Mould on tiles

[Neil Carroll]

Morning ,

Happy New year.

I have an issue with my white bathroom tiles , the grout over the years is getting black mould on it , its as well ventilated as possible , however it continues to produce black spots , about 2 months ago I cleaned all of the grout out and replaced it with mould resistant grout , it didn't work ! , same result.

Im thinking of cleaning it all off with mould remover and then letting it dry and sealing it with the paint on sealant that is supposed to seal the grout , is this a good idea? , once the mould remover is on has that cleaned it sufficiently to seal? Also can anyone suggest a sealant that either sprays on or pains on , thanks

 

[foxhole]

Mould would suggest it’s not well ventilated .?

 

[opps]

As above, it might be prudent to improve air flow.

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

its as well ventilated as possible ,

How?

 

[Neil Carroll]

Well I say mould , it's the black stains that appear within the grout and can be removed with bleach , room is well ventilated with a window and extraction fan

 

[opps]

Well I say mould , it's the black stains that appear within the grout and can be removed with bleach , room is well ventilated with a window and extraction fan

With respect, it does sound like mold, which is normally down to insufficient air flow.

You could rake out the grout and replace it with epoxy grout, but that is a big job. I used in my kitchen years ago to grout my mosaic tiles behind the hob. If I splashed food over it, days later I could wipe it off with a green abrasive pad. Granted, it was grey, but tomato based sauces or even curry would not stain it.

Epoxy grout is a 2 part product. It is however a pig to work with (it is difficult to polish off the tiles- pro tilers might be able to give you hints) and it will take you ages to remove the old grout. Mapei and BAL are the two market leaders AFAIK.

Path of least resistance might be to increase airflow but you don't seem to think that is the problem. Sorry, I am not intentionally being snarky, but I still think it likely that it is down to airflow.

Photos, may help.

 

[yorksbuilder]

Buy a squeegee, and wipe the water off the tiles and grout after each use. Dry with a cloth. Mould growth will be greatly reduced (if you also have good airflow and a heat source in the bathroom)

 

[Neil Carroll]

With respect, it does sound like mold, which is normally down to insufficient air flow.

You could rake out the grout and replace it with epoxy grout, but that is a big job. I used in my kitchen years ago to grout my mosaic tiles behind the hob. If I splashed food over it, days later I could wipe it off with a green abrasive pad. Granted, it was grey, but tomato based sauces or even curry would not stain it.

Epoxy grout is a 2 part product. It is however a pig to work with (it is difficult to polish off the tiles- pro tilers might be able to give you hints) and it will take you ages to remove the old grout. Mapei and BAL are the two market leaders AFAIK.

Path of least resistance might be to increase airflow but you don't seem to think that is the problem. Sorry, I am not intentionally being snarky, but I still think it likely that it is down to airflow.

Photos, may help.

That's ok , I've got no issue with it being described as mold , I just wanted to be as specific as possible , Cant really increase airflow , windows are open in warmer times and there is a fan which comes on with the light switch , thanks for the advice.

 

[Murdochcat]

That's ok , I've got no issue with it being described as mold , I just wanted to be as specific as possible , Cant really increase airflow , windows are open in warmer times and there is a fan which comes on with the light switch , thanks for the advice.

How large is the gap under the bathroom door?

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

there is a fan which comes on with the light switch

Which is often not long enough - is there a run on timer on the fan, it needs to run on for at least 20 minutes, after the bathroom is used, to lower the humidity.