Mold is basically a particular type of fungus that can grow behind your bathroom tiles because of temperature and moisture conditions. It can demolish your bathroom design by removing tiles from alignment, creating cracks and nasty smells. But how to check for mold behind shower tiles so that you can take immediate steps?
You can check the mold yourself by removing the suspicious tiles and follow the branches till the end. You can also use an optical camera through a hole or use some home testing kits to check by collecting samples from behind the tiles. But if any of that isn’t possible for you, then call for some professional help.
Mold isn’t friendly to your bathroom environment. So, learn how to check on them and prevent them from spreading.
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How To Identify Mold?
Before checking on the molds behind the shower tiles, you need to be sure of their existence. Fortunately, there are some symptoms by which you can identify where your bathroom has growing molds or not.
Nasty Smell
A terrible odor is the first symptom of having mold. You will notice a wood-rotting smell which is not very pleasant. It’s because of the decomposition of mold spores. Also, this pungent smell may cause health issues.
Muddy Appearance on Floor
When your bathroom has molds under the tiles, you will notice the floor becoming slimy and damp. You’ll also see some black circles on the bathroom floor.
Ants Get Attracted
We all know that ants want to build their nest inside the moist woods. So, when you notice ants in your bathroom, try to locate their nest whether they are under the floor or not.
If you find the nest, it means the molds are decomposing the floor woods.
Damaged Walls
If you see crumbling plaster, discolor or cracked tiles, disassemble tiles, the most apparent reason is moisture, which means growing molds.
Suspicious Floor
It means your floor may feel spongy or unstable if there are molds behind them. Therefore, you need to check for molds immediately.
Check For Mold Behind the Shower
As you have learned how to identify mold, it’s time to check the molds behind your shower tiles and see how much they have spread under your bathroom floor.
So, let’s dig into the detailed process of checking mold and see which one is suitable for you.
Use Optic Camera
A fiber-optic camera is very handy to check on the molds behind your bathroom tiles.
You will need to drill a hole in the drywall of your bathroom where you are suspicious of having mold. Then, you can just insert the small wire that contains the camera (or you can say the whole wire is the camera). Now, you can monitor if any molds are growing in your bathroom or not.
However, note that the fiber optic camera covers a tiny area, and they may not be helpful with the view when there is dirt on the lens. On top of that, it can’t move in very congested places. So, it can’t follow the mold branches till the end of the line.
Use Some Home Testing Kit
There are some mold testing kits for homes available in the market. You can use them in your bathroom for a quick test.
First, you need to dig or cut a hole in the bathroom wall. A screwdriver or any sharp tool is helpful to dig a small hole. Then put the home testing kit and check whether any mold is growing behind the wall or not. These kits can also show you which type of mold is attacking your tiles.
However, if the machine malfunctions, it won’t show you proper results.
Monitor the Ductwork
You might have an HVAC unit in our bathroom to control the heating. Growing mold behind the wall is one of the main reasons for a malfunctioning HVAC unit.
So, monitor your HVAC unit regularly and consider it as a mold checking test. Well, it’s because condensed moisture makes the drywall wet by creating water inside the ducts. And it’s the best condition for molds to thrive. Therefore, if you check your HVAC regularly, it will act as a test of checking mold behind your bathroom wall.
There are some other reasons for a malfunctioning HVAC. So, don’t just jump into finding mold before checking the ducts or monitoring other symptoms of having molds.
Check Yourself
Putting your hands on the job is one of the most efficient ways to check for molds. Whenever you have any doubt about growing molds or are sure about them by checking the symptoms, you can start to check behind the walls. Here are a few pointers to help you get started.
Step 1: Remove the Tiles
First, you have to remove the tiles from the suspicious area or where you see the growing molds. You can use a hammer and tile chisel to remove the tiles from alignment.
But be careful while removing them because a hard strike may break the surrounding tiles.
Step 2: Check to See
After removing the tile, you can easily find the existing mold. They are not tough to spot because they have a dark slimy image that won’t match with the colors of drywalls.
Mainly, the mold appears in a black circle or a large black clump at the corner of the bathroom.
Step 3: Follow till The End
Don’t get relaxed when you find mold behind a single tile. They spread vigorously behind the wall.
That’s why when you spot a mold, try to find all the branches spreading from its root. You may have to remove several tiles for that.
Step 4: Remove the Mold
Don’t just sit there or attach the tiles back to their position whenever you spot the molds in your bathroom. You need to remove all of them immediately.
Call for Professional Help
It’s the last option for you to check the molds. If you suspect molds are growing behind your shower tile, but you can’t find any of them, you can call for some professional help.
As the molds are toxic and leave spores on air to cultivate, an expert can tell you how to spot and remove them permanently from your bathroom. So, you can contact some mold remediation service, and they can quickly check the molds behind your shower tile to take the necessary steps.
Prevent the Mold
When you spot some molds in your shower, you need to remove them as soon as possible. You can use some household bleach to stop the spreading of the molds. After removing the molds, make sure you have enough air circulating inside the shower.
You also need to clean the shower regularly and inspect the plumbing system whether any water is stuck or not.
Bottom Line
Molds can be very dangerous to your health and your bathroom structure. It can demolish the whole structure and make you sick. So, as soon as you notice any symptoms, get to the job and find the molds under the tiles.
If you don’t know how to check for mold behind shower tiles, then the mentioned tricks will prove helpful to you. Eliminate the molds from your shower and keep your bathroom safe to use!