Plumbing_Steve
Member
I took the trim off my shower faucet today and noticed that inside the wall it appears damp below the faucet but dry above. It was easy to feel the difference by rubbing exposed core of the drywall - above it's dusty and below it feels a little more like clay.
I think a combination of a few things led to some water getting behind the trim during showers. I can fix it up so that won't happen again but it got me wondering - is that enough or does this now become a monster project to tear up the entire bathroom to ensure there is no mold in the wall (please no!) It does smell a touch musty but not bad. Maybe I can just leave the trim off for a few days (without using the shower obviously) and the wall cavity should dry out?
I've got a similar situation in a different location. The drain in the shower went bad and leaked onto the ceiling of the kitchen below. Assuming I can fix the drain, can I just prime and paint the ceiling without cutting it open or do I have to tear everything down to the studs every time I have a leak for fear of mold problems?
I think a combination of a few things led to some water getting behind the trim during showers. I can fix it up so that won't happen again but it got me wondering - is that enough or does this now become a monster project to tear up the entire bathroom to ensure there is no mold in the wall (please no!) It does smell a touch musty but not bad. Maybe I can just leave the trim off for a few days (without using the shower obviously) and the wall cavity should dry out?
I've got a similar situation in a different location. The drain in the shower went bad and leaked onto the ceiling of the kitchen below. Assuming I can fix the drain, can I just prime and paint the ceiling without cutting it open or do I have to tear everything down to the studs every time I have a leak for fear of mold problems?
