If you’ve noticed dark splotches on your bathroom ceiling or blackened grout lines, you are likely dealing with one of the most frustrating issues that home maintenance comes with. Bathroom mold affects your family’s comfort and air quality. At CMS Restoration, we help Colorado Springs homeowners understand what creates mold and what needs to be done to address the problem and reduce the chance of it returning. We are Colorado Springs’ local mitigation and restoration service for water, mold, fire, hail, wind, and sewage damage. We are here to help homeowners understand some of the most frequently asked questions we receive so that you can better protect your family and home.
Resource: epa.gov
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Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Why Mold Grows in Bathrooms
Mold needs heat and water, both of which you are sure to find in your bathroom. Showering, bathing, and washing hands all add moisture to the air. This added moisture in your home’s air is what mold loves to grow on. Mold growth can be seen in your shower stall, shower grout, and corners, along the base of your bathtub, under the sink, and around or behind the exhaust fan. There are some common causes, like poor ventilation, unnoticed plumbing leaks, or wet towels and bath mats left out to dry, that you might not notice are creating the problem of extra moisture in your home.
Why Our Local Weather Affects Bathroom Mold
Colorado Springs may have a dry climate, but bathrooms still retain moisture. Hot showers, temperature changes, cool surfaces, and poor ventilation can trap humidity and create conditions where mold can grow.
How to Tell if You Have Bathroom Mold?
Bathroom mold should be addressed before it spreads, helping to protect your home and your family’s health. Signs of a possible bathroom mold problem include:
- Black, green, or pink stains on walls, ceilings, grout, or caulking
- A persistent musty odor that remains after cleaning
- Chipping or peeling paint
- Warped ceilings, walls, or tiles
- Discoloration or stains that return after cleaning
- Excess moisture or high humidity inside walls or beneath flooring
Recurring stains or odors may indicate that mould is growing beneath the surface and that a larger moisture problem needs attention.
Is Bathroom Mold Hazardous?
Typical symptoms of mold exposure include coughing, sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, or nasal congestion. These symptoms can get progressively worse the longer they go untreated. Knowing the difference between mold patches that could be cleaned and larger patches that have likely spread behind the walls or over the ceiling and therefore would require remediation is important if you want to avoid mold-related health complications and to prevent the long-term health effects of poor indoor air quality.
How Can I Prevent Bathroom Mold?
Avoiding the growth of mold in your bathroom is as easy as adopting some good habits that help reduce moisture. Use your exhaust fan while you shower and after you finish, and open windows when you can. Repair leaking pipes or faucets as soon as you notice them. Running toilets, dripping taps, and undetected leaking plumbing pipes provide food for mold. Keep up with regular cleaning by wiping down wet surfaces and washing bath mats. Regularly caulk your areas and replace any worn or moldy grout to keep moisture from getting in. Combine these methods, and CMS Restoration is happy to help you locate hidden moisture sources.
Resource: cdc.gov
When Do I Need a Professional?
Some situations with mold cannot be properly remediated or prevented on your own. Knowing when to call in a professional can help you avoid wasting time and money and can reduce your stress levels. Call in the experts if you’re seeing recurring mold growth in the same area of your bathroom regardless of your attempts, you see large amounts of mold, or the mold appears to have grown inside the walls. If you have an odor of mold but don’t know where the smell is coming from, you most likely have a plumbing issue to track down and correct. It is also wise to call in the professionals to assess ventilation and malfunctioning exhaust fans. Health concerns that improve after you’ve vacated your home are always grounds for reaching out for assistance.
Final Thoughts
Bathroom mold can be prevented with good ventilation and maintenance habits. Homes in Colorado Springs require attention regardless of the dry climate, so ventilation and timely leak repair and HVAC servicing are a must in keeping your home healthy. If you’re battling mold in your home or think you have mold, you don’t have to do all the work on your own. Contact CMS Restoration for a professional assessment by a certified and trusted team.