How to keep new bathroom mould-free long term?

[NotVeryChattySchoolMum]

We got our bathroom done 5 years ago. Edwardian house, if one must. I am surprised how mold-free it it is. Silicone still as brilliant white as it was 5 years ago. No mould in shower tile grout lines. All more impressive given that I am lazy - I am not even religious about opening windows and I like taking long showers. Ceiling paint is peeling, IKEA units showing scratches and chinks, yellowing toilet seat needs replacing (boys here). But no mold!

In previous accommodations I was battling ever-growing mold despite having window and ventilator, replacing silicone annually.

My friend had bathroom done 2 years ago and now her shower tiles and silicone are already blackening. (she has windows and ventilator!) Why the difference?

Now we are doing new bathroom in loft conversion. What do we need to have and bear in mind in order to avoid opportunistic mold? Aquapanels? What are the magic grouts and silicone to order? Please save me from having to scrub thanklessly and having to scrape out silicone again.

Plenty of ventilation, especially if you like steamy showers. Most bathroom extractors have only a 100mm fan, and an extract rate around 80cu.m/hr, which isn't really enough. You can either get a more powerful ducted fan mounted above the ceiling or make a hole in the wall for a 150mm extractor. Either of these can have twice the power.

Modern extractors with ball-bearing motors can be much quieter and more durable than cheap or old models.

Also, a house with thick loft and cavity wall insulation can have a warmer structure, so less prone to condensation. But heat coes not remove the water, so you still need extraction.

We don't know how often, or for how long, your friend ventilates her bathroom, or how many steamy showers she has.

BTW bleach will make toilet seats go yellow.

Make sure drywall/dry plaster is the special kind for bathrooms.
Don’t buy trendy stone tiles for the shower. They are porous. Stick with glazed ceramic. Go with larger sized tiles...don’t do teeny tiny ones.
Use the more expensive tile glue, grout and silicon sealant that has anti-fungal built into it.
Use moisture repellent bathroom paint that also is anti-fungal.
Design bathroom for ventilation...space at top of shower, extractor fab or window no more than 3ft from tub.
Vinyl or linoleum flooring is best.

We have a 1930s house, we dry washing indoors in winter and we don’t have a kitchen extractor or a bathroom extractor. We have never had mould. We do however have 4 open fireplaces and 2 air vents in the box room and kitchen, and the cavity walls too narrow for ventilation. We also have a very large central heating bill. So when we get our house done up next year we are going to insulate it and put in extractor fans.