I would like to talk about mold and stains on the shower walls and surface, especially the shower floor, and share my knowledge with you. This is because many new clients call me to remodel their shower, one of the reasons is the mold and stains that build up time over a period of time.
The bathroom is the most humid environment in the house, because of the amount of water that we are using in a small area when we are taking a shower.
The mold usually develops between, tiles surfaces, shower walls, or corners of the shower and etc. What creates this mold in the shower? In short, it is the water and the moister that creates the humidity and the mold will form.
The water we are using, generates moisture and humidity, which creates the mold. The dryer the area and the larger the space means there will be less moisture and less humidity, and less of a chance for the mold to develop.
Unfortunately, there is no special product on the market that can stop the mold to form. But you can prevent the mold to forming by:
First, reducing the moisture by installing an exhaust fan, or fans near showers and baths to draw out the moisture.
The second way is to increase the ventilation by opening windows for cross airflow that will help dry out the bathroom faster. Also, dry the wet area with a cloth.
Apply a good " Sealer" that will protect the area when installing a new shower.
From my experience, these are the best ways to prevent mold from growing in your shower. And remember that maintenance is the most important thing that you can do for preventing the formation of the mold.
I think it’s also important to talk about stains on the surface of the tiles, shower glass and etc.
The stain in the bathroom materializes and shows up with hazy light white spots “filmy layer” that remains deposited on the surfaces of our shower tiles, stone, shower glass and even your hardware in the bathroom, etc. It shows up very soon on the shower glass. These clear white spots are very hard to remove if you don’t dry the wet area after using the shower.
What causes that filmy layer to build up?
The water we are using, the chemical ingredients of the soap, and the oil of our body all mixed together, creates a filmy layer on your marble or tiles and etc. Unfortunately, it will build up over time. The more minerals that are in the water “calcium, magnesium, iron etc., the more Limestone (Calcium) will build up. The Limestone is common type of carbonate sedimentary rock. It is composed mostly of the minerals, calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate. Limestone forms when these minerals precipitate out of the water containing dissolved Calcium.
The water that is deposited there, once evaporated, leaves traces of the salts it contains.
The number of specks detected depends on the hardness of the water itself. Hardness is a value that expresses the total content of calcium and magnesium ions in the water.
Not everyone knows that the materials in (tile or natural Stone) are characterized by a different porosity and for this reason they are more or less "sensitive" to the attack by external elements such as soaps, oils, shampoo, etc.
That’s why is very important to choose an appropriate quality of stone or tiles for the shower that are best suitable for that environment. Especially for the shower bottom.
Porcelain tiles are very strong and absorb a very small amount of water, approx. 0.5, but you still have the formation of Limestone (Calcium).
Natural stones are softer than porcelain, and some types of stone like marble, onyx, limestone including other types of natural stones have less density. These stones will absorb approx. 0.20%, and for marble approximately up to 12%. That’s why it’s important to choose the right type of stones for a wet environment.
Note: The more delicate the materials are, the more maintenance is required.
Using a good sealer will help to slow down the formations of the filmy layer” limestone (calcium) on the surface of the shower walls and shower floor.
Maintenance for the shower:
1) Clean the surfaces. To avoid the deposit of limestone (calcium), you must reduce the deposit of water on the surfaces. For example, after using the shower, it would be a good practice to dry the area with a clean cloth, to take away most of the water droplets and this will reduce the formation of limestone (calcium).
2) Install a water softener. It is a system for removing calcium and magnesium salts in the water and is connected to the general water system of the house. Installing a water softener can be very useful to improve the situation because it reduces the problem at the source in the water.
3) There are also special liquid solutions for MOLD and STAIN prevention that are able to make different types of surfaces water-repellent.
SEALERSEALER is very important! Because it will create a protective film layer on the surface of the materials you choose, which will reduce the absorption of water and dirt and facilitate the cleaning.
For information about the treatments, please read the directions on the label before using protective products for the humid environment. Also take in consideration that some cleaning products, may be too aggressive and could damage the protective film layer that a good Sealer will create.
I would like to end by saying: A proper preparation and installation, and including good maintenance is the key to prevent the formation of the mold and stains.
07/30/2022 by RomaStone.net