Jennifer emailed me about a problem with mold in her shower drain pipe. Let her tell you what's going on:
"Help Me Tim!
In my newly constructed bathroom, I can already see mold (black and red mold) growing down inside the white PVC drain pipe of the new shower. Since it's only a couple of months old, I am wondering what happens after years go by.
Did the plumber use the right material when he installed a white PVC pipe for our shower drain? How is someone supposed to get rid of that mold without taking apart the shower drain every month? Thanks!"
Here's my answer to Jennifer:
That mold is normal. It can and should be cleaned. The sides of the pipe leading from the drain strainer down to the trap get covered in a bio-film. This gooey film is made up of soap, shampoo, body oils, bacteria, etc. It is a perfect environment for mold to grow in and on.
Simply take off the chrome ring of the drain strainer and use a bottle brush to clean the sides of the pipe as you run water in the shower. The mold and bio-film will wash off very easily. As for preventative measures, there isn't much you can do. Once you see how easy the mold and bio-film disappears, you will not be concerned.
These website links worked for me when this bulletin was published. Sometimes web pages disappear so if you get an error message make sure the link is exactly as it appears below before you give up.
http://www.aiha.org/ This website is the home of the American Industrial Hygiene Association - 1-703-849-8888. You can find environmental consultants/contractors here.
http://www.cdc.gov/health/mold.html This website is the home for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), National Center for Environmental Health Questions and Answers on Stachybotrys chartarum and other molds.
http://www.cal-iaq.org//iaqsheet.htm This fact sheet from the California Department of Health Services provides information to people who have experienced water damage to their home and presents the health concerns related to mold exposure. It also provides general guidelines on mold detection, cleanup & removal of mold contaminated materials.
http://www.ehib.org/html_entity.jsp?bcc=papers&paper_key=FUNGI_INDOOR_1996 This web page from: Health & Environment Digest Vol 10, No. 2, pages 9-12, May/June 1996 titled Fungi & Indoor Air Quality written by Sandra V. McNeel, DVM and Richard A. Kreutzer, MD describes types of molds commonly found indoors in home and offices. Health effects and the physical conditions that encourage their growth are discussed. This article contains a table containing selected important molds found in damp buildings and how to prevent and control mold contamination.
http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldresources.html This website is provided by the EPA on identifying mold, clean-up and prevention. This site also contains links to other sites including the American Red Cross, New York City Department of Health and Occupational Disease Prevention, University of Minnesota, Department of Environmental Health and Safety and the Carpet and Rug Institute.
http://www.epa.gov/iaq/schools/tfs/guideh.html This is another website provided by the EPA and addresses mold and moisture in schools. This site goes into identifying and correcting common mold and moisture problems.
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics%3b101/4/712 This webpage is from the AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS Committee on Environmental Health tells about the toxic effects of indoor molds. This page describes mold, their toxic properties, and the potential for causing toxic respiratory problems in infants. Also gives recommendations for pediatricians to reduce exposure to molds in infants and children.
http://iaq.custhelp.com/cgi-bin/iaq.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=3018 This web page provided by the EPA is about Biological Pollutants in Your Home. This page provides you with information to identify what indoor biological pollution is, whether your home or lifestyle promotes its development and how to control its growth and buildup. Gives a list of questions to ask your doctor to help determine the effects on your health that may be related to biological pollutants in your home. This is a really helpful webpage.
If you want to remove mold in a hurry, it is best to use a solution of chlorine bleach and water. Chlorine bleach is an awesome sanitizer. But chlorine bleach is so harsh it can take the color out of fabrics and actually ruin fabrics. Chlorine fumes are also unpleasant, and can cause distress in people who suffer from asthma. If you make a mistake and mix chlorine bleach with other cleaning products, you can make poisonous chlorine gas!
The alternative is oxygen bleach. Oxygen bleach does a fantastic job of cleaning mold from surfaces and fabrics. My Stain Solver oxygen bleach is blended with soda ash to produce a powder that has maximum cleaning action. Call us at 513-407-8727 to order or visit: www.stainsolver.com
Manufacturers of Colored Mortar and Mortar Pigments
flamingo-BRIXMENT
Solomon Colors
Lambert Corporation
Lehigh Cement Company
Ebonex
Dynamic Color Solutions
Study the information on their web sites with respect to the proper techniques to employ when mixing and working with the colored mortars. They can be tricky!
Are you one of the manufacturers listed above? Do you want your company name to be a link to your website? Click here.
Several of the followings things can cause the color in your brick job to be inconsistent:
Using premixed mortar from different runs from the plant - all bags must be from the same run or batch.
Using different types of sand throughout the job.
Using too much water in the mortar.
Acid washing the brick.
Using too much or too little pigment in each batch of mortar if adding your own colorant.
You can find a list of over 100 brick manufacturers at the Brick Industry Association web site. Click the Resources tab; BIA Members tab; and Manufacturers tab. Choose ALL in the drop down lists to display a complete list. You can also search by state.
Most of these manufacturers have web sites with great product information and locations of local distributors.
Literature Sources and Installation Tips
Literature Sources
Some of the best literature, concerning brick and masonry construction, can be found in three different places: the Brick Industry Association; the Masonry Institute of America; and the Portland Cement Association. The Brick Industry Association (http://www.bia.org) publishes periodic pamphlets called Technical Notes on Brick Construction. These deal with just about any aspect of brick that you can think about. They also publish an incredible book called Principles of Brick Masonry.
Installation Tips
I could write pages and pages concerning installation of brick. The Brick Industry Association listed above has numerous books and pamphlets on this subject, as does the Portland Cement Association (http://www.cement.org). The key points are understanding that mortar is just like concrete. It requires special attention and techniques to achieve maximum strength. This is vitally important, as the mortar holds the bricks together!!! Brick veneer construction needs to be adequately attached to the walls behind the bricks, or else it might simply tip over and fall down. Flashing details and weep holes are important so water does not collect behind bricks. Start reading!
Bricks are basically a form of artificial rock or stone. They do not occur naturally. The raw material from which they are made, however is a raw material which is very abundant. Clay, which is a major portion of many soils, is used to manufacture brick. Shale, a soft sedimentary rock, is used as well. These two materials are found just about everywhere in the world.
The process of turning clay and shale into bricks is a somewhat simple process. The clay and/or shale is refined and then mixed with a small amount of water until it can be shaped into bricks. The bricks are then dried and put into a kiln, sometimes for days. The kiln is nothing more than a very hot oven. Temperatures can reach in excess of 2,000 degrees F. This heating or firing process is what transforms the soft clay into hard bricks. In this manner, the clay and shale become an artificial stone.
Surface Textures
Prior to placing the soft bricks into the kiln, manufacturers can do any number of things to the soft bricks to give them a texture. Some bricks are either rolled, brushed, scratched, or dimpled after they come out of the forming die.
Some manufacturers offer the capability to produce custom textures for a certain brick, however it is very expensive to have this done. But, if you have the money and want a very unusual texture, it can be produced. Patterns, letters, even sculptures can be produced on the face of individual bricks.
Coatings
If you visit a brick showroom, you will undoubtedly come across bricks which have coatings applied to them. These coatings, once again, are applied prior to the bricks entering the kilns.
Some of the coatings commonly seen are sand coatings, colored slurries of fine clay, pigments and water called "engobes", and Portland cement mixed with pigments. The colored Portland cement is mixed with water and applied to the bricks.
All of the coatings are semi-permanent. They do not produce color throughout the body of the brick. If the coating wears off or is chipped, you will see the inside color of the brick. Thus, it is important for you to choose a brick with a high quality coating if you like the appearance of these products. This is especially true of the Portland cement-based slurries. I have seen these coatings wash off of bricks after 15 or 20 years. This can be a severe problem if all the bricks on your house do not receive the same amount of weathering.
Strength
Not all bricks have the same strength. Their strength is a function of the type of clay and/or shale used as a raw material, and the temperature and length of time the bricks spend in the firing kiln. The higher the temperature and the longer you leave a brick in the kiln, generally speaking, the stronger it will be at the end of the process.
This is very important to know when shopping for bricks, as the last two points are directly related to the cost of a brick. Think of it, if you use more fuel to achieve a higher kiln temperature and you leave the bricks in for a longer period of time, your costs per brick are going to be higher.
Bricks which have been fired longer and hotter generally are a deeper color. Deep red, purple, and brown bricks are usually very hard.
A good example of bricks which are not hard and durable are those orange colored bricks you often see from old buildings in our inner cities. These bricks were usually produced in lower temperature crude kilns.
The hardest portion of some bricks is just the outer 1/4 inch. This is why it is dangerous to sandblast bricks. Sandblasting can expose the soft inner portion of the brick and cause it to weather at an accelerated rate.
Paving Bricks | Here's a great example of faded concrete paving brick next to brand new ones that have not yet lost the colored cement paste off the sand and gravel. If you have trouble with your concrete paving brick crumbling, you should read this article. Copyright 2021 Tim Carter
Paving Bricks - They're NOT All the Same
Many brick companies manufacture paving bricks. Durable, long-lasting paving bricks must meet certain testing standards. The particular standard for paving bricks is ASTM C902, Standard Specification for Pedestrian and Light Traffic Paving Brick.
If you decide to purchase paving bricks, make sure that they have passed this test. The product literature or brick supplier will be able to supply you with documentation that will prove this. Don't hesitate to ask for it.
What is the ASTM C902 Test?
The ASTM C902 testing requirements ensure that the brick will withstand pedestrian and light vehicle traffic. If you install a brick that does not pass this test, it is quite possible that the brick will crack and/or disintegrate after a few years.
Will Brick Intended for Use in Walls Work as Paving Brick?
Bricks that are used in walls do not necessarily perform well when installed in the ground.
This patio was built with traditional clay brick pavers. They could have been set in sand, but laying them in mortar creates a traditional look and feel. PHOTO CREDIT: Tim Carter
Paving bricks are subjected to greater quantities of moisture, and abrasive foot and vehicle traffic. Don't make the mistake of using just any brick for your sidewalks or driveway. You may waste a tremendous amount of work.
There are two types of paving brick. The best one is made from clay and the also-ran one is the more modern concrete paving brick. The traditional paving brick made from clay has its color solid all the way through. When fired at a hotter temperature for a longer time in a kiln, they transition to artificial rock and are extremely durable.
Clay paving brick are available in various shades, however, reds, oranges, and browns are most common. They can also come in different thicknesses. Some can be as thick as 2 5/8" while many are available in 1 1/2" thickness.
Concrete paving bricks were developed in the late 1970s and early 19080s. They rapidly became the belle of the ball as happens with many new product innovations. But after a few years sometimes you discover that the product is really a pig wearing lipstick. Many homeowners have discovered this to be the case with concrete paving brick.
These bricks are made using concrete with small aggregate. These bricks often come in different interlocking patterns. They are also available in different colors. Because they are concrete, they can be extremely durable.
What is Wrong With Concrete Paving Brick?
The big issue with concrete paving brick is they look good for a year or two or three, but then slowly start to fade and change color. The rich deep color you saw the day they were installed disappears because the colored cement paste wears off the sand and gravel chips used to create the concrete brick.
Powerwashing also rapidly erodes the cement past uncovering the ugly stone chips inside the brick. You can see this in the photo at the top of this article.
Who are the Manufacturers of Clay Paving Bricks?
The following manufacturers make paving bricks that pass the ASTM C902 test. Most of these websites have informative product literature. Many will give you the location of the closest distributor.
Acme Brick Co.
Belden Brick Co.
Boral Bricks
Bowerston Shale Co.
Carolina Ceramics
Cloud Ceramics
Endicott Clay Products
General Shale Brick
Glen-Gery Brick
Pine Hall Brick Co.
Redland Brick Co.
Summit Brick & Tile
Taylor Clay
Who are the Manufacturers of Concrete Interlocking Paving Bricks?
There are hundreds of manufacturers of concrete paving bricks. Many of them are members of the Interlocking Concrete Pavement Institute (www.icpi.org). This website has a search tool to find the names of manufacturers in your area.
Paving Brick Installation Information
The Brick Industry Association (www.bia.org) has three excellent publications explaining and detailing several different methods of installing both clay and concrete paving bricks. These are available for free download from the BIA web site, and are titled as follows:
Technical Notes 14 - Brick Floors and Pavements, Part 1 - Design and Detailing - Sept. 1992 (Reissued March 2002)
Technical Notes 14A - Brick Floors and Pavements, Part II - Materials and Installation - January 1993
Technical Notes 14B - Brick Floors and Pavements, Part III - [Nov./Dec. 1975] (Reissued August 1998)
What is a Great Book Teaching How to Install Paving Brick?
Also, The Portland Cement Association (PCA) (www.cement.org) has an excellent book that speaks to installation techniques of both clay paving bricks and concrete interlocking paving bricks.
The PCA publishes many excellent books and pamphlets. I'm quite sure you will be impressed. The publications can help you with many masonry projects. Good luck!
Efflorescence requires three primary ingredients in order to occur: availability of water soluble salts; a source of moisture or water to dissolve and transmit the salts; and an environment where the moisture can readily evaporate, thereby depositing the dissolved salts.
Sources of Salts
The efflorescence deposits that you see on your brick or masonry come from many sources. This, of course, often makes it a little tougher to control the problem.
The salts can reside in the masonry units (brick, block, etc.), they may be present in the mortar or cement, the water used to mix the mortar, sand, rain or ground water, soil and backfill dirt, etc.
Efflorescence is not always easy to control. Often it is very difficult to locate the source of moisture or water which is dissolving the salts. Efflorescence on exterior masonry might simply be a result of rain water which soaks into the masonry surface or ground water which is being wicked from the soil into the masonry.
Rain water is often considered to be the primary moisture source for most efflorescence problems. Most masonry will absorb rain water. If a masonry job is improperly constructed, massive amounts of water can be absorbed.
What Happens.....?
For sake of this discussion, let's say that the source of the salts that causes efflorescence is within the bricks. Here is what happens:
Efflorescence growing in the mortar of a brick fireplace. PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Hannum
When the bricks are laid, the bricks absorb moisture from the wet mortar. In certain instances, the bricks may get wet during construction from rain and snow.
Water has a tremendous ability to dissolve things. It can dissolve sugar, salt, medications, soaps, instant iced tea, Kool-Aid, etc. It should come as no surprise that it can dissolve the 'salts' in a brick.
When water enters the brick in our example from any direction (top, bottom, sides, front or back) it begins to dissolve the salts. The salts are now in 'solution' and travel along with the water.
As happens with most brick surfaces, they eventually see a sunny, breezy day. This is the final element needed to deposit the salts on the surface of our sample brick.
What actually happens is quite simple. The sun and wind evaporate the water from the brick.However, only the water makes it into the air. The salts are left behind at the surface.
Interior Efflorescence
Efflorescence on interior plaster work can be a sign that a major problem is beginning to develop.
Water is a primary ingredient in the mechanism of efflorescence. As such, efflorescence on interior plaster surfaces generally indicates that water is either leaking within or into a structure. Most of us do not want water to travel freely through the inside of our structures. The source of this water should be identified and corrected before major structural damage is allowed to occur.
Over the years, I've seen many different spellings of efflorescence. Here's my growing list: effervesce, effervescence, effervescent, effleresants, effloreflance, efflorescence, efflorressance, effluorescence, eflorescence, eflorescents, ellforesce and ifflorescence.
I also suggest that you consider calling a local brick supplier. They may be members of the Brick Industry Association. Several of the publications listed originated from this source. Also, check out the Bookstore on the web site of the Portland Cement Association (PCA) http://www.cement.org. Several of the publications listed here are available from the PCA.
The Homeowner's Guide to Building with Concrete, Brick & Stone Portland Cement Association
Concrete Masonry Handbook Portland Cement Association
Masonry Efflorescence, from the editors of Masonry Construction
Trowel Tips: Efflorescence
Efflorescence: Causes, Prevention, Repair These are both available for FREE download from the Portland Cement Association's web site. Search on the term "efflorescence" in the Bookstore search engine.
Over the years, I've seen many different spellings of efflorescence. Here's my growing list: effervesce, effervescence, effervescent, effleresants, effloreflance, efflorescence, efflorressance, effluorescence, eflorescence, eflorescents, ellforesce and ifflorescence.
Mold Control - Mold is growing in the corner and will continue to do so until its moisture supply is cut off. Photo Credit: Vic Gallina
By: Tim Carter
Mold Control - It's All About Water
Not too long ago, a friend of mine ordered some out-of-print magazines she wanted for a collection she maintained. Several hours after unpacking them, she started having all sorts of coughing and respiratory distress. It turns out the old magazines were saturated with mold. The mold spores were released into the air as soon as she disturbed them. She is fine now and fully recovered, but it just goes to show you that mold can get you when you least expect it!
The Triangle of Mold Growth
I remember a lecture in grade school about the dangers of fire. It showed a simple triangle of what was required to start a fire. All you need is fuel, oxygen, and heat. In almost all cases, fuel and oxygen are available. Think of your home or the dry vegetation in a forest. All it needs is a heat source to ignite.
Mold is no different. Mold spores are everywhere. The only places you probably will not find the spores are in special laboratory clean rooms or totally sterile lab environments. How many of these places do you visit daily? I know I have never been in one!
Mold needs just three things as well to thrive, survive, and propagate: food, desirable temperatures, and water. Just about everything around us seems to be a food source for mold. Certain molds eat dust. Others eat wood. Some love drywall paper. Certain molds thrive on the natural oils found in some highly advertised deck sealers. That is why I love to use synthetic resin deck sealers that do not support mold growth. You name it, a mold will eat it. Did you know that trees and bushes produce a fine mist of sugar spray at certain times of the year? Outdoor molds thrive on this food. This is one reason your deck, patio or other outdoor furniture gets covered with mold and you wonder what it might be eating.
Stopping Mold Growth
The only thing we can do to stop mold growth is to cut off its water supply. Think of mold as grass seed. If you keep the grass seed dry and in your garage, it will not sprout and grow.
To eliminate mold in your home, keep it dry. Prevent roof leaks or sidewall leaks. If you have a wet basement, install a Linear French Drain.
Keep bathroom humidity low by opening shower doors and curtains.
Leave the bathroom door open when you are not in it.
Squeegee water from shower walls when you are done, if possible. Shake shower curtains before stepping out of the shower.
Get as much water down the drain as soon as possible.
Use your head and do whatever is possible to keep bathrooms dry.
Don't allow water to build up in attics.
Use great ridge and soffit ventilation.
Make sure clothes dryers vent to the outdoors.
Never allow them to vent into an attic or crawl space.
Fix plumbing leaks immediately.
Simply use some common sense to keep your home and possessions as dry as possible.
Want a step-by-step procedure for installing a Linear French Drain? Tim's Linear French Drain Streaming Video shows you how to keep your basement and crawl spaces dry. CLICK HERE or on the image below to order Tim's Streaming Video.
Do your own DIY install of a Linear French Drain with Tim Carter's time-tested methods and materials! CLICK IMAGE TO ORDER NOW!
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