In every home, baths and showers create warm, moist air that condenses on cold surfaces providing the ideal breeding ground for the fungus that produces mould. The problem is particularly prevalent in high-humidity Hong Kong.
Frankie Lam Muk-lee, from BUGS Interior Design Consultants, says when designing a bathroom, combating mould is often high on the list of a client's priorities.
'Most clients will request antimould products for silicon sealants and grouting lines,' Lam says.
Opening the bathroom window is an inefficient way of getting rid of condensation as it is often equally as moist outside; or it can simply blow the moist bathroom air into the rest of the flat.
Lam recommends improving ventilation in a small bathroom space by installing a power-exhaust fan with an advanced model featuring a drying feature such as the Panasonic Thermo Ventilator.
This way the extractor will expel the moist air, creating a dry surface where mould will not grow. For those who have larger bathrooms, Lam says consider installing a wall or ceiling dehumidifier system that has been designed especially for bathrooms.
