What is this growing in my shower!

Question

We were gone overnight and in two days - this grew in our shower. It is coming from behind the wall. What is it and what do we do?

Moxie · Answer

It is a fungus no doubt. In my experience you will have to pull the tile, cure the problem allowing water behind the tile and replace. You can try bleaching the crap out of it but it will be an ongoing battle until fixed. What you are seeing I suspect is actually the blooms of the fungus which is grown deep under the tile.

Anna Ibarra · Answer

If you are leasing, maybe the owner will need to tend to this. It is scary looking all right. Never seen anything like it, but it looks like a fungi substance.

Lindsay Jackson · Answer

could be from *behind* the tiles, meaning bad 'seal' job. depending on if sheetrock/wood behind tile is damaged extensively from water leakage/seepage, could cost a good penny to tear it all the tile out, cut out damaged wood/sheetrock, re-sheetrock/replace wood, and then redo the tile. This happened in my daughters master suite shower (brand new, builder did a crappy job)

Sheila B · Answer

The Public Health Dept. should be notified. It could be very dangerous just breathing the air around it. We bought a foreclosure and found mold in the basement. It was nothing like yours. I would have freaked. We could not close until the mold was removed. We were told the Public Health Dept. had to called first. We did nothing and paid nothing for the removal. The Realtor took care of everything and we closed on the house 2 weeks later. Good Luck

Adrianne C · Answer

The black stuff that came out after you put water on it would indicate spores. Definitely call the health dept!

Dee · Answer

Jesus Heather that is scary i would not be in that room .I would call health department and the landlord .If it is dangerous i would be going to the DR and have the landlord pay for it. How long did it take to grow that big. Creeps me out. Good luck hon.

Jeanette S · Answer

OH DEAR! I live just down the highway from you Heather B in Dunwoody. I have been afraid that with all the rain we have had the past year that these sorts of things were going to start happening! We need a HOT/DRY SUMMER to clear up some of these messes! I would get the landlord out IMMEDIATELY! Good luck and keep us posted!

Moxie · Answer

The only way to know for sure is to have it tested. I don't think fungus/mold is ever good. I would contact a local abatement company (the people who remove asbestos) and ask them who does their testing...then call them and ask if they can test & identify mold/fungus types. Pay the little extra to have them collect the sample so it can't be disputed. If you are leasing..I would think the property Owner will be responsible to correct the problem. If you properly document exactly what it is and notify the property Owner by certified mail they will have to correct for you it if it is hazardous. I would on the side, consult a emergency repair contractor (the kind that cleans/fixes your house after storm or flood damage) Ultimately you will probably need a general contractor type company to remove the tile and wall board, seal the studs/structure behind to prevent future growth and the replace the tile work. I would caution contacting the property owner until you have documentation and proper notice. Nobody wants mold attached to the property as it sticks forever and effects value - so know exactly what you have before you seek correction and be prepared for the possibility to not have use of the bathroom while work is done. In the mean time, bleach it daily

Bonnie Lewenza · Answer

For a quick fix I would get out the steamer and kill whatever it is. But I do agree that it is a mold, but this didn't happen overnight. There has to be a lot of it behind the scenes. I would get someone in asap because you don't want to be messing with mold problems.

Donna Roberts · Answer

It looks very strange. Keep us posted on what you find out and how it is removed.

Wendy Clougherty · Answer

I had a mold issue in my home and became very ill. If it is mold, it must be remediated correctly or it can cause serious health issues.

Cyndi Comeaux · Answer

Black mold, we had the same thing in our shower. If you breath it in it can grow in your lungs. bleach it and keep bleaching until you can get the problem resolved.

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

This is a basidiomycetes which in layman's term is a mushroom. Fast growing and can be destructive. It is growing because there has been a long term leak somewhere behind the tile and severe rot has occurred. Much like mushrooms grow on rotted material really well, so do these fungi. Simply spray with some liquid bath cleaner that has a anti-microbial and wipe away. If you have mold allergies, wear a mask. In any case there is a lot more of this behind the tile that you cannot see. The repair will be to remove the tiles and damaged materials and replace. No other fix or home remedy. A general contractor or bath pro can do this. No need to bring in an army of mold people. 
This type of fungi grows fast as you already know. In the meantime, clean it, dry it well with hair drier once done and caulk the area well to keep out moisture. This is a very short term repair until you can pull the bath area apart. Expect it to have spread quite a bit.

Anna Ibarra · Answer

Heather, I hope your landlord has been helpful in taking care of this. Good luck.

Shari Veater · Answer

Have a mold person come out and check it...don't use that bathroom if possible until then!!!

Heather B · Answer

Owner has a plumber and mold person coming out together - hopefully today! We are using another shower and keeping that shower door closed. I will let everyone know the diagnosis.

Woodbridge Environmental Tiptophouse.com · Answer

This was a long term condition. It has been leaking for months, these fungi only develop with moist rotted materials and enough warmth to allow it to develop. 
But again, not a big deal. Although a scary one non the less. It will require a bit of tear out and rebuild and it should be expected to travel down to the floor area and beyond on each side.

Sarieno · Answer

Make sure you saturate it with bleach. Open the window and use it strong then close the door and let it set.

Tammy McLain · Answer

Reminds me of a 'Fringe' episode.. good luck!

Gail lichtsinn · Answer

woodbridge is right on the mark..As long as the problem is still there its going to return and return until you fix it..

153091 · Answer

I agree with most of your posters....should you decide to bleach...after the bleach somewhat drys..squirt over the same area with amonia..IMPORTANT..NEVER MIX THESE TWO..First one.. then the other. The bleach does just that..bleaches the mold and you can't see it...putting amonia on the bleached areas it then KILLS the mold. Just bleach alone looks good however...your mold will return. What ever you do HAVE IT LOOKED AT ASAP!!!

Gail lichtsinn · Answer

ammonia even over dried bleach is asking for it..It forms a poision gas that will smoke and fill your room instanly..I know first hand..I ended up with chemical pneumonia and in the hospital so be careful

Alone Eagle Remodeling, LLC. · Answer

Bleach will not do anything in this situation... The shrooms will grow back and the wood framing will continue to rot.

The shower needs to be completely ripped out and re built. It's quite obvious that there was no waterproofing applied (to the substrates under the tile). It's probably tiled directly over drywall which is the worst thing you can do in a shower, aside from using mastic adhesive.

Gail lichtsinn · Answer

I agree alone..You can treat the symptoms but it wont solve the problem thats causing it..

Lreg · Answer

move. i would. looks deadly!

Suzi Black · Answer

ewww, looks like mold.

Trish Davenport · Answer

Oh what a shame. Your best bet is to tear it out and rebuild. It will be all over then and you will have a new bathroom to boot. Easy to say I know but not many choices here.

Michelle · Answer

Mold, get a professional in to see what type, don't use the shower either.  I agree with the other folks, it appears no waterproof board was used. Needs to be a gut job and be prepare there is much more mold behind there, again it will need to be taken care of by a professional. Look at it this way, a new bathroom done the way you want.

Karen Heaney · Answer

You will likely need to tear out the tile. There is probably much more inside the wall. Contact a professional to eliminate the problem.

Carey · Answer

I looked up molds on the internet, it looks like a 'Slime mold pattern -NEFFA', It says that it is the most studied mold.  I would contact a professional and ask some questions about what is the best way to deal with it, is it harmful to you or your family, and DEFINITELY do not disturb it until you find out the answers to those questions.  I looked under image,Molds.  Then scrolled down to find a picture that was similar to the mold that you see in your shower.

What is this growing in my shower!

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What is this growing in my shower!

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