Mold/Mildew Smell in Master Bath - Checked Everything!

xtremeski2001

10 years ago

Hi All,

We bought a home in May of 2013. Home was built in 1993 and the master bathroom has not been remodeled aside from some added wallpaper. The bathroom is mostly tile and has a small shower stall, garden bath, vanity w/ 2 sinks, and a toilet.

When we moved in we didn't smell anything, but a week or two later we began to smell mold/mildew.

We've since turned off the water to the garden bath, cleaned out the sink/shower traps, cleaned/re-caulked everything, and scrubbed the tiles. We've tried to find where the smell is coming from (e.g., drains, faucets, shower head, toilet, etc.) but can't identify the source. It's not the water as we don't have the smell anywhere else and when we put water in a cup and smell it outside or in the basement it doesn't smell. For what it's worth, we also have a water softener, but the smell existed before and after the install.

Our home inspection came back mostly clean. He did suggest replacing the fiber glass shower pan, but after cleaning/caulking we don't think it's an immediate concern.

What else could it be? The smell is strong enough that it migrates into our bedroom and on some days into the hallway.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice!

Comments (6)

jackieblue
10 years ago
Just a guess but run water into every sink, floor drain, etc. to be sure it isn't sewer gas you're smelling. Water in the traps is what keeps gas from exiting the pipes and into your home so any fixture that is not used regularly has the chance of the water evaporating and leaving an open path for the gas to escape.
xtremeski2001
Original Author
10 years ago
We have run water in every sink ... usually once every week. I imagine it must be something else.

Could older hardware cause this type of smell? We're hesitant to replace hardware or guy the shower only to have the smell stick around.
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User
10 years ago
You probably have one or more of the following:

1. Poorly constructed shower that has slowly seeped water into the wall and/or floor causing mold growth.

2. Slow leak from a water fitting in the wall causing mold growth.

3. Previous water damage that wasn't remediated properly.

4. Slow leak at the toilet seal.

In any case, your problem is in the walls or floor where you can't see it.
aidan_m
10 years ago
"Could older hardware cause this type of smell?"
Certainly not. The smell of mold/mildew is unique. You are smelling what it is. Now you need to:

1. Find the mold or mildew, and
2. Eliminate the cause.

The cause is moisture. The place you will find the mold/ mildew is inside the walls around your shower stall and the floor under the shower pan.
Just about any shower stall built in the early 1990's is going to have mold. The construction materials and methods commonly used during that era have been discontinued. Poly plastic was often used as a vapor barrier, and sometimes a dreaded "double vapor barrier" situation occurrs. Also it is common that gypsum board products, like green board drywall, were used rather than a cement board product such as hardibacker or a proper mortar bed.

I would gut the bathroom shower stall. The home inspector's report recommending replacment of the fiberglass shower pan, is a gentle way of phrasing "you need to gut the shower" I've never just replaced the shower pan in a tile shower. By the time the shower pan is bad, the tile walls are also bad. The shower pan is more robust and water tight than any tile work done in 1993.

Can you open the drywall on the back side of one of the shower stall walls? That would be a good way to look for mold and still be able to abort the demolition work if you do not find it.
pepperidge_farm
10 years ago
Cheapest easiest first fix would be to change the toilet seal. Likelihood of success there is pretty high and cost is just a few dollars if you are comfortable doing it yourself.
kirkhall
10 years ago
And, did you also run water into the bathtub drain, which you had turned off water to? Make sure you have made a water seal in EVERY fixture, not just sinks and shower.