The Keys to A Healthy Bathroom

Water, Water Everywhere

Water makes things wet, and wet materials can lead to rot and mold. It seems like common sense, but when it comes to our buildings and building materials, we need to ensure this does not occur and stop it before it starts. The bathtub and shower stalls are the most critical locations to focus on typically since they see the most splashing of water and flexing of building materials. 

Start With an Inspection

Often, the tub and shower are together as one unit. If you have two separate fixtures, the same information applies, but double the inspections. The tub flexes in place, even though it's made of steel or acrylic. The wall tub surround can be made up of acrylic, panel board, or tiles. These wall elements don't move much. There needs to be a flexible barrier system at the joint between the tub and the wall. This system will stop the water from gaining access to the dark recesses behind the walls. This barrier is often a simple seam of caulking. Inspecting the caulking should be carried out on a relatively regular basis. If you can get a fingernail behind the caulking, that means that water can get behind as well, which means that you could have a water issue behind your walls. If your caulking is looking loosey-goosey, then change it out.

I recommend zero VOC caulking, of which there are more and more brands becoming available at building supply stores. Removal of the old caulking is easy with specific tools or plastic scrapers. The old caulking must be removed before applying the new caulking.

When installing new caulking along the tub/wall line, fill the tub full of water. This step helps lower the tub and creates the widest gap that the caulking will encounter. Get into the tub to caulk as well—if you can—to maximize that flex. (This might take some persuasive negotiating with your contractor, though!) Now your tub will be able to handle you and the weight of the water for a much longer time and flex within its normal range of movement. Don't forget when caulking to look around the taps and spout as well, as these are openings into the walls, and any holes are points of potential failure.

The walls need inspecting too. If they are acrylic or affordable plastic, they may need to be caulked. This step is especially vital if they are the multi-piece assembled on-site units. These units MUST be regularly inspected, as they are notorious for failure. The simple truth is the more pieces, the more problems. For tiled tub and shower surrounds, the grout must be inspected periodically. Your inspection should include checks for cracks in the grout, loose tiles, and other failure signs. If you have any of these, you should have the grout redone around the problem areas.