Tip of the day! (SHOWER MOLD)

!!!MOLD!!!

In the last few years media has made mold out to be the very worst thing that could ever happen to you in your home. Trust me I could think of hundreds of worse things. Now don’t get me wrong mold can be a very serious, possibly life threatening problem. The key to preventing mold is Maintenance! Maintenance! Maintenance! Mold doesn’t pop up out of the blue. Now I could go on and on about thousands of different mold scenarios but lets concentrate today on shower mold.

First let me say that over the years I have redone about 30 shower enclosures. To re-do a shower surround you have to remove the existing tile/surround and the wall covering that it is attached to EX: drywall, Den shield, Durock.  Its not required by code to replace it, but I'll tell you that I have never removed a shower surround and not found some sort of mold. Even the very best correctly installed shower surround will weep (seep through the grout lines or uncaulked areas of the shower) over time if not maintained correctly.

If your shower looks like this its too late:

(Behind the drywall mold)

How to prevent mold in your shower:
• ReCaulk all 90 degree corners including where the walls meet the shower pan with an approved sink/shower caulking every two years or when you notice that the caulking is pealing. You can find this at any hardware store.
• You must scrape the old caulking off to properly recaulk any areas.
• Use a caulking that contains Microbann. Microbann is a product contained in many building materials that kills and prevents mold.
• Seal and reseal grout lines with a tile grout sealer. You can find at any hardware store. I recommend sealers made by Custom Building Products at Home Depot, or go to this link at Home Depot.
• Treat any existing mold with a mold killing product from your local hardware store.
• DONT TREAT MOLD WITH BLEACH!! Bleach only kills mold on the surface. Mold grows almost like a tree and has a root system that bleach cannot reach. Bleach is about 99% water and water helps mold grow.
• If you have any uncertainties, hire a contractor that is licensed and has references in this field. Mold contractors have to undergo a certification to treat mold so make sure you check you contractor for this.

Shower head mold

Check your shower head for mold.
Shower head mold looks like this:

The best way to treat mold in your shower head is to remove and submerge the shower head in a 50% white vinegar 50% water solution for about 15 to 30 min. and scrub with a brush.

For more on shower head mold check out this video from the Drs. show from today 11-30-09 here