Bathrooms, kitchens, and laundry rooms are all areas of the home that are exposed to high moisture levels on a consistent basis. And if you have tile in these areas of your home, this can put your grout at risk for developing mold. Mold can put your health and the health of your grout at risk. Here is how mold affects your grout and what you can do to deter mold growth.
One negative impact mold can have is that it can just make grout look dingy. In fact, that is probably what alerted you to the mold in the first place. Mold can also produce a musty smell that makes it unpleasant to be in certain rooms.
Additionally, mold, especially black mold, can have negative effects on your health and the health of your family. Because mold reproduces through spores that become airborne, we can breathe them in when in close contact with them. This can lead to respiratory issues, fatigue, brain fog, and similar conditions.
And lastly, mold can have a damaging effect on the grout itself. It can compromise the integrity of your grout, shortening its lifespan and causing it to fail at an accelerated rate.
With a bleach solution, you can kill mold that has already developed, but knowing how to prevent mold from developing in the first place can save you a lot of headache and elbow grease.
It's important to know that mold thrives in damp areas that do not receive a lot of airflow. That’s why kitchens, bathrooms, and laundry rooms commonly fall victim to mold development. A great way to deter mold growth then is to improve the ventilation in these rooms. Ceiling vents in bathrooms can be a great help and you can also make it a practice to leave doors open when those rooms are not in use.
Another reason that you commonly see mold on grout is due to the porous nature of traditional, cement-based grouts. When grout is not properly sealed, this gives mold spores the perfect little pockets to settle into. So, one way that you can deter mold growth is by having your grout sealed regularly. If you want to take it one step further, you can even upgrade your grout to epoxy grout. Epoxy grout is a non-porous option that is waterproof and easy to clean. It is a great option for tile installations in high moisture areas.
If mold should present on your grout, don’t despair. Your friends at The Grout Medic would be happy to help. We can eradicate the mold with an environmentally green cleaning, and we can even upgrade your grout to epoxy if desired.
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