Replacing clay lump plaster in bathroom to solve mould issue
Anonymous user 28/02/2024 - 3.51 PM
I live in an 1840’s end of Terrace and have been here 8 years. I constantly have battled mould in the small bathroom. The bathroom was updated by a previous owner, but the tiles were put on top of the original uneven clay lump plaster, and have since slipped. I removed one and the plaster was completely wet beneath. I am now finding when re-siliconing around the bathtub that the silicone will not dry. Am I right in thinking the solution is to start again with new plaster and a complete re-tile? Any advice would be gratefully received. Have also had leakage, I’m guessing between the bath wall, which has caused significant watermarks on the ceiling below, so keen to sort this problem out ☹️
Are you a tradesperson and able to answer this question?
before any thing u need to find where leak come from and fix it probably
then u will need get damp machine from hire shope or just bay good one u need to leave there for couples week
till its dry out then u can resilcone all ur bathroom
this is the cheapest way for to do
the other way to remove all tills and do the above thing
all the best
Hi
as you are an end of terrace I am guessing bathroom has two or more outside walls / roof areas creating cold spots but in either case the mould problem will be a result of a lack of or poor ventilation. This results in condensation due to warm , humid inside air temperatures hitting a cold / un-insulated outside external wall which breeds spores that form mould. If you do not already have one I would advise that you need a humidity stat controlled extractor fan with a full and effective 15ltr / second extract rate as a minimum and ideally trickle vents in outside windows. If you already have a fan consider upgrading and making sure it is always used especially when bathing or showering
If original walls are clay lump tiling directly onto them is not advisable. Without seeing your property and exact construction etc there I would suggest there needs to be a vapour control barrier and non porous material such as hardie backer board fixed to inner face of clay lump before any tiling which can then be fully sealed along abutment with baths / shower trays etc preventing leaks to lower habitable rooms
Hi
Few things here really!
Firstly water leaking between the wall and the tiles is a serious issue if it’s leaking in the bathroom which I’m assuming is upstairs ( unless it’s a bungalow) it’s leaking in the wall below as gravity takes no prisoners. This could be a leaking pipe, and broken roof tile/slate, damaged or blocked gutters, lead flashing etc etc. You need to find the source !! Get this repaired, no amount of silicone will fix this it will keep coming off your just trapping the moisture and creating damp issues the damage has been done rip of the tiles and the contaminated plaster and start over
Best of luck
Firstly, if the walls are soaked and the plaster and tiles are slipping then that is your first priority, strip it all back and find the cause. Secondly, any leaks should obviously be traced and fixed. You may need a dehumidifier to dry the room out prior to any new work commencing. Depending on the situation, you may need to batten the walls and get some insulation in there and maybe even a damp proof membrane, that could be boarded and then tiled. Hope that helps and all the best to you!
