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snoopy4ever · Sep 5, 2009, 12:03 PM

I live in a new home that was built 3 years ago. About a week ago I discovered a brown color on my baseboard in my master bathroom. My husband discovered that our toilet was installed incorrectly and it has been leaking causing mold to grow in our bathroom. We called in a professional who removed our a small portion of our tile floor and part of our walls to clean up the black mold. My question is... Should we remove the subfloor where the damage was? I am concerned about the subfloor being damaged and would it hold up after we reinstall the tile floor?
Help!

ballengerb1 · Sep 5, 2009, 12:53 PM

Mold woll start growing within 48 hours of continued/repeated wetness in any material mold can "eat." This includes the sub floor. Might check with your insurance carrier to see if you are covered for plumbing related damage to your home, this can get expensive.

cyberheater · Sep 6, 2009, 07:46 AM

Anyone would be guessing about your subfloor holding up. Can you acess the floor below your plumbing below? If you can - check there.

I tend to replace anything I can within reason when it involves water penetration that I cannot dry out effectively, but first - try and see if you can dry out anything before replacing the floor. Even if your subfloor doesn't have any mold now, if you cover up that area with out properly drying it out, you will have.

ballengerb1 · Sep 6, 2009, 09:28 AM

If your toilet leaked at the wax ring it is an almost certainty that the sub floor is wet. It may be structurally still strong but moldy. Like I said, check to see if you have insurance coverage. If you have coverage you may be able to get the sub floor and finished floor replaced

snoopy4ever · Sep 7, 2009, 08:49 AM

We are covered because our builder is assuming responsibility. They are trying to dry up the floor now for 3 days. I am not so sure if drying it out is the answer since it still looks discolored. Shouldn't they just replace the subflooring? Wouldn't that be the correct way?

ballengerb1 · Sep 7, 2009, 07:31 PM

The sub flooring isn't structurally damaged but they must dry it completely and kill the mold. How are they trying to dry it, dehumidifier , fan or both?

snoopy4ever · Sep 8, 2009, 09:42 AM

The sub floor does not look damaged, but it does have some black stains on it. They have been drying my floor with a dehumidifier for 4 days now.

ballengerb1 · Sep 8, 2009, 10:45 AM

Add a fan and it will dry faster. They need to spray a mildewcide too.