mold issue

[Gregory Massi]

I just purchased a condo last week and turns out I have a mold issue in the bathroom - seems like its only minor as its only on the surface of the sheetrock and trim but its musty smell is strong in the bathroom and master bedroom. I would like to get rid of this smell before i rent it out. I don't think any of the pipes are leaking but should i remove the sheetrock to confirm? Also what is the best mold remover? Would an air purifier help with the smell?

[Dave Pate]

Check the humidity level in the room. There's an app for that. Normal indoor levels are around 40 to 60%. Try to find the moisture source. Could be roof leak, or plumbing pipe leak, maybe a drain. Is there a unit above you? Good ventilation is also important.  Exhaust fans in bathrooms help. I have installed bath exhaust fans and interlocked them with the light switch. Bleach mixture and then consider painting.

[Dave DeLima]

@Gregory Massi It is always better to remove the sheet rock if there is mold on it. This way it does not come back. If you remove it, you can also determine the problem, leaky pipes or roof leak. The mold sometimes just comes from the house closed up also. You just have to be prepared. This was bad case of mold that was not taken care for long time.

[Rumen Mladenov]

In a bathroom, mold commonly develops if they do not turn the fan on while taking showers. I did that for a few months in my own house (bathroom right next to baby's room, sound woke her up) and had it develop on the walls and ceiling. Wiped it off with bleach, put a coat of Kilz and then painted over; also installed a new ultra quiet fan. No problem ever since - and the baby will turn 5 this month.

[Gregory Massi]

Thanks for your input!

I ripped down some of the sheetrock (behind the tub spout)  and saw there was some minor mold growth so I sprayed some concrobium. Then i sprayed some diluted bleach on it for good measure. Also i found a dead mouse on the 2 by 4, it was dried out so not sure if that was contributing to the smell. 

The water is definitely coming from the tub spout. I turned it on and it's basically spraying water all along the ridge of the bath tub ( the caulked area between the tile and bath tub). As such, I am going to replace the tub spout and recaulk along the ridge.

I had three questions though..

1. i am assuming there is mold on the sheetrock (its not cement board) behind the tiles. Should i remove the tiles and sheet rock?

2. the bottom plate is dry rotted. I am assuming that is going to need to be replaced?

3. some of the piping behind the tub spout (in the wall) is literally touching the studs which is causing very minor mold growth. What should i do about this?

Thanks everyone in advance.

[Mark Gallagher]

@Gregory Massi

Just rip it out, put in new sheetrock, and sleep easily at night :)

[Lynn Harrison]

If you are ripping it out and there are any studs with a bit of mold you can wire brush them down up to 1/16th of an inch (use a drill where you can), spray with clove oil diluted in orange oil (citrosolve), let dry 24 hours and then paint studs with Zinsser BIN primer/sealer or another shellac sealer. I use 1 1/2 tablespoons of pure clove oil to a liter of orange. A little pricey but it works- kills the mold and prevents reoccurance, unlike bleach or H2O2. Can find it at most health food stores. Have plenty of ventilation or a chemical filter mask while using both the clove and the sealer.