After renovation, mold appeared in the bathroom, although it never did. Why is that?

Has passed only 8 months from the moment when I studied with a friend installation of a shower enclosure (or booths, as many say) instead of a metal pallet and, behold, the hostess again asked to come to help clean mold at the junction of the new acrylic pallet and the wall.

For all the years, including previous 7 yearsWhen she had an open metal tray, no mold and other similar problems were observed, and then suddenly they suddenly began. This is surprising, since I used good long-lasting sanitary silicone to seal the joint between the tile and the pallet. But, as life has shown, he is good only in theory.

I didn't have to think a lot about what and how to do. As in other similar cases, he began carefully cut with a construction knife silicone from the seam along the entire perimeter of the pallet to the wall. Since the groove is not too narrow, he made one cut as close as possible to the tile, and the second, parallel, point-blank to the pallet. As a result, after longitudinal through cutting movements, the old silicone roller could only be pulled out.

As seen by picture 3, the mold has not yet penetrated deep into the silicone, but only affected its upper layers. Despite this, there was nothing to remove it. There was also mold on the seams of the lower rows of tiles. (cm. photo 2), so it is clear that the problem is not caused by silicone, but by a violation of the microclimate in the bathroom.

As a rule, good silicone is enough in conditions of high humidity for 2-3 years, sometimes more, and then when the disinfecting component volatilizes, "vegetation" appears. Here, it seems, the unlucky silicone got caught.

Before my arrival, the hostess purchased a new tube of sealant, which has yet to prove itself in practice. This time I bought white siliconeCeresit CS 15.

On the official website of the manufacturer in paragraph "Application area" indicated that the sealant "intended for use without preliminary primer inside and outside buildings in places where resistance to biological attack by fungi and mold is required. "

If you consider this material as a purchase option, look at the expiration date, which is 18 months. By purchasingsilicone with an expiring shelf life, there is no doubt that the active substances in it are no longer the same, and the fungus will climb over it in the same way as on any other.

The joint had to be thoroughly cleaned, remove all silicone residues with a knife and a narrow spatula. Even in such cases, additional disinfection of the tile and pallet with a hard solution of bleach will definitely not interfere. After drying, you can start filling the joint with new silicone.

Since the seam is wide enough, we had to fill it in several passes. I will say that you can gently level the layer after applying it in just a few minutes. Then the sealant is weathered and already tightened with a finger with a whole layer or film, leaving wrinkles and ugly marks.

Speaking about the causes of mold, I will highlight what was obvious.

At first, due to the installation of the shower enclosure in the corner, the air circulation has deteriorated, especially when the sash remains closed.

Secondly, from this acrylic pallet, due to the peculiarities of its shape, water flows from the sides worse than from a metal one, which creates conditions for the growth of fungi.

Thirdly, the exhaust fan, although there is one, is positioned away from the shower corner so that the air flow it creates is directed past the shower enclosure. In addition to this, the fan mesh (photo 6) has not been cleaned for a long time, which greatly weakens the air flow into the room.

All of these problems can be solved to varying degrees. I emphasize once again that while the iron bath stood for 30 years, and then for 7 years the old open pallet, the owners did not remember mold.

I have no doubt that if the mold goes again I will find out about it. In this case, I will definitely tell you the news on the mentioned object on the channel.

Share your thoughts on how you solve mold problems in the bathroom and elsewhere.

Read other fun content andsubscribeper channel.

How to reinstall the toilet if the fasteners are rusted

Granite and marble staircases. Why not an art form? Rate it!

How to install a plinth if pipes or something else is in the way

I glued the tiles according to the granny's project. The idea was not even discussed