I noticed the paint surrounding the tub in my historic home was a little bubbly. Hubby assured me that "he was keeping an eye on it." Since we had a leaking ceiling in our last home, which lead to a ceiling and walls filled with mold, I am a little paranoid about water leaks. (That room took several months to fix......after which our insurance company cancelled us for filing a claim for black mold.)
So this week, I decided to pull off the paint and wet plaster so Hubby could fix the bathroom wall. That's easier said than done. We have an access panel on the wall behind the tub, which you can't get to because the toilet is there. So this will not be an easy fix. Hubby will have to pull out the toilet to get to the access panel behind the shower. THEN he gets to see where it is leaking and if he can fix it. Hubby can fix just about anything. He's a handy guy to have around!
Water leaks can lead to mold, which is NEVER good when you have asthma. To see what the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends to clean up mold, click here.
It's important to follow their instructions, since mold spores can cause an allergic reaction in some people. The EPA recommends:
- Fix the plumbing leak
- Dry all items completely
- Scrub mold off hard surfaces using soap and water
- Some things that soak up water (ceiling tiles, carpet) may need to be thrown away
This area is small, and Hubby can most likely fix it. It's a long process-fixing the leak, cleaning up, patching the area, waiting for things to dry out before you can repaint. But water leaks don't go away on their own. It's important to NOT WAIT and get it fixed as soon as possible. Little leaks can cause big problems!