, or is this not advisable?

Thanks

 

[Richard C]

You can’t extract directly into the loft space but if you can gain access, often the easiest route is to fit the fan in the ceiling & then run a short, flexible duct to a vent let into the underside of the soffit board, it saves drilling holes through the wall.

The fan must have an IP rating suitable for the zone in which it is installed. Also be aware that electrical work associated with a fan in a bath/shower room is notifyable work & the easiest way of complying with the regulations is to get it done by a Part P certified spark who can issue the necessary compliance & test certificate.