This has gotta be mold? Right?

[jcooper]

If this is mold what can I do?

How would it be fixed? Does the drywall need to come down(please say no)? Can it be cleaned and repainted?

It's in a bathroom at home. My plumber recommend not leaving the shower curtain closed after a shower. Guess we should have known this...

 

[Cleanworks]

you need to rip the ceiling down, smash the wall of the shower stall and pull out......Just kidding! It looks small enough to be cleaned. You want to physically wash the mold off with a mild detergent. Might have to seal and repaint with bathroom appropriate products. Determine why the mold is appearing. Usually lack of ventilation. Check to see if the exhaust fan is working, make sure it is actually exhausting moist air to the outside. If there is no exhaust fan, when showering, open the window for ventilation (and peeping toms) and when done, leave the bathroom door open as well. You always need good airflow to get rid of the moisture. A good way to tell if the ventilation is working, when getting out of a hot shower, the bathroom mirrors should not be heavily fogged and should clear rapidly.

 

[Spurlington]

Is there an exhaust fan on the ceiling? I think the mold is growing cause its trapped and you keep feeding it moisture. Sporicidan might clean that off. Paint with kilz. Install a fan if you dont already have one.

http://paintpro.net/Articles/PP706/PP706_Mold-Mildew.cfm

 

[Able 1]

I had the same issue.. I had I fan, but also a college age kid that takes 20 min hotter then hell showers. My original fan was 120cfms, so I put a 180 cfm van in and problem solved..

 

[jcooper]

Thanks fellas the advice is appreciated.

It's a small bath, half the room is tub. It's got a fan, guess it would be a good idea to keep the door open(at least when the wife's in there).

 

[Desk Jockey]

My wife covers up like a pervert is staring at her.

What? She knew what I was when she married me.

 

[Mikey P]

bleach it, rinse well, repaint with a Kilz primer than a glossy easy to clean paint.


Do not use bleach on the ceiling in the future UNLESS you rinse it real well, ideally with a shower head on a hose.

 

[GeneMiller]

There is a proper paint for bathrooms. You can't just use any paint. Just FYI. Exhaust fan should be on when showering or a window cracked.

 

[Old Coastie]

ZymeAway. If the paint is sound, you won't need anything else. Once in a long while spritz some more on the ceiling and you'll never see it again.

I wiped a moldy wall once on a bid. Same fuzzy stuff. Three months later, the test wipes were still mold-free, so we did the job of cleaning all the walls, ceilings and carpets with ZymeAway. Three years later, not a trace has returned.

 

[Old Coastie]

 

[Desk Jockey]

 

[Spurlington]

Im pretty sure bleach dosent kill mold .. it just removes the color !! Or so Ive heard !!

 

[steve_64]

I thought it kills the mold thats growing but not the spores.

I had been told vinegar does a better job of killing mold and keeps it from returning.

But im not an expert and have never taken a mold class.

 

[Spurlington]

The sodium hypoclorite in bleach removes the discoloration but will not remove the microflora that would allow the mold to return in its exact spot. I did hear vinegar might work !!

 

[Old Coastie]

Bleach will give you about a 60% kill on any given surface. I'm guessing Richard uses some deadly fungicides (they are out there), but for the average home situation, a multi-enzyme works. It actually digests the protein spore shell and the biofilm that protects organisms underneath.

 

[KevinD]

Concrobium and 2 coats of Zinsser Perma-White mold and mildew proof paint.
Leave the bleach for non porous surfaces.

 

[Cleanworks]

You want to physically remove mold not try to kill it. When you try to kill it and fail to kill it 100 percent, it fights back creating toxins that can be worse than the mold it self. Just wash it off, let it dry, seal with primer such as kilz and paint. Make sure you address the cause.(lack of ventilation) leave the fungicides alone.

 

[Desk Jockey]

If you can kill it, a dead mold spore can still be toxigenic and allergenic. Removal is always the best answer with heavy growth.
Structural members you can sand or use products like Syrum 1000.

 

[Able 1]

72,000 gallons

 

[Nate The Great]

72,000 gallons

All I know is they better replace the smoke detector battery or throw the fkn thing away.......

 

[Cleanworks]

72,000 gallons

I know where you can rent a bulldozer

 

[Travis Sonderegger]

Thanks fellas the advice is appreciated.
It's a small bath, half the room is tub. It's got a fan, guess it would be a good idea to keep the door open(at least when the wife's in there).

Another thing I havent seen mentioned is air flow into the bathroom. The fan can suck air out of the room but there needs to be a little space under the door for air to flow into the room, make sense? just make sure there is a little gap or that you can feel it flowing under the door when the fan is on.

Another way to test this, kick the fan on with the door open, then shut the door. See if the sound of the fan changes at all like it is being restricted.

 

[Desk Jockey]

You're right but doubtful it's much of an issue. The fan exchanges humid air and the drier air from the house takes its place.

Homes don't seal tight so displaced air is easily replaced from many areas.

 

[Cleanworks]

Just leave the door wide open when you shower, helluvalot more fun.

 

[steve_64]

="Cleanworks, post: 4426364, member: 47370"]Just leave the door wide open when you shower, helluvalot more fun.

Haha Im installing clear glass walls in our shower.

 

[Cleanworks]

I'll pretend I didn't see that