Bathroom Walls question
+6
Years ago, our bathroom walls began molding. There's a lot of mold in the home and there's no ventilation in the bathroom (old old home). We sprayed paint peeler on the walls which ended up being a huge mistake because it just cracked the paint and not it's also all flaky. We've tried sanding, scraping, etc but we can't smooth it out easily It's hard, cracked paint. I'm looking for a solution other than re-drywalling the walls. Pictures of our atrocity attached. Thank you Lisa Romane, romane@walstead.com
Mold in the home is never good. Treat with vinegar as vinegar kills mold spores, bleach does not. Seriously think about installing proper ventilation for your health, if nothing else.
While this is not what you want to hear, sometimes you need to know when to throw in the towel and give in. This just might be one of those times. For all the time, effort and money spent, you could have installed new drywall or cement board. Supplies are cheap, it is the labor that is expensive, and would provide the opportunity to install proper ventilation too. Covering up is not an option without first treating the mold and doing something to prevent future occurrences.
You do need to install some kind of ventilation to help with the moisture that is causing the mold--this is above and beyond a normal mold problem. Bleach will kill mold but it is such a strong chemical to use and excess fumes can be very dangerous--vinegar has less of a smell and will kill mold as well. I would be very concerned if I were you to be living with this kind of mold in a house--it sounds like you have it other places as well. It is such an unhealthy situation for you and your family. Perhaps it is time to do some bigger renovating--and looking into why you are having such mold issues. It may be a matter of removing old drywall, insulating, adding ventilation fans, and more. I know that's so much to think about and worry about but your health is at stake.
MOLD CAN BE DANGEROUS TO YOUR HEALTH. ESPECIALLY CHILDREN.
Not sure how you are going to handle this. I had "some" mold in my ceiling drywall and used oil based Kilz to seal it up and it seemed to work for several years. I had to put on several coats a few hours apart before it sealed.
I moved from there so, not sure on the longevity of this idea.
You need to try to get the drywall as dry as possible on a couple of low humidity and clear days. Use fans to help speed the process. Then put on the Kilz. There is also water based Kilz but, not sure of its effectiveness.
If you have a lot of mold throughout the house you may be in for some health issues down the road. I hope you find a way to have a professional come in and get a real assessment relating to living in that environment. Be careful.
Good Luck.
I got a new exhaust fan and painted with mold-resistant paint and it has helped. I don't think it was as much mold as you have, though. You will definitely want to ventilate better, replace the wall materials, and use a good mold-resistant paint in the future. I can see my mirror while I am showering, and my rule is if the mirror is fogging up, I need to be done, or use cooler water, or less water, or open the window, whatever it takes to avoid creating that amount of steam. My new fan does a good job, but if I'm creating too much steam, it can only do so much. Always leave the bathroom door open after a shower to help it dry out, too.
You definitely need the help of a mold remediation expert, if you have mold issues throughout the home.
For the existing problem, you need to install a ventilation fan that vents to the exterior of the home. Best to have a remodeler do that. Then have the remodeler either skim coat and sand the walls, or use 1/4" sheetrock over the walls. Then use a water based acrylic paint.
Thank you. There's a lot to this home, I just didn't know if I should get into it all. We've been living here for over 14 years. We have a good portion of the mold under control with shellac, but basically it molds because it's not insulated and in a very went spot of land. Family members own the home and I basically get to live there if I don't ask to put money into it so I would have to drywall it at my own expense which, as you can imagine, I'm not keen on doing to a home I do not own. The electrical is original so I don't know if an electrician would even put ventilation in with the old electrical. That's just fyi. I was told NOT to use Kilz. We actually did Kilz that bathroom and it went from no mold to hot mess mold. An expert at Miller Paint told me Kilz helps breed mold. I have found that to be true in my home. I appreciate your responses very much though.
hot white vinegar to wash it will keep it at bay
Vinegar will kill mold and mildew spores, bleach helps clean it up and lessen the staining. It almost sounds like you put the Kilz on before the area was completely dry. Always make sure that the area is dry before trying to put on any kind of paint.
I appreciate everyone's responses, but I think everyone misunderstands my question. My question isn't about the mold - I know what to do about the mold - it's about the cracked, peeling, hard paint. I can't shellac, vinegar, bleach or repaint the walls until the crackled, hard flaking paint is dealt with. This is what I'm looking for help and ideas on without re-drywalling. It's too hard to sand. I did see a good idea from Kansas City, but if anyone has any other ideas, I am game. Thanks again.