Need to Replace Mouldy Ceiling/Plasterboard?

PJB

Hi All

Our bathroom ceiling, which is a skim over plasterboard is mouldy in our new home. It looks like the mould has penetrated the plaster board.

My question is, can we remove skim, clean and treat or do we need to bite the bullet and remove the whole ceiling?

Thanks in advance

Niv

I suspect from your description that simply replacing the skim will hide the problem and not resolve it. If I was in that situation I would replace the plasterboard and ensure I installed an extractor fan in the room.

27col

Simply hiding the symptoms is not the answer. The cause of the symptoms needs to be tackled as well, as Niv says

WestonDave

On the other hand if you treat it with some mould killer, and then paint it with something like Zinsser Perma White paint, you may get away without replacing it all, provided you also resolve the reason its starting. If you improve the ventilation so its not as much of a problem (you'll struggle to totally resolve it especially in the coldest strip along the top of the outside wall) then using a decent mould proof paint like this may resolve the issue for a lot less than having to strip the while ceiling out.

Despite an extractor, open windows etc we repeatedly got an inch strip of mould along the wall/ceiling junction -beyond the insulation in the loft so colder. We were having to treat it and paint it 3 or 4 times a year - just that strip the rest was fine - until someone recommended this paint to me. Its not cheap but I put some on in January this year and so far not a speck of mould.

PJB

Thanks all.

I think i will try the paint over method and see how that goes. I understand that as our prop is ex MOD before they sold them they updated them and the builders lived in our house so i suspect it built up then as there was alot of them using the house. Well, thats what i ama hoping anyway!!!

iamcornholio

Scrape any loose stuff off, treat the whole ceiling, and 500mm down the walls with a proper biocidal wash such as " Halophen ", and then either paint with a suitable bathroom emulsion, or re-skim it and then paint.

Alternatively overboard the ceiling, don't take it down, and the mould will die off.

But it is important to address ventilation, and insulate above the ceiling in the loft

PJB

iamcornholio wrote: »

Scrape any loose stuff off, treat the whole ceiling, and 500mm down the walls with a proper biocidal wash such as " Halophen ", and then either paint with a suitable bathroom emulsion, or re-skim it and then paint.

Alternatively overboard the ceiling, don't take it down, and the mould will die off.

But it is important to address ventilation, and insulate above the ceiling in the loft

Going to strip and paint with Zinsser, bought some Polycell 3in1 mould killer. I assume 'Halophen' would be better, where would sell this?

Thanks

SIRT

PJB wrote: »

Hi All

Our bathroom ceiling, which is a skim over plasterboard is mouldy in our new home. It looks like the mould has penetrated the plaster board.

My question is, can we remove skim, clean and treat or do we need to bite the bullet and remove the whole ceiling?

Thanks in advance

The first thing you need to do is remove the cause and that means ventilation. Install a suitable extractor fan into the room and ensure it gets used. Take a look in your loft and make sure that too is ventilated adequately (check out lapvent), espcially if the bathroom is below it. Once you have done this you will see the mould dry up and you will be able to wipe it off. Treat the ceiling with an anti fungal primer and then an oil based undercoat and repaint. All should then be fine.
Hope this helps.