What causes bright blue/purple mould in bathroom?

[OhNotTodayThankyou]

I’ve added a photo of the purple area and a wider shot for context, as it’s very zoomed in so I’m hoping it looks worse than it actually is.

I know the whole bath and floor needs to come up but I’m curious as I’ve never seen a purple/blue mould patch before?

Any ideas?

Mould typically occurs because it has the ideal conditions to grow - namely damp/humidity and lack of air flow. Colour can be species-specific, but also influenced by what they are growing (and by extension, feeding on). In this instance, it could be connected to adhesive on the floor, or some kind of contamination.

That looks exactly like the violet shampoo I use for my blonde hair. Does anyone in your house use it and could they have spilled some?

Thanks both.

No blondes here @Itsthelookitsthelook, we only moved in a few weeks ago and we’re gradually uncovering the many issues with the house (absolutely none of which were picked up on the survey!).

Aliens. It will get gradually larger and then one night, when you are all fast asleep, it will slither up your nose and take over your brain.

Have the surveyors given any explanation as to why they missed so much?

I did send a couple of emails but he hasn’t replied to them. It was a RICS level 3 due to the age of the property and I don’t think I’d bother with it again and would just get a basic one.

I think not replying is suspicious. If there was a genuine reason why so much was missed (they often specify things that they won't do, like lift flooring or go into the loft) then he would have said so. Not replying implies there might be some level of fault on his part and he is hoping you will just go away and forget about it. At the very least thoroughly document everything you've found that was missed in the report so that you have evidence if you decide to make a claim against the surveyor in the future.

Also wear nose plugs at night, because of the alien growth. Just in case.

Could it be this... but poorly pronounced?

Am I doing the right thing in keeping a fan on it to try to dry it out? Or am I blowing harmful mould spores all over the bathroom?

@pigletjohn can you advise ?!

We have an answer! 😁

It appears to be some VERY old flooring?!

I know the slate tile to the right has been there since at least 2014 so perhaps there was a purple bathroom back in the day?

Still, there’s a huge damp and rot issue of some sort, but perhaps if the purple flooring is still solid then whatever the issue is hasn’t gone through to the joists.

Careful. Old 70s link can have asbestos in it. Might be worth getting it tested before you remove it.

Iino not link!