Quick Fix for Shower Walls

Collapsing Tiles

• If your tiled shower walls are decaying and loosening due constant exposure to moisture from your shower, there is a quick way to replace just those which are loose, without harming the rest of the wall. Pull off the loose tiles and remove the wall material behind the tiles wherever it is damp and damaged. Continue to remove tiles until you reach dry backing and leave some dry backing exposed. Soak and scrape the mastic from the tiles you removed and install new cement backer board into the opening you have created. Apply mastic to the new wall material and reinstall your old tiles. Grout and seal your tiles.

Mold

• If your shower walls have black stains in damp locations, or along the grout lines, mold may be present. Mildew is the most common form of mold. It is a surface dweller that resembles ordinary dirt. To find out if the dark patches you see are actually mold, pour a few drops of bleach onto one, and wait a few moments to see if the patch turns white. If it does, it is mold. To remove mold and mildew from your shower walls, mix together 8 cups of water and one cup of bleach. Apply the mixture wherever you find or suspect mold and allow it to kill the growth. Use bleach in a well-ventilated area while wearing work gloves and eye protection.

Peeling Paint

• If your shower has painted walls that continuously peel, the problem may be in the preparation and not the paint itself. While moisture is still the culprit, it is not moisture in the form of water from your shower that should be your main concern. To fix the issue, scrape the walls down to remove all of your peeling paint and allow the wall to dry to the touch. Use masking tape to fasten a square of aluminum foil to the shower wall. Do not allow air to enter the space between the wall and the foil. Allow the foil to sit overnight and then remove it. If there is moisture on the inside of the foil, your walls are damp on the inside. Consider abandoning your painted walls, and coating the surface with bathroom tile instead. Any paint you use on a damp wall will peel eventually.

Metal and Plexiglass

• If your aluminum shower enclosure is stained and foggy, it may be corroded due to moisture and the resulting formation of aluminum oxide. Try using a wet rag to wipe the coating from the surface. If this is not effective, try using the scrubber side of a foam sponge and coat the aluminum with clear waterproof varnish for protection. If your plexi-glass enclosure is showing signs of discoloration or fog, use a standard glass cleaner to remove the haze, then apply automobile wax to coat and protect the finish. Never use harsh abrasives or steel wool on either surface.

Condensation

• If there is no window in your bathroom, and ventilation is poor, condensation may build up. Condensation is the collection of airborne moisture into water droplets, and it can be very damaging to your shower walls. To reduce condensation in your bathroom, consider installing an exhaust fan. Exhaust fans, which are relatively low cost, help remove dmap air, while venting in fresh air. Exhaust fans will require outside access for venting and should be placed in a high position near the moisture source.