Have you ever noticed mold that continues to grow along the shower floor and wall, sometimes growing in the corners?
No matter how much you clean the mold (use diluted bleach or commercially available mold cleaners), it seems to come back. This can be evidence of a leaky shower tray or a faulty shower liner installation.
Another scenario is the obvious one, the mold growing outside the shower stall, the spongy floor next to the shower and the bubbling and damp plaster, water damage to the adjoining walls or ceiling.
Let’s say there are no obvious leaks but mold persists. Unfortunately, this is evidence of an underlying problem that needs to be addressed. Unhealthy and uncontrolled mold can cause not only health problems, but also financial problems for your home investment.
Mold in showers is not normal. In most cases, poorly constructed showers and shower trays are to blame for this unsanitary problem.
So if you are planning a bathroom update that will require the installation of a new tiled shower, be sure to hire an expert in this field.
Things to look for include:
1. How the shower seats or benches are constructed if your bathroom remodel plans include them in the shower. Benches or seats should be built into the tile tray with cinder blocks and covered with durrock, wonderboard, or float with cinder. This requires some real skill from a professional tile contractor who is interested in working for the lasting benefit of your home improvement project. For do-it-yourself homeowners, pre-made benches and seats are available.
Unless you are an expert, I do not recommend framing your seats with wood as based on our experience from the tile repairs we have done improperly made wood frame seats resulted in rapid mold growth.
2. When installing a shower liner, make sure your contractor includes a pre-slope to drain before installing the liner; If this step is skipped, not only will mold problems appear, but the damage to the shower tray floor will be so severe that the entire tray will need to be replaced. Drain holes in the holding shower drain ring required for proper drainage should be kept clear.
3. Proper drain for a shower stall floor is ΒΌ inch per foot to drain. In other words, the slope to the drain should look and feel unnoticeable. A bad mud job can be felt instantly when standing in the shower and if there is standing water left after you shower, you may need attention to correct it.
4. The correct tile backing plate must be installed. For years, builders and contractors have used green slate in all wetland applications.
Today, knowledge of how popular tile backing plates are installed is essential to a successful tile installation. Some manufacturers recommend leaving a gap between the bottom of the wall board and the horizontal surface, thus reducing the “wick” effect of improper installation. Also, some materials are not recommended in shower stalls and steam showers together. Make sure your tile installer or designer is well aware of the different applications and limitations of the different bathroom products available today.
What’s under your shower tray?
Hopefully a dry floor, a pre-drain slope, and unclogged drain holes.
