Mold In The Bathroom... Added Pictures on Page 2

[NRacine]

First, seal the crack in the tub. Nothing can get fixed if water is still leaking. Do some research on the internet to see what to use, I'm sure they make a product exactly for this.

Second, You need to replace the soft drywall and baseboard. Even if you can't see mold, the spores ARE in there. I suggest pulling the tub out from the wall to see what's back there. You may need to replace the drywall behind it. You don't have to do the whole wall, I'd say go up to a few inches below the window, and all the way from the corner to the far end of the window. While the tub is pulled out, bleach the heck out of everything behind the drywall, and let it dry well. Use a dehumidifier if you have one or can borrow one. You should be able to find DIY sites to help you do this on your own. Then it only costs time and supplies. Also, there are mold/mildew resistant paints which may be a good idea since you will have to paint again after replacing the wall.

Third, you should really install a fan in the ceiling to pull out humid air. Since you have a history of dampness, I'd suggest running it during and after every bath and shower.

All this stuff may take a few weeks, but you can do it on your own and on the cheap. That looks like a wonderful bathroom and I'd hate to see you have to rip everything out if the problem got worse.

Good luck!

 

[SarahFair]

I sprayed bleach on it. Im going to replace that whole baseboard. I dont even want to keep it!
Im about to peel the paint. Theres no way Im going to keep it now. Ive been wanting to repaint the bathroom a darker red anways

Im going to have to google how to pull the tub out I guess. My SOs gonna get mad but he will never do it unless I give him the extra push..

My dad (who I can only send short texts to) says to find the leak before taking the tub out but how can I do that without taking it out?


Could this mold be from water splashing over and getting on the wall? Even if that is the case it would have still moved behind the tub and keep spreading right?
Where would I cut the water off for the tub? (please dont say under the house... I have been finding black widows around here!!!)

 

[littlefarm_bighappy]

Don't bother replacing with ordinary backboard. THere is mold-resistant drywall, it is usually green. We did the exact same type of repair with our laundry room, except my husband replaced the bottom two feet of wallboard all around (in case of washer floods- which just happened a week ago)

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

OK, lets back up a bit. Looking at the pictures, this bad spot is right below the corner of the window. It is also at the edge of the tub where the faucet is located. How far up the wall does the soft spot go? Is the floor soft in that corner? And where is the crack in the tub actually located? This might not be from the tub.

 

[ThePamperedPullet]

Still looking at the pics, it appears that this tub was a recent addition to the bathroom as the tile flange is outside the drywall. It would actually be fairly easy to move the tub out if necessary. Is there an access panel on the front of the tub below the faucet?
Also looking at the pics where you were just pulling off the baseboard, the water mark appears to arc abov e the line of the baseboard towards the edge of the tub which would first indicate that this water is coming from higher up. The worst looking part is right at floor level because this is where there is a board behind the drywall that is wet and causes the drywall to rot more right there. Depending on the condition of the board behind there this might be a pretty cheap fix.

 

[GaNewChick]

A few links that might help ~

http://www.basicplumbingrepair.com/blog/27/how-to-diagnose-and-fix-a-tub-leak-like-a-pro/

http://www.elocalplumbers.com/blog/bathtub-leak-repair-989

 

[SarahFair]

Quote:
The crack is very very new. Happend in the past week. Its all the way on the other side of the tub. The tub was here when we moved in. I think all the houses like this one has them.. I think I can just easily pop it out.. Im thinking that its the line leading to the faucet that is leaking when I turn on the tub. The floor doesnt seem soft but I want to peel back the flooring to make sure mold hasnt started on that and I want to pull out the tub to make sure its not spreading back there either.

 

[NRacine]

Oh, good thinking, it could be the faucet connector. Or the window. How old is that window and how rainy is it there?

 

[SarahFair]

Quote:
We did just get a lot of rain a few weeks ago..

The house was built in 2001 and have never had any problems with the window leaking..

 

[maplesky7]

My guess is it is the pipes and it didn't just start... it's been accumulative.

I would gander the crack in the tub isn't it but put some clear epoxy or caulk on it to seal it none the less.

I would say that you can do a patch fix for the wall.


Saw out the area of wall that is damaged (you don't have to peal the paint...just cut out the bad wall).

Now you will have access to what is going on and fix the leak...as you say it could be a loose connection, rotted, rusted up at the taps.

Then get a sheet of the green mold resistant drywall and cut and put in place...lots of mud and sanding and multiple applications. My drywall guy said you have to bring the mud WAAAY out from the seam so it seals up and looks smooth and nice....so like a foot or two or something like that. It will blend better that way.

Then paint your walls with kilz to cover that red and apply your new paint.