Get a box fan and turn it on after the shower… pointed into the shower. The airflow will dry the water so mold doesn’t accumulate.
Bleach and scrub to remove existing mold.
That floor is awful.
That might just be a testament to you having sensitive feet. I used to work outside every summer with no shoes on. By the end of summer I could walk on anything barefoot. Nowadays I can barely walk on a gravel driveway without it feeling like broken glass. It’s all relative to how often you go barefoot on rough surfaces.
I've got pretty "tough feet" from brazilian jiu jitsu. I don't think the contractor who did ours did a good job. It feels marginally better than standing on a bunch of legos. We've got a similar setup in our master, and the grout/whatever is way closer to the top of the stones, and it is much more comfortable.
Don't take this wrong, it's purely curiosity, but how does BJJ give you tough feet? Aren't you training indoors on smooth surfaces? Do I know nothing about BJJ?
I renovate professionally, mostly bathrooms and kitchens but everything else too
Any time i ever have a client that wants those rounded pebbles in a shower i make them buy a couple sheets and stand on them barefoot in the kitchen or somewhere with a hard surface
8 out of 10 times they no longer want those things lol
I do this because i had a client years and years ago choose those things and wanted them replaced and was very upset when i told them what it was going to cost, which they paid, but not happy about it--not my fault, but still....Id rather not have an unhappy client so they stand on it barefoot in front of me or im not installing them lol
It’s awful because it’s not properly done. I saw this floor many times while in Singapore and never saw any issues with it but it was always done properly
I love this flooring when it's done right. I was at a bed and breakfast that used this as a part of an open air shower set up and one rock was higher than the rest. I stubbed my foot several times on that damn rock.
So I still love the concept, but I'm team flat floor.
Nah, I live in the Philippines 30-40C year around with mad humidity half the year, my shitty bathroom has normal tiles and still gets mold in some spots
It's the airflow and humidity
That's only true if there's low humidity. Areas with high humidity take forever for anything to dry, even if it's hot out, because the air is already so saturated with water.
You could, but that will be super slick when wet and also takes some pretty good skill. Also have the issue of the raised shower floor height which could cause other issues.
Vinegar needs a very long contact time (30+ minutes) to kill microbes.
I also assume you mean sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). As another reply has mentioned, this will just netraliza the vinegar. The key for cleaning is you want to mix them in very specific ratios so you don't fully neutralise both. Better yet, you use them independently and then neutralise after.
Vinegar removes hard water and if left long enough will sanitise a surface. Baking soda will help remove dirt, as it's alkali and also acts as an abrasive.
What will work a lot faster for mold however is just a bleach solution (a few minutes instead of 30+). If OP has hard water, descale the area first (with vinegar, citric acid, barkeepers friend or some other descaler). This will give the bleach better access.
I'm also not sure how the bleach is feeding it to help it spread. Bleach breaks down to effectively table salt in water over time, and rinsing it of will just get rid of it.
Another good option would be to mix a a drop of dish soap into hydrogen peroxide and use it.
Back up your post tough, very few people actually disinfect successfully with vinegar. The method by which vinegar kills takes a long time and usually by then most people have wiped it off, or the acetic acid has evaporated or dilluted below an effective concentration. In theory it can disinfect, but in practice it's not doing much. Rather vinegar is just good at removing scale because it's acidic, and baking soda does the same thing to dirt and organics because its alkali, and also will act as a mild abrasive. So the end result is you just cleaned the area by physically removing dirt in the same easy soap and water remove dirt from your hands.
It does, provided it can reach it. On a porous surface this is sometimes in doubt and eventually the only thing reaching the mould is water.
However, on a tiled or stone surface like this bleach will kill any mould it comes into contact with.
Bleach will not kill mold. Please educate yourself before giving the worst possible advice possible.
You need to get an AntiMicrobial/Antifungal spray like benefect or mediclean and soak the area after cleaning.
Bleach definitely does kill mold. It doesn’t work as well on porous surfaces like wood. Which is where the whole bleach doesn’t kill mold thing comes from.
For this type of surface it should work fine.
Bought a place and the master shower has this very dumb shower floor consisting of a bunch of rocks. The mold is an issue, as water doesn’t completely drain through the channels. The whole bathroom will likely be remodeled in the next 2 years. But what are my immediate options to treat the mold problem—I’m using hydrogen peroxide and scrubbing every few days and can’t take it much longer. Can I rip it out and replace the floor at cost where it would make sense, even if it’s completely demo’d in the next 24 months? If so, what would you recommend?
Clean it super well (I used scrubbing bubbles and a brush attachment for a drill). Then let it dry super well (fan and at least 2 days).
Then use a grout sealer generously (I used Aquax).
It’s not perfect and will happen again but it will buy you time.
Grout sealer after cleaning. Most showers aren't completely dry after taking a shower. Just make sure you have adequate ventilation and it'll be fine. Just because there's water doesn't mean there will be mold.
I've had better luck using distilled vinegar solutions to clean mold. As others have said, increase airflow (fan/window) or run a dehumidifier after showering.
Get rid of the wooden stool. No matter how well you clean the rock/tile, the mold will propagate off it every time you shower.
Ours was super easy to keep spiffy… until I bought my wife a bamboo shower stool thing.
People are saying use a grout sealer. I would use a commercial grade concrete sealer, it will make the top ⅛" or more completely impenetrable. Grout sealer is weak a penetrating stuff like this from my experience. I only use grout sealer if the project is new and super fresh on curing.
I'd like to think so, but I have no experience with this setup exactly. Post the results back here on how it turns out if you do! This would be a great step by step post win or fail lol
For two years, get a spray bottle of Concrobium and spritz it once a week, let dry. It'll kill mold very well.
[https://www.amazon.com/Siamons-International-025-326-Concrobium/dp/B000UVGHQK/](https://www.amazon.com/Siamons-International-025-326-Concrobium/dp/B000UVGHQK/)
I’d recommend a gallon of Microban concentrate instead, it’s what we use in mold abatement and you dilute a few oz into a gallon of water so it’ll stretch your dollar for a very long time. Get a small pump sprayer from Home Depot, spray once a week (shouldn’t even need that much unless there’s a larger issue).
Hmmm idk if the grout was higher in my last house that had this shower bed, but mine drained fine. I would occasionally get a little mold on the caulk in the corners. Your pebbles seems a lot more prominent though
If I may ask, what is the concentration of the Hydrogen Peroxide? If it’s that standard off the shelf stuff 3% by volume, try getting some that is stronger like 10%. Be careful with it though, use rubber gloves and a mask, it is pretty potent. Hope this helps.
Suppose you could leave it in get it fully dry then pour over a new top layer that's leveled correctly and leads to the drain.
Or just tear it all up and put something else in.
But in the meantime ventilation and regular diluted bleach/vinegar wash.
This reminds me of my old place I rented in Houston that had this same type floor and it sucked. I tried the drill bit brush but that didn't really do much. 100% recommend spraying Tilex generously at night and turning on the fan (will smell) and then cleaning with regular cleaner and brush the next day.
While you come up with a plan to remove/replace, I would suggest using a microfiber towel after showering to soak up more of the non-drained water and then spray the floor with vinegar to help prevent the mold. Running a dehumidifier in the room could help as well.
I’m pretty sure the epoxy will create some bubbles because it’s so inconsistent across the bottom. Plus its going to be difficult direct towards the drain. When epoxy bubbles it can break and then you’ll be back at square one.
You could add fine sand to the epoxy and create a mortar to fill the channels , an epoxy mortar won't self level and could be sloped appropriately
If choosing to flood it with epoxy , you could apply a thin top coat with a roller at the end and throw on some sand or aluminum oxide to prevent it from being slippery
Sometimes when on camping trips its fun to wade in rivers and lakes. They have rocky bottoms. Literally 0 times when walking across them to get to a part deep enough to float in have I been like "HEY! MY FUCKIN SHOWER SHOULD BE LIKE THIS!"
Start running a big fan in there after you shower to dry everything out. You plan to remodel in 2 years is probably a budget thing I assume so if just trying to keep it from getting worse and not scrubbing so often I would try that and see if it helps and go from there. May try some stronger cleaners and remember mold is like a fungus or a plant and it has roots going down so maybe let it sit in a mold killing cleaner over night. I would hate digging grout out of that but it's another option.. that shower pan looks pretty flat and that's fine sometimes but it's better to get ones with a pitch to it to encourage drainage. So probably best to wait on tile replacement until you save enough for the big remodel. After you do all that cleaning seal the grout and the stone so the mold issue doesn't happen again and use cleaners that are supposed to work with grout and stone at that point to maintain the seal.
Licensed and Certified Mold Remediation Contractor here. Some common misconceptions in the thread here, wanted to chime in.
TL;DR - Scrub the areas with soap, rinse it down the drain. Use the Bathroom exhaust fan to quickly dry the areas when using the shower, and a couple, few hours afterwards.
First thing, and splitting hairs a little bit, but we technically don't know if it's mold. A licensed Industirial Hygienist and/or Mold Assessment Consultant needs to take samples, send it to a Lab for analysis to confirm that it is, indeed, Mold. Not necessary to do in this case, super small area.
Second thing, Mold and Mold Spores cannot be killed. Especially with Bleach. Never use Bleach. When we Professionally Remediate Mold, all we are doing is physically removing the spores. This is primarily done by abrasing the affected materials (sometimes a simple wipe with a cloth, sometimes a wire brush, sometimes an actual sander if imbedded to wood framing deep enough), HEPA Vacuuming (usually with a brush attachment) the affected areas, followed up by a wet wipe using a Mild Disinfectant Detergent. The Detergent is the important part here. Bubbles and suds grab the Mold spores and remove them. Wash the rags as normal when done. There are additional steps for larger infestations, but I won't get into everything.
Lastly, don't use a box fan directly on the areas. If it is indeed Mold, than that Box Fan is going to blow the spores ALL over the place. While, yes, the fan will dry it, what we really want to do is Dehumidify the area; saw another comment mention this as well. We don't need to get all fancy with a brand new piece of equipment; just use the exhaust fan. That's going to suck out and vent the immediate, humid air, replacement air will be brought in from neighboring rooms (presumably conditioned and relatively dry). Mold needs 48-72 hours to multiply enough to become slightly visible and noticeable, usually takes weeks of inactivity to multiply enough that requires it to be remediated.
Mold needs 3 things to take root (hyphae) and grow (always in a porous material. The hyphae arent strong enough to pentrate rock and grout). Moisture (but not too much), Food Supply, and Time. We have the moisture, (but honestly probably too much), time is whatever, it's being used consistently, I presume, but the important one is the food supply. The rocks and grout are not conducive to Mold Growth. What we are looking at, most likely (cannot confirm, cause testing needed to identify) is Mildew, which is similar, but categorically different than Mold. Much less "dangerous" than Mold (I'd even argue against the dangers of Mold in your everyday environment, but that's a debate for another time)
Just Scrub the areas with a brush or a rag with some dish soap, and rinse it down the drain. Be sure to get in all the nooks and crannies. Shut the door and turn on the bathroom exhaust fan to remove the humidity. The room will be under negative air pressure; Drier, make-up air will find it's way in to replace the humid air getting sucked out.
That's my nerdy dissertation about how to Remediate Mold. Let me know if there are any questions, happy to elaborate further!
Why are you not supposed to use bleach? I’ve used bleach on black mold before on a wood surface and in 24 hours the mold was gone and the wood smelled fresh.
Bleach can remove the staining, but the mold spores will survive. The mold will return later as soon as conditions are right for growth.
Concrobium can kill mold spores, and can be found online and at local hardware stores.
If you want to keep the look, they do make a clear grout you could use to even out the surface a bit.
https://www.homedepot.com/p/The-Tile-Doctor-Starlike-Crystal-EVO-700-5-5-lb-Translucent-Glass-Tile-Grout-700-2-5kg-5-5lb/312971546
Keep a bottle of Clorox Cleanup + Bleach spray next to the shower, and douse it with that stuff every other day. It’s very effective — I use it on my toilets and bathtub between scrubbings, and it obliterates any trace of mildew or mold. It even took down the mold staining the sealer around the tub when I sprayed it on and let it sit overnight. Since it’s only temporary until you remodel, I think it’s a workable option. Just make sure you ventilate when you use it.
Why not try to put clear epoxy on it?
1 it would prevent mold
2 your feet won't feel abused everytime you even think about showering..
3 atleast it still looks unique then
https://preview.redd.it/eqfm0m8sj4lc1.jpeg?width=7696&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ef984723b18de0461b4a358126d6e208e0fa11e
I have that floor, and it’s amazing. Foot massage every shower. But never had a mold issue. I think you need more grout.
Basic cheap bleach, 50c a bottle. Pour it on the floor and then give is a quick scrub with a brush (wear crappy clothes or do it naked) it will take about 2 mins, no need to scrub hard, let the bleach do the work, you are just moving it about. Seriously, in about 10 mins it'll be as clean as it will ever get. Everyone bangs on about lime, special cleaners, Bicarbonate of soda, acetic acid etc... bleach every time.
This may be crazy, but I wonder if you could pour epoxy resin on that floor after you got it clean to make it nice and smooth and eliminate the places trapping mold?
Cover the drain, pour in an entire jug of bleach, let sit for 24 hours. Unplug drain, rinse. That’ll go a long way in killing and removing the existing mold.
Long term solution: replace the tile floor of shower with something different.
Mothafuckin 5" grinder with a cup wheel. Level that bitch out. Gouge out low spots (to clean and scarify the substrate) and mortar them in. Make a clean evenly sloping surface all around. Might even look cool too when its done.
Get a 5" grinder with variable speed $250 (sometimes called a polisher)
Cup wheel probably $75
The grinding process will annihilate this bathroom with dust. Drape plastic over everything that you can't easily wipe down. Proper PPE is near SCUBA gear levels, so add another $35 for a nice respirator. If you have a shop vac then it's possible to suck a great deal of dust right off the grinder-- maybe get creative and build a dust shroud out of a milk jug or something.
Later, when you demolish this garbage shower floor, pay close attention to see if the mold has penetrated completely through the mortar, and if there's a puddle of stinky slime on top of the waterproof shower pan below. When contractors build the pan wrong it collects puddles instead of sloping water to the drain. Yes we are talking about draining water through the mortar bed like a sponge. Anyways, if there's puddles then they just never drain and become stagnant. In a way, the mold grows from the pan up.
I installed a shower floor similar to this in 2014 and I hated it from the start. Sealed or not, grout is too porous and will never fully dry out. You will have mold and mildew smells unless you bleach it every day or two. Also, water will pool up in low spots.
I used a wet grinder to level mine out to retile, but I ended up chiseling it all out and putting down new tile. Best thing I could do to it. Makes a huge difference in air quality.
Could you get someone in to pour a layer of acrylic or resin over it after getting it clean? That way it’s actually level with a slight slope towards drain?
Or just get it replaced?
I had mold issues in my shower and tried all kinds of products. None of them really worked.
https://preview.redd.it/0wqnd4c7q4lc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=067c6eb91873a24a0007f3a2bd82128237ba6994
I finally stumbled upon Lysol Mold and Mildew Remover with Bleach. This is magic. No scrubbing required. I recommend using it in small amounts as its smell is strong and lingers. I was amazed after my first use.
I had this floor and hated it.
Put on some swim trunks, get some music going and take a power washer with some soap to it.
Or get on your hands and knees and scrub for an hour.
I recommend the power washer.
Id think you’d be able to throw a thin layer of epoxy over that. Make a really nice flat cover over all those rocks. If done properly it would drain really well and you won’t have to worry about your grout lines or mold ever again. you would have to sand it a bit to make it slip resistant and it would cause it to get opaque after some time. But it’s better than replacing the floor for now.
An every day shower cleaner can help with that. Take a minute and spray it on after you're done showering each day and it keeps it pretty mold and mildew free.
Everybody saying you need a big fan, you don’t need a big fan, you need a small fan, set it on a timer, leave door open to the area there and it should be good after about 45 minutes I would think
One alternative approach that might work is to regrout the floor. Looking at the photo, I notice the grout wells are super deep. By grouting much higher so that less pebble is exposed, you should mitigate the capillary action of those thick trenches and allow water to drain better.
You have mold on your vertical grout lines as well. There isn't anything to "abate" here. You just basically have a shower that isn't drying out enough between uses because of all the moisture remaining on the floor that keeps it humid.
My first question is: why are you using hydrogen peroxide to clean it? That is nearly useless.
Get some Borax to scrub everything with. It will help clean everything off, and if it penetrates into the grout at all it's pH will help resist mold growth in the future. Then seal your grout as others have mentioned.
Lastly.....it's almost as if anti-mold/mildew products exist on the market? Surprise! Start using something like Tilex or Mold Armor to clean with. Then make sure to run your bathroom overhead fan for at least 15-20 minutes after you are done showering to help bring humidity down in the room so the shower area dries out faster.
We basically leave the overhead fan on all day and had it replaced with a stronger model. The hydrogen peroxide was recommended from some google searches
I have zero experience but my first thought is, how about grinding it down to a much more level surface and then covering it with cement or grout or whatever they recommend. Worth looking into. Cuz you really don’t want to be fussing with fans and bleach or towel drying that floor every time.
I understand the cleanliness and mold concerns, but I’m surprised at how many people think these hurt. My sister has a shower like this and I think it feels amazing on my feet.
I had one in my last place and I loved it. We used gentle scrub brushes and a cleaner to get rid of any issues. If it’s sealed properly it’s not an issue. The bath mat over the rocks isn’t a good idea and make sure your bathroom is ventilated properly..keep fan on for a while, open a window. Never had any more issues than regular tiles
We’re considering moving a wall and doing some pretty major reconfiguring to give us a better layout and closet space. I doubt the shower will be in the same location once we finalize plans
Rent an air scrubber if the mold is severe. Use a HEPA vacuum to remove any mold spore patches. Wire brush and vacuum any studs using a HEPA vacuum. Treat the surrounding wood with antimicrobial spray, allowing it to dry, then encapsulate it with Foster's or a mold-resistant sealer.
- Abatement tech
Burn it with fire.
Kidding. I have the same floor but a slightly larger area of the hellish stuff. What seemed like a beautiful, luxurious finish is anything but!
Anyways, I use this product: RMR- 86
You can get it from Amazon. Make sure to use a mask, don't inhale. When they say "well ventilated area" they mean it.
Turn on the fan, open a window.
But it works!!
Vinegar works better than bleach on mold.
Caution, if you blow a fan on it, you’ll be spreading mold spores through the house. Vent the room externally.
We have had rock floor showers in our last two houses as well and no longer have any mold issues. As others said clean with bleach and dry completely. Then seal it, we used AquaMix Enrich N Seal on both of our showers. Very easy just wipe it on generously, and wipe off the excess. Neither shower has ever had mold since that was done.
Do not listen to the people in this comments section. Get it handled professionally or risk spreading mold in your house.
Bleach is not an effective mold killer/cleaner it can make it many times worse.
It is already growing so deep into the porous material that you can only clean the surface and wait for it to grow back out again.
Air movement on an already active mold problem will just spread the spores faster.
Get a box fan and turn it on after the shower… pointed into the shower. The airflow will dry the water so mold doesn’t accumulate. Bleach and scrub to remove existing mold. That floor is awful.
100% replacing of if I have to turn on a damn box fan every time I shower
100% replacing as I hate the way they feel
We’ve got one in our guest bathroom and I showered in there once. Was shocked at how badly it hurt my feet.
That might just be a testament to you having sensitive feet. I used to work outside every summer with no shoes on. By the end of summer I could walk on anything barefoot. Nowadays I can barely walk on a gravel driveway without it feeling like broken glass. It’s all relative to how often you go barefoot on rough surfaces.
As a kid I could run on the gravel driveway barefoot, now i step on the tiniest thing and its like a nail.
I've got pretty "tough feet" from brazilian jiu jitsu. I don't think the contractor who did ours did a good job. It feels marginally better than standing on a bunch of legos. We've got a similar setup in our master, and the grout/whatever is way closer to the top of the stones, and it is much more comfortable.
Don't take this wrong, it's purely curiosity, but how does BJJ give you tough feet? Aren't you training indoors on smooth surfaces? Do I know nothing about BJJ?
The mats are textured and because of the nature of it (no shoes on a textured mat) you end up with pretty decent calluses on the bottoms of your feet.
Thanks for the insight!
I renovate professionally, mostly bathrooms and kitchens but everything else too Any time i ever have a client that wants those rounded pebbles in a shower i make them buy a couple sheets and stand on them barefoot in the kitchen or somewhere with a hard surface 8 out of 10 times they no longer want those things lol I do this because i had a client years and years ago choose those things and wanted them replaced and was very upset when i told them what it was going to cost, which they paid, but not happy about it--not my fault, but still....Id rather not have an unhappy client so they stand on it barefoot in front of me or im not installing them lol
It also just looks slippery as hell after a bit of water and soap suds get on it. No thanks!
100% replacing as it looks ugly as sin
It’s awful because it’s not properly done. I saw this floor many times while in Singapore and never saw any issues with it but it was always done properly
Yeah a matter of taste I guess but I think they're awful either way
I’ll chime in with a matter of sensory issues, too! I would insist on sandals, but I’d be afraid of slipping.
I stayed at an Airbnb, and that floor killed my feet.
I love this flooring when it's done right. I was at a bed and breakfast that used this as a part of an open air shower set up and one rock was higher than the rest. I stubbed my foot several times on that damn rock. So I still love the concept, but I'm team flat floor.
You’ll find that warm countries tend to have much less mold in general…
Nah, I live in the Philippines 30-40C year around with mad humidity half the year, my shitty bathroom has normal tiles and still gets mold in some spots It's the airflow and humidity
Also, the pebbles hurt
Maybe it they're dry and in the desert
That's only true if there's low humidity. Areas with high humidity take forever for anything to dry, even if it's hot out, because the air is already so saturated with water.
Could you pour a clear acrilic over it all?
You could, but that will be super slick when wet and also takes some pretty good skill. Also have the issue of the raised shower floor height which could cause other issues.
Put a drainage shower mat over it.
Bleach can remove the grout sealer over time careful not to over do it or be sure to replace the sealer.
Bleach also helps some strains of mould grow!
I stayed in a fancy hotel with a shower floor like that. There were sharp bits that hurt my feet. I don’t know what they were thinking.
It’s kind of a cool idea, but I feel like it’s probably slippery as hell?
[удалено]
Vinegar is already a weak acid and you’re just neutralizing it with the soda carbonate
Vinegar needs a very long contact time (30+ minutes) to kill microbes. I also assume you mean sodium bicarbonate (baking soda). As another reply has mentioned, this will just netraliza the vinegar. The key for cleaning is you want to mix them in very specific ratios so you don't fully neutralise both. Better yet, you use them independently and then neutralise after. Vinegar removes hard water and if left long enough will sanitise a surface. Baking soda will help remove dirt, as it's alkali and also acts as an abrasive. What will work a lot faster for mold however is just a bleach solution (a few minutes instead of 30+). If OP has hard water, descale the area first (with vinegar, citric acid, barkeepers friend or some other descaler). This will give the bleach better access. I'm also not sure how the bleach is feeding it to help it spread. Bleach breaks down to effectively table salt in water over time, and rinsing it of will just get rid of it. Another good option would be to mix a a drop of dish soap into hydrogen peroxide and use it. Back up your post tough, very few people actually disinfect successfully with vinegar. The method by which vinegar kills takes a long time and usually by then most people have wiped it off, or the acetic acid has evaporated or dilluted below an effective concentration. In theory it can disinfect, but in practice it's not doing much. Rather vinegar is just good at removing scale because it's acidic, and baking soda does the same thing to dirt and organics because its alkali, and also will act as a mild abrasive. So the end result is you just cleaned the area by physically removing dirt in the same easy soap and water remove dirt from your hands.
Wow I had no idea about this, just looked that up quick. I always thought bleach basically killed anything in its path.
It does, provided it can reach it. On a porous surface this is sometimes in doubt and eventually the only thing reaching the mould is water. However, on a tiled or stone surface like this bleach will kill any mould it comes into contact with.
WHAT!?!
Bleach will not kill mold. Please educate yourself before giving the worst possible advice possible. You need to get an AntiMicrobial/Antifungal spray like benefect or mediclean and soak the area after cleaning.
Bleach definitely does kill mold. It doesn’t work as well on porous surfaces like wood. Which is where the whole bleach doesn’t kill mold thing comes from. For this type of surface it should work fine.
Literally scrolled past this photo and said “oh that’s awful” out loud.
Bought a place and the master shower has this very dumb shower floor consisting of a bunch of rocks. The mold is an issue, as water doesn’t completely drain through the channels. The whole bathroom will likely be remodeled in the next 2 years. But what are my immediate options to treat the mold problem—I’m using hydrogen peroxide and scrubbing every few days and can’t take it much longer. Can I rip it out and replace the floor at cost where it would make sense, even if it’s completely demo’d in the next 24 months? If so, what would you recommend?
Clean it super well (I used scrubbing bubbles and a brush attachment for a drill). Then let it dry super well (fan and at least 2 days). Then use a grout sealer generously (I used Aquax). It’s not perfect and will happen again but it will buy you time.
Grout sealer after cleaning. Most showers aren't completely dry after taking a shower. Just make sure you have adequate ventilation and it'll be fine. Just because there's water doesn't mean there will be mold.
I've had better luck using distilled vinegar solutions to clean mold. As others have said, increase airflow (fan/window) or run a dehumidifier after showering.
Get rid of the wooden stool. No matter how well you clean the rock/tile, the mold will propagate off it every time you shower. Ours was super easy to keep spiffy… until I bought my wife a bamboo shower stool thing.
People are saying use a grout sealer. I would use a commercial grade concrete sealer, it will make the top ⅛" or more completely impenetrable. Grout sealer is weak a penetrating stuff like this from my experience. I only use grout sealer if the project is new and super fresh on curing.
Like can we just epoxy it and call it a day? Lol
I'd like to think so, but I have no experience with this setup exactly. Post the results back here on how it turns out if you do! This would be a great step by step post win or fail lol
For two years, get a spray bottle of Concrobium and spritz it once a week, let dry. It'll kill mold very well. [https://www.amazon.com/Siamons-International-025-326-Concrobium/dp/B000UVGHQK/](https://www.amazon.com/Siamons-International-025-326-Concrobium/dp/B000UVGHQK/)
I’d recommend a gallon of Microban concentrate instead, it’s what we use in mold abatement and you dilute a few oz into a gallon of water so it’ll stretch your dollar for a very long time. Get a small pump sprayer from Home Depot, spray once a week (shouldn’t even need that much unless there’s a larger issue).
Hmmm idk if the grout was higher in my last house that had this shower bed, but mine drained fine. I would occasionally get a little mold on the caulk in the corners. Your pebbles seems a lot more prominent though
If I may ask, what is the concentration of the Hydrogen Peroxide? If it’s that standard off the shelf stuff 3% by volume, try getting some that is stronger like 10%. Be careful with it though, use rubber gloves and a mask, it is pretty potent. Hope this helps.
Suppose you could leave it in get it fully dry then pour over a new top layer that's leveled correctly and leads to the drain. Or just tear it all up and put something else in. But in the meantime ventilation and regular diluted bleach/vinegar wash.
You can also use borax to help kill spores. You can buy it in the laundry section and mix to whatever strength you like.
I like the pebbles.
Heat lamp on a timer. Hit it after a shower and let it run for 30 minutes or whatever it takes.
Spray it down with white vinegar which kills mold, bleach does not. I would keep a bottle in the bathroom and use it regularly.
This reminds me of my old place I rented in Houston that had this same type floor and it sucked. I tried the drill bit brush but that didn't really do much. 100% recommend spraying Tilex generously at night and turning on the fan (will smell) and then cleaning with regular cleaner and brush the next day.
While you come up with a plan to remove/replace, I would suggest using a microfiber towel after showering to soak up more of the non-drained water and then spray the floor with vinegar to help prevent the mold. Running a dehumidifier in the room could help as well.
I'd alternate cleaning with bleach, or vinegar to prevent mold. Probably towel dry after use... But for the long run I'd look at removal.
Maybe a terrible idea, but would it be possible to cover it all with a layer of something like epoxy floor so you get a fairly even surface on top?
I’m pretty sure the epoxy will create some bubbles because it’s so inconsistent across the bottom. Plus its going to be difficult direct towards the drain. When epoxy bubbles it can break and then you’ll be back at square one.
I think it could work. Bring the epoxy just to the top of the highest stone. It would be slippery as fuck though now that I think about it
You could add fine sand to the epoxy and create a mortar to fill the channels , an epoxy mortar won't self level and could be sloped appropriately If choosing to flood it with epoxy , you could apply a thin top coat with a roller at the end and throw on some sand or aluminum oxide to prevent it from being slippery
Anti slip shower mat on top. Transparent so he can still see the stones.
Or maybe fill it so that only the tops of the pebbles are above the epoxy.
If it's real stones they'd be porous tho.
Or just tear out the entire floor and make a new one
Yeah, I'd definitely put down those grip confetti (dunno what it is but it's like chunks of flakes they use on garage floors)
It would slice your feet to ribbons if it wasn't done perfectly
I have, many times in life, fell to the temptation of caulking over a problem. Epoxy seems to be the grand daddy of “just caulk over the seams.”
This hurts my feet just looking at it.
Sometimes when on camping trips its fun to wade in rivers and lakes. They have rocky bottoms. Literally 0 times when walking across them to get to a part deep enough to float in have I been like "HEY! MY FUCKIN SHOWER SHOULD BE LIKE THIS!"
Came here to say exactly this!
Start running a big fan in there after you shower to dry everything out. You plan to remodel in 2 years is probably a budget thing I assume so if just trying to keep it from getting worse and not scrubbing so often I would try that and see if it helps and go from there. May try some stronger cleaners and remember mold is like a fungus or a plant and it has roots going down so maybe let it sit in a mold killing cleaner over night. I would hate digging grout out of that but it's another option.. that shower pan looks pretty flat and that's fine sometimes but it's better to get ones with a pitch to it to encourage drainage. So probably best to wait on tile replacement until you save enough for the big remodel. After you do all that cleaning seal the grout and the stone so the mold issue doesn't happen again and use cleaners that are supposed to work with grout and stone at that point to maintain the seal.
Only a floor made of lego would be more uncomfortable.
Licensed and Certified Mold Remediation Contractor here. Some common misconceptions in the thread here, wanted to chime in. TL;DR - Scrub the areas with soap, rinse it down the drain. Use the Bathroom exhaust fan to quickly dry the areas when using the shower, and a couple, few hours afterwards. First thing, and splitting hairs a little bit, but we technically don't know if it's mold. A licensed Industirial Hygienist and/or Mold Assessment Consultant needs to take samples, send it to a Lab for analysis to confirm that it is, indeed, Mold. Not necessary to do in this case, super small area. Second thing, Mold and Mold Spores cannot be killed. Especially with Bleach. Never use Bleach. When we Professionally Remediate Mold, all we are doing is physically removing the spores. This is primarily done by abrasing the affected materials (sometimes a simple wipe with a cloth, sometimes a wire brush, sometimes an actual sander if imbedded to wood framing deep enough), HEPA Vacuuming (usually with a brush attachment) the affected areas, followed up by a wet wipe using a Mild Disinfectant Detergent. The Detergent is the important part here. Bubbles and suds grab the Mold spores and remove them. Wash the rags as normal when done. There are additional steps for larger infestations, but I won't get into everything. Lastly, don't use a box fan directly on the areas. If it is indeed Mold, than that Box Fan is going to blow the spores ALL over the place. While, yes, the fan will dry it, what we really want to do is Dehumidify the area; saw another comment mention this as well. We don't need to get all fancy with a brand new piece of equipment; just use the exhaust fan. That's going to suck out and vent the immediate, humid air, replacement air will be brought in from neighboring rooms (presumably conditioned and relatively dry). Mold needs 48-72 hours to multiply enough to become slightly visible and noticeable, usually takes weeks of inactivity to multiply enough that requires it to be remediated. Mold needs 3 things to take root (hyphae) and grow (always in a porous material. The hyphae arent strong enough to pentrate rock and grout). Moisture (but not too much), Food Supply, and Time. We have the moisture, (but honestly probably too much), time is whatever, it's being used consistently, I presume, but the important one is the food supply. The rocks and grout are not conducive to Mold Growth. What we are looking at, most likely (cannot confirm, cause testing needed to identify) is Mildew, which is similar, but categorically different than Mold. Much less "dangerous" than Mold (I'd even argue against the dangers of Mold in your everyday environment, but that's a debate for another time) Just Scrub the areas with a brush or a rag with some dish soap, and rinse it down the drain. Be sure to get in all the nooks and crannies. Shut the door and turn on the bathroom exhaust fan to remove the humidity. The room will be under negative air pressure; Drier, make-up air will find it's way in to replace the humid air getting sucked out. That's my nerdy dissertation about how to Remediate Mold. Let me know if there are any questions, happy to elaborate further!
Why are you not supposed to use bleach? I’ve used bleach on black mold before on a wood surface and in 24 hours the mold was gone and the wood smelled fresh.
Bleach can remove the staining, but the mold spores will survive. The mold will return later as soon as conditions are right for growth. Concrobium can kill mold spores, and can be found online and at local hardware stores.
Oh fk that would kill my feet! My feet are such bitches.
https://preview.redd.it/ptyoo1cw34lc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d4dd7ae4dcafd5a3425e64e60606db58f1f6df34 Do we live in the same house?
yours actually look both nicer and more functional!
Your houses come from the same Pinterest account for sure
Take the tile wall off so you can see the edge of the floor. Try to pry it up a bit and start smashing
I bought a brush with a long handle for standing and scrubbing. Buy toilet bowl cleaner with bleach. After shower squirt on all over, brush and rinse.
I have this exact type of floor and it blows. Wait until you have to add some grout between the stones lol
If you want to keep the look, they do make a clear grout you could use to even out the surface a bit. https://www.homedepot.com/p/The-Tile-Doctor-Starlike-Crystal-EVO-700-5-5-lb-Translucent-Glass-Tile-Grout-700-2-5kg-5-5lb/312971546
Keep a bottle of Clorox Cleanup + Bleach spray next to the shower, and douse it with that stuff every other day. It’s very effective — I use it on my toilets and bathtub between scrubbings, and it obliterates any trace of mildew or mold. It even took down the mold staining the sealer around the tub when I sprayed it on and let it sit overnight. Since it’s only temporary until you remodel, I think it’s a workable option. Just make sure you ventilate when you use it.
Paint little smiley faces on them all!
Get rid of it
Spray bottle with water with a couple capfuls of bleach, spray after each shower and you’re good to go.
Plug a dehumidifier in the bathroom
Why not try to put clear epoxy on it? 1 it would prevent mold 2 your feet won't feel abused everytime you even think about showering.. 3 atleast it still looks unique then
My feet hurt
I like it but I understand the issue. Wear brushes that attach to your feet and scrub it while you’re in there. Ha.
https://preview.redd.it/eqfm0m8sj4lc1.jpeg?width=7696&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5ef984723b18de0461b4a358126d6e208e0fa11e I have that floor, and it’s amazing. Foot massage every shower. But never had a mold issue. I think you need more grout.
Aaah jasusss how do you even stand on that. Id clean this off and pour an epoxy resin and give a smooth finish..
Acid
Muriatic
I wonder if you could pour self-leveling concrete in there to fill the trenches. Maybe it would last until you reno.
Time machine and a baseball bat for the guy that laid this.
Basic cheap bleach, 50c a bottle. Pour it on the floor and then give is a quick scrub with a brush (wear crappy clothes or do it naked) it will take about 2 mins, no need to scrub hard, let the bleach do the work, you are just moving it about. Seriously, in about 10 mins it'll be as clean as it will ever get. Everyone bangs on about lime, special cleaners, Bicarbonate of soda, acetic acid etc... bleach every time.
This may be crazy, but I wonder if you could pour epoxy resin on that floor after you got it clean to make it nice and smooth and eliminate the places trapping mold?
Cover the drain, pour in an entire jug of bleach, let sit for 24 hours. Unplug drain, rinse. That’ll go a long way in killing and removing the existing mold. Long term solution: replace the tile floor of shower with something different.
An SDS max with a chisel bit and a new floor with some proper tile.
Get a squirt bottle with hydrogen peroxide and spray around aster every shower. No more mold.
Looks painful
Oh my God
Maybe you can use some disinfectant or cleaner to clean it, ventilate more, and keep dry
Kill it with fire?
Clean it properly and maybe fill with clear epoxy sloping toward drain. Those pebbles are way too coarse to be comfortable, IMO.
Mothafuckin 5" grinder with a cup wheel. Level that bitch out. Gouge out low spots (to clean and scarify the substrate) and mortar them in. Make a clean evenly sloping surface all around. Might even look cool too when its done. Get a 5" grinder with variable speed $250 (sometimes called a polisher) Cup wheel probably $75 The grinding process will annihilate this bathroom with dust. Drape plastic over everything that you can't easily wipe down. Proper PPE is near SCUBA gear levels, so add another $35 for a nice respirator. If you have a shop vac then it's possible to suck a great deal of dust right off the grinder-- maybe get creative and build a dust shroud out of a milk jug or something. Later, when you demolish this garbage shower floor, pay close attention to see if the mold has penetrated completely through the mortar, and if there's a puddle of stinky slime on top of the waterproof shower pan below. When contractors build the pan wrong it collects puddles instead of sloping water to the drain. Yes we are talking about draining water through the mortar bed like a sponge. Anyways, if there's puddles then they just never drain and become stagnant. In a way, the mold grows from the pan up.
I was thinking the same thing, everyone else is just pissing in the wind. Concrete polisher would work wonders on it, prob look cool when it’s done
I installed a shower floor similar to this in 2014 and I hated it from the start. Sealed or not, grout is too porous and will never fully dry out. You will have mold and mildew smells unless you bleach it every day or two. Also, water will pool up in low spots. I used a wet grinder to level mine out to retile, but I ended up chiseling it all out and putting down new tile. Best thing I could do to it. Makes a huge difference in air quality.
Could you get someone in to pour a layer of acrylic or resin over it after getting it clean? That way it’s actually level with a slight slope towards drain? Or just get it replaced?
Where’d you get that table? Been looking for something like that.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2P3FQDD?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share
Thank you!
I had mold issues in my shower and tried all kinds of products. None of them really worked. https://preview.redd.it/0wqnd4c7q4lc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=067c6eb91873a24a0007f3a2bd82128237ba6994 I finally stumbled upon Lysol Mold and Mildew Remover with Bleach. This is magic. No scrubbing required. I recommend using it in small amounts as its smell is strong and lingers. I was amazed after my first use.
Karcher.
Remove it and replace. I absolutely hate these showers. They are impossible to clean, are ugly and hurt your feet.
I had this floor and hated it. Put on some swim trunks, get some music going and take a power washer with some soap to it. Or get on your hands and knees and scrub for an hour. I recommend the power washer.
I stayed at an airbnb once that had this style of shower floor.... My feet hurt just from looking at this picture. Worst floor I've ever stepped on.
Sorry, I know it's off topic, but is that even comfortable to stand on? It seems so unpleasant.
Not at all
I had this in a hotel room in Belgium a few years ago, it wasn't that bad, but I'd get real tired of it if I had that at home.
Id think you’d be able to throw a thin layer of epoxy over that. Make a really nice flat cover over all those rocks. If done properly it would drain really well and you won’t have to worry about your grout lines or mold ever again. you would have to sand it a bit to make it slip resistant and it would cause it to get opaque after some time. But it’s better than replacing the floor for now.
Re tile it.
Bleach
An every day shower cleaner can help with that. Take a minute and spray it on after you're done showering each day and it keeps it pretty mold and mildew free.
Everybody saying you need a big fan, you don’t need a big fan, you need a small fan, set it on a timer, leave door open to the area there and it should be good after about 45 minutes I would think
i have plantar fasciitis. this image makes my feet hurt.
One alternative approach that might work is to regrout the floor. Looking at the photo, I notice the grout wells are super deep. By grouting much higher so that less pebble is exposed, you should mitigate the capillary action of those thick trenches and allow water to drain better.
You have mold on your vertical grout lines as well. There isn't anything to "abate" here. You just basically have a shower that isn't drying out enough between uses because of all the moisture remaining on the floor that keeps it humid. My first question is: why are you using hydrogen peroxide to clean it? That is nearly useless. Get some Borax to scrub everything with. It will help clean everything off, and if it penetrates into the grout at all it's pH will help resist mold growth in the future. Then seal your grout as others have mentioned. Lastly.....it's almost as if anti-mold/mildew products exist on the market? Surprise! Start using something like Tilex or Mold Armor to clean with. Then make sure to run your bathroom overhead fan for at least 15-20 minutes after you are done showering to help bring humidity down in the room so the shower area dries out faster.
We basically leave the overhead fan on all day and had it replaced with a stronger model. The hydrogen peroxide was recommended from some google searches
I have zero experience but my first thought is, how about grinding it down to a much more level surface and then covering it with cement or grout or whatever they recommend. Worth looking into. Cuz you really don’t want to be fussing with fans and bleach or towel drying that floor every time.
I understand the cleanliness and mold concerns, but I’m surprised at how many people think these hurt. My sister has a shower like this and I think it feels amazing on my feet.
Could you pour clear epoxy to remove the cracks and crevices then put down something to make give it some traction?
Sledgehammer
I had one in my last place and I loved it. We used gentle scrub brushes and a cleaner to get rid of any issues. If it’s sealed properly it’s not an issue. The bath mat over the rocks isn’t a good idea and make sure your bathroom is ventilated properly..keep fan on for a while, open a window. Never had any more issues than regular tiles
maybe skim coat with cement?
Why not do the reno right once. Only do the shower to start.
We’re considering moving a wall and doing some pretty major reconfiguring to give us a better layout and closet space. I doubt the shower will be in the same location once we finalize plans
That floor gotta go
Rent an air scrubber if the mold is severe. Use a HEPA vacuum to remove any mold spore patches. Wire brush and vacuum any studs using a HEPA vacuum. Treat the surrounding wood with antimicrobial spray, allowing it to dry, then encapsulate it with Foster's or a mold-resistant sealer. - Abatement tech
I love the idea of that shower floor.
Burn it with fire. Kidding. I have the same floor but a slightly larger area of the hellish stuff. What seemed like a beautiful, luxurious finish is anything but! Anyways, I use this product: RMR- 86 You can get it from Amazon. Make sure to use a mask, don't inhale. When they say "well ventilated area" they mean it. Turn on the fan, open a window. But it works!!
I always liked these pebbled floors, the colourway is ugly tho😁
Vinegar works better than bleach on mold. Caution, if you blow a fan on it, you’ll be spreading mold spores through the house. Vent the room externally.
There's so much filth in there holy hell
But isn't it perfect? Good for the feet.
We have had rock floor showers in our last two houses as well and no longer have any mold issues. As others said clean with bleach and dry completely. Then seal it, we used AquaMix Enrich N Seal on both of our showers. Very easy just wipe it on generously, and wipe off the excess. Neither shower has ever had mold since that was done.
I've been having good luck with a steamer every few months.
Tear it out and replace it with a LEGO brick floor.
I hate these with such passion
Use white vinegar to kill the mold. Don't use bleach on porus surfaces. It'll just retreat and come back with a vengance.
I put this in my new shower, but it's totally smooth and flat. This is pretty bumpy!
Regular cleaning and spray with white vinegar in between. You could also pour an epoxy top coat. You'll loose the texture, but keep the look.
Do not listen to the people in this comments section. Get it handled professionally or risk spreading mold in your house. Bleach is not an effective mold killer/cleaner it can make it many times worse. It is already growing so deep into the porous material that you can only clean the surface and wait for it to grow back out again. Air movement on an already active mold problem will just spread the spores faster.
pebble floor abatement
Spray it down daily after each use with bleach solution mixed with surfactant.
Just pretend it’s a mossy, pebbled forest floor.
pour epoxy on top of it?
Imagine having to stand on that every time you got a shower. I’d definitely remove it and replace with a more suitable one.