Hi, I'm hoping someone may be able to provide some advice. I recently purchased an apartment in the South of Spain. The building is only 10 years old however I completely renovated the 2 x bathrooms, I stripped out everything and replaced it with new. Both the bathrooms are internal with no natural light or venting however both have extractor fans fitted.

The metal fixtures in both bathrooms (although primarily the main one) have been suffering from either a form of mould or corrosion, I'm not sure which. The ‘dirt’ that appears can be wiped/scrubbed clean however it reappears normally within 24-48 hours maximum. Initially I suspected high humidity/mould was the issue as despite the extractor the main bathroom does get very steamy/humid when showering. To try and resolve this I installed a second larger extractor in the main bathroom directly above the shower and I bought/run a small dehumidifier in the room 24/7.

The issue however didn’t go away. I then bought a hygrometer to monitor the humidity. Whilst the humidity spikes during showering it drops back within 10-20 minutes to between 50-60% humidity (the ideal range from what I understand).

I’ve tried cleaning this mould/dirt/corrosion with vinegar, bleach, antibacterial sprays and bathroom cleaner sprays. No matter what I use it reappears. There is no sign of dampness, mould or damage anywhere else in the bathroom although the main bathroom on occasion has an odd smell. The ceiling/ceramics are fine it’s only the metal fixtures that suffer from the issue? I’ve attached some photos of the problem to an album which can be access via the link below. Help!?

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Edited 5 times.

? sub standard fixtures ?

test by placing something else in bathroom and see if it also 'corrodes'

best of luck



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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638

Are the fan housings located in an attic? Are the housings covered in insulation? Is there a big temperature difference between above and below the housings?

This is bizairre. I think condensation from the humid air, when formed on the fixtures cause some sort of chemical reaction? No problem on tiles only on metal? The thing is even metal fixtures today many are covered with non metallic coatings unless anodized. I would put ather objects in the bathroom to test, something like a metal spoon, metal salt pepper shakers, a copper pot to see if the same problem occur.

Hopefully it's not the Chinese drywall syndrome.

Steve,

We see spots on metal in your photos. You said they reappear within hours. This is much faster than mold or mildew typically appear. However, rust and corrosion stains can easily appear that quickly. Do these spots appear on non-metallic surfaces? If not you have a rust/corrosion issue. Live with it or replace the fixtures with expensive ones that will resist corrosion longer.