Stepping onto a carpeted area after your bath or shower makes bathrooms appear more warm and inviting. It is softer than tile and comfortable on the bare feet. Another good thing is you will not slip on carpeted surfaces but you can on a tile floor. Sounds great like in a TV Commercial but they are not telling you the truth about the other hazards that can be created with carpeting in a bathroom. The hazards are a real threat of mold growing in and underneath the carpet from all the moisture.
There are many disadvantages of carpet in your bathroom; besides the padding underneath soaking up large amounts of water and moisture. This is one of the largest areas that skin cells from your body will fall onto the carpeting. Why, most people will towel dry their bodies by rubbing the themselves with a towel, thus releasing thousands of skin cells. Guess who likes these skin cells? The dust mites will start to multiply here because they love to eat skin cells and thrive in a wet area. This is a perfect environment for them to live and thrive.
There are many different ways that moisture can get into the carpet. Here are a few:
1. Steam from the shower will condense on the carpet.
2. Water leaks from the toilet such as urine.
3. Water splashes from the tub or shower.
4. Water falls on the carpet after a shower when they step on it.
5. Splashes from the sink or vanity area.
The important thing to remember is that the cabinets or vanities in this same area will absorb this moisture from the padding. This will slowly cause long term moisture and toxic mold damage to the wood base of the cabinets in this area. I had one case where they had carpet in the bathroom and the daughter kept having Asthma Attacks until they removed the carpet from the bathroom. During the removal phase, it was discovered that the entire bottom of the bathroom vanity was loaded with toxic black mold. It ended up being removed by a licensed Mold Remediation Contractor.
In summary, carpets installed in bathrooms can trap moisture and urine. This moisture can cause structural damage to any nearby wood and mold damage. This damage can be substantial requiring major mold remediation work in the long run. Best case scenario, do not install carpet in your bathroom. Area rugs are the way to go over tile, marble, stone or vinyl.
If you have any questions, feel free to call us or visit our website.
![[Valid RSS feed]](http://www.articles23.com/images/icon_Rss.png "XML Feed For RSS"){kind=icon}
Category Rss Feed
Print This Article
Add To Favorites
