ᐅ How can mold growth in the shower be prevented through building design?

Hello!

In my current home, mold repeatedly forms in the shower. The bathroom is tiled and has a floor-to-ceiling window. Opposite this window, the shower is located in a corner niche of the interior walls. There is a full-height radiator that can be used for hanging towels. The return flow of this radiator runs through underfloor heating. So the room can be adequately heated.

Black mold keeps appearing in the shower, and I would like to know how I can prevent this in my new build through structural measures...

You can probably guess that this is not normal.

Also, you can only prevent it if you know where the mold is coming from beforehand!?!?

- Are you heating too little?
- Are you ventilating too little? Right after moving in, a mechanical ventilation system does not always suffice.
- Was the plaster or screed sealed too quickly without sufficient drying time?
- Do you leave the shower wet after use?
- Etc.

Where does the mold appear? In the grout? On the tile :-p? On the plaster?

There are many reasons that can lead to mold. A house usually only becomes fully dry after about 3 years.

If the shower is located in a niche, can the steam escape properly at all?
This is probably the cause. You could try leaving the door open after showering to see if the problem still occurs, allowing the steam to dissipate.

As Zaba writes, 90% of mold problems are caused by insufficient heating and ventilation, while 10% are due to construction errors. A controlled residential ventilation system and a properly adjusted heating system therefore solve 90% of the problem, with the remaining issues hopefully addressed by the expert on site.

Theodorius schrieb:
The bathroom is tiled and has a floor-to-ceiling window.

You should actually use it sometimes—open it to ventilate.

Theodorius schrieb:
There is a full-height radiator where you can hang towels.

Take the towels down and...

Theodorius schrieb:
The room can therefore be heated sufficiently.

can... means: it is not. So the radiator should also be used sometimes—for heating.

Rule 3: after showering, dry the surfaces.

So: in the next house: install a window, install heating. Possibly place the shower near the window. Everything else depends on people.

ypg schrieb:
Rule 3: Dry the surfaces after showering.

It can also be overdone. If the basic conditions are right—that is, if there is sufficient heating and ventilation, and no thermal bridges or other construction defects behind the shower walls—this step is not necessary.