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I live in a flat on the second floor. The building in which I live is five levels high. How do I find out if the mildew on the bathroom ceiling comes from the upper floor? I removed the mildew just a few months ago, but it suddenly reappeared. Apparently there aren't any broken pipes, but we are not sure. Any ideas?

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Is the mold concentrated is a small area or cover most of the ceiling? Do you notice water condensation on any surfaces after using the shower? If the morror fogs or the tiles feel wet your shower is the most likely cause. If it were from a leak upstairs you should see ceiling discoloration in an area ajacent to the leak. If your bathroom has a vent fan or window use it. Leave the door open to allow air to circulate after showering. If you can paint the ceiling with bathroom specific paint as it contains a mildewcide. The fix is to control the moisture so that the mold can't start.

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There's no discoloration in an restricted area. The mold covers most of the ceiling, yes I notice water condensation even on the mirror but as soon as I finish the shower, I open the window, so it disappears. The strange thing is that it grows only on the ceiling, not side walls...I think I'll clean the ceiling again, repaint it, applying a mildewcide, as you suggest, and observe. – A_nto2 Jul 7 '12 at 17:53
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it grows on the ceiling because the warm air rises along with the steam and moisture, then likely condenses on the ceiling, so it remains wet. An open window helps, but the bathroom really should have an exhaust vent. If it doesn't, I'd suggest getting a window fan and turn it on BEFORE you shower and let it run a good 10-20 minutes after you are done. – DA01 Jul 7 '12 at 18:06
@DA01: +1 Nice hint! Is it difficult to install such as fan? – A_nto2 Jul 8 '12 at 5:25
@A_nto2 there's no installation. You just prop it in the window. Something like this: kmart.com/shc/s/… – DA01 Jul 8 '12 at 18:16
@DA01: Great product, but does them catch moistness? – A_nto2 Jul 8 '12 at 18:38
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