Just finished gutting the bathroom to the studs.
Built in 73, nice speckled pink tile suround for the nice pink cast iron tub.
Looks like tile was layed on plain sheet rock (was that common or just a short cut?), grout failed, sheet rock soaked, most of the studs are pretty wet on the shower wall side. Also some mold, well lots of mold on the sheetrock and insulation.
Do I rip the studs out? Or wait a day or two to let them dry out and seal them with something like KILZ?
No visible rot, just real wet
Will be replacing with fiberglass two peice, also, living room is on the other side of the wall with the wet studs, that’s why I’d rather leave in place.
What do you guys think? Any feed back is greatly appreciated.
Replies
Let it dry well. If the studs are still structurally sound, treat the mold and rebuild.
Tile on sheetrock used to be pretty common, especially for non-custom houses.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
what do you recomend for the mold?
Thanks for the reply.
to kill mold, scrub the studs with a bleach and water mixture, somewhere around 50-50.
let dry. You don't really need to seal them with Kilz, unless they smell.
finish bathroom as desired.
I remember reading somewhere thatr a diluted bleach solution is more effective than straight bleach
10-15% bleach with water to scrub the mold. Then dry, then broates. You can google and buy Boracare online, but for such a small space, not likley necessary. You can pound in some Boraxo laundry additive to the area cheaper and faster. Drill a few 1/2" holes in the studs, and fill with the Boraxo.Boron or any borates will be unfriendly to mold without being a health problem for humans. Main thing is make sure that the studs are dry before coivering them up, and then do it right so they don't get re-wetted.All the abovve presuming the existing studs are still structurally sound. If too punky, dry and sister or just replace.
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I don't know if you have the same problem there as here with wet wood, but here if anything gets wet and moldy it's also a prime target for termites. It's much easier for them to get started in that wood than any other. If this is the case, he might want to mix up a 15% borate solution (flea/roach powder works too) and spray it on with a regular hand spritzer.
http://alsnetbiz.com/homeimprovement/homemade.html
http://www.angelfire.com/nc3/davecarnell/rot.html
These are a couple of links to some more hardcore borate solution, I do not know if they are at all accurate.Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
I've got the dehumidifier running right now.
Thanks for the bleach/borate mix.
I saw no signs of termites, (holes, sawdust, etc) thank god.
you might want to consider wearing a respirator when dealing with the mold.
Its better to be safe than sorry
Good assist!
I haven't lived in termite country for thirty some years now, so that thought didn't tunnel into my brain. I knew borates work against carpenter ants, but wasn't aware of the termite flavour too. I asssume it works the same way - to paralyse their gut.
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I was told even the big orange box store sells a product good for mixing with water and spraying on with a garden type sprayer
Im my area, mold is a major , major issue, and you might want to write up some little thing, saying you found moisture and mold in the bathroom walls, and have the owner sign it
then again, that might backfire too, thats saying you know mold is a problem
check the archives and see what it says about mold issues
That sounds like boracare, which is what I use.
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Yeah, spray a little bleach around to suppress the live stuff, let them dry out a fair amount, then treat with a borate solution.
happy?