Bathroom renovations come with a lot of decisions. What material do you use for the floor? Is it time to replace the window while you're at it? How's the plumbing? What will last the longest? Here, you'll find a few tips that'll help you make the right choices to limit the chances of mold growth in your renovated bathroom.
Flooring
One of the biggest decisions you'll have to make is the type of flooring that you want. Tile is commonly used because it is beautiful, there are many options to choose from and it's fairly easy to maintain.
One thing that discourages people from choosing tile flooring for their bathroom is the grout maintenance. Every so often, the grout will need to be cleaned and re-sealed. If you fail to re-seal the grout, mold will begin to grow as moisture is absorbed into the porous grout. To eliminate this problem, opt for the epoxy grout. This grout doesn't soak up moisture like traditional grout does. It will not grow mold and you won't need to have it cleaned and resealed—ever.
Windows
Does condensation form on the windows a lot? Have you noticed any discoloration around the window frame? Does the window sill function as it should? Is there any moisture trapped between the panes of glass?
If the windows in your bathroom are old, leaking or not functioning well anymore, now is the best time to replace them. Having the windows replaced during the renovation will eliminate the need to make a mess in that room twice—you'll have trim that all matches perfectly and the finished project will look and feel so much better—and the moisture won't be contributing to mold growth in the bathroom.
Plumbing
If you're hesitant to make big changes, like repositioning the sink or tub fixtures because you don't want to have to run all new plumbing, give those changes a chance. PEX piping makes moving fixtures a lot easier than using standard straight pipes. PEX piping is flexible and is easy to work with to make small changes in small spaces. PEX piping doesn't require all of the fittings that traditional piping does, so there'll be less of a chance of leaks occurring in the future—fewer leaks means less mold.
Talk with your local bathroom renovation company to learn more about what can be done to help limit the mold growth in your home bathroom.
