What is this, and how do I get rid of it?

VfM4meplse

Found this pic on the internet but is identical to something I saw growing behind a toilet today.



What is it? (Am guessing it’s related to damp but I may be wrong). How can it be exterminated and prevented from ever coming back?

ETA: said bathroom is fully tiled.

dj1471

It's a mushroom / fungus.

Probably related to damp but could be dry rot. It can be easily removed but the underlying problem needs to be identified and dealt with.

VfM4meplse

When I googled dry rot, the search threw up peziza. Which is apparently not dry rot? Another disgusting graphics coming up:

Davesnave

My daughter had those on the skirtings in her bathroom when she was in student accommodation. The cause was damp, totally avoidable, but created by an inacessible upstairs overflow pipe dropping water against the shaded north side of the building.

Advice to the landlord was ignored.

Suggest you look first for a similar leak type of cause.

Gloomendoom

If it is behind a toilet, I would check the loo itself for leaks from the soil pipe or cistern and associated pipework.

lauraland

I had the same in my house when I first moved in. It was caused by damp from a slight leak in the cistern. Leak fixed and no toilet mushrooms since

LandyAndy

Sadly they aren't edible.

J_B

LandyAndy wrote: »

Sadly they aren't edible.

But ... could you smoke them?

VfM4meplse

Thanks all. I'm going back to have a look later this week, and take up some tiles at the same time as there seems to have been some movement here. Am dreading to think what lies beneath...

LandyAndy wrote: »

Sadly they aren't edible.

That is just gross. But then when I think of how mushrooms usually grow...:eek:

Davesnave

VfM4meplse wrote: »

Thanks all. I'm going back to have a look later this week, and take up some tiles at the same time as there seems to have been some movement here. Am dreading to think what lies beneath...

Err, there generally are a few 'movements' in the life of the average toilet, but it may be nothing more than a faulty seal somewhere, causing a small drip each time it's flushed.

VfM4meplse

Davesnave wrote: »

it may be nothing more than a faulty seal somewhere, causing a small drip each time it's flushed.

You were right, there was a leaky seal on the inlet pipe which was then turned off. The tiles had loosened further so were quite easy to lift, revealing shallow pools of water underneath where the resin had worn away, but there were no new mushrooms thank heavens. It’s drying out nicely and is ready to be levelled before the lino goes down.