# Brown spots in my bathroom on linoleum floor Help



## snoopy123

I have noticed that in both of my bathrooms which have linoleum on the floor that there are brown spots that I have no idea what or where they come from. I have tried to use pure bleach and even scrub the heck out of it  but there is no getting rid of it. I  don't know if or how I can get rid of it. Any suggestions would very much appreciated. It sort looks or maybe be some kind of dye. I really don't know. But it will not come up off the linoleum. It is a dye type stain and it looks as if it came on the flooring but I know it didn't and we've had the same linoleum for about 11 yrs now. It's just an irritataing stain and I would love to get rid of it. Thanks in advance and everyone have a wonderful day.
Snoopy123


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## havasu

I'm going to take a guess that the dark spots are bleeding thru the bottom of the linoleum, and short of replacement or a cut out and replacement of the bad pieces, it will be there forever.


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## Rusty

havasu said:


> I'm going to take a guess that the dark spots are bleeding thru the bottom of the linoleum, and short of replacement or a cut out and replacement of the bad pieces, it will be there forever.



Exactly my opinion.


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## havasu

To piece in linoleum, securely tape a remnant piece with duct tape, exactly over the existing linoleum. Use a really sharp Exacto knife to cut thru both the old and new pieces over a pattern line if possible, making an exact duplicate replacement. 

Remove the old piece of linoleum, and scrape away and excess glue. Apply a small amount of glue, and insert the new piece into the cut out. 

Set some heavy blocks, books or wood over the newly installed piece, and let it dry for a day. The next day, remove any oozed glue and paint a thin coat of clear fingernail polish directly over the new seam, and you should be good to go. 

This usually will work with good satisfaction unless the new remnant piece and the old linoleum are already discolored, and if this is the case, it's time for a complete replacement.


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## grywlfjla

I have the same stains and it was driving me crazy what it was. Nothing I could do would get rid of it.  Is there no checmical that can remove it??


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## Rusty

Not if it is coming thru the backing and I suspect that it is.


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## SuzyHomemaker

I have the same thing on our kitchen floor linoleum.  And it is growing.  I believe it is a mold underneath.  It was by our window, so I suspect there was a leak of some kind.  We are ripping up our linoleum, fixing our window, bleaching the spot under the linoleum where the mold must have been growing and laying new floor.  Not good news, but necessary.


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## joecaption

Someone used loun under that floor.
It's not approved for use under linoleum.
It causes glues to release, staining, and has voids.
It should have been 1/4 underlayment rated plywood.


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## GBR

You are correct, Suzy H, it is moisture; Photo 4; http://www.buildingscience.com/documents/insights/bsi-009-new-light-in-crawlspaces/

Gary
PS. Welcome to the forums!


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## nealtw

Sometimes can be caused by some rubber backed mats, some flooring manufacturers warn agains certain types of mats.


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## GBR

I agree, Neal, on a concrete basement floor or over a crawl space, but not on linoleum or vinyl as above, at least I've never heard of it; pp.20; http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...iYQLG5n18RR0vdA&bvm=bv.57799294,d.cGU&cad=rja

Wouldn't the vinyl stop all moisture from coming through as it's impermeable (hence the spot) or does the rubber somehow mar the vinyl? A surface mark.

Gary


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## nealtw

It was something in the rubber of the mat, I discouvered the worning after the deed was done. I think it was armstrong "not sure". The damage was very simular to the sample in your link but you could easily see the shape of the mat. As you know, nothing is really impermeable.


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## Rusty

nealtw said:


> Sometimes can be caused by some rubber backed mats, some flooring manufacturers warn agains certain types of mats.



that's plasticizer migration.


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## nealtw

samfloor said:


> that's plasticizer migration.


 
Big words, might need more of an explanation.
Everytime I'm in a car dealership and see protection under the tires, I think about the bathroom floor I had to replace.


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## GBR

I never heard of that either, Neal; http://www.flex-europa.com/products_plasticizer.htm

http://www.cleanitsupply.com/t-r25.aspx#.

Though it sounds like Suzy's problem is moisture saturating the subfloor from the window/wall leak, not a rubber mat. I stand corrected, semi-permeable flooring. 

Gary


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## nealtw

It's all to tech heavy for me but the idea that moisture could get thru plywood subfloor, I think that would have to be a flood. Sub floor is considered a vapour barrier.


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## Rusty

nealtw said:


> It's all to tech heavy for me but the idea that moisture could get thru plywood subfloor, I think that would have to be a flood. Sub floor is considered a vapour barrier.



Water can seep through interior grade plywood.


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## Rusty

I think her problem is moisture true, but plasticizer migration is very common.


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## nealtw

samfloor said:


> Water can seep through interior grade plywood.


 
Plywood fooring for sub floor is exterior grade but that in itself doesn't make it waterproof but Gary's link suggested high moisture in crawl space,
If that happened I think a stain would be the least of your problems.


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## Rusty

nealtw said:


> Plywood fooring for sub floor is exterior grade but that in itself doesn't make it waterproof but Gary's link suggested high moisture in crawl space,
> If that happened I think a stain would be the least of your problems.



Many of the new houses here use chip board for subfloors.


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## Rusty

joecaption said:


> Someone used loun under that floor.
> It's not approved for use under linoleum.
> It causes glues to release, staining, and has voids.
> It should have been 1/4 underlayment rated plywood.



And Joe was right with this. Luan can  bleed and cause brown spots, and it takes no other moisture.


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## joecaption

samfloor said:


> Many of the new houses here use chip board for subfloors.



No such thing as "chip board".
Do you mean OSB?


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## GBR

http://www.harlowbros.co.uk/timber-merchants/sheet-materials/chipboard-osb

Gary


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## Rusty

GBR said:


> http://www.harlowbros.co.uk/timber-merchants/sheet-materials/chipboard-osb
> 
> Gary



Thanks Gary. Since Joe is supposed to be a builder, I'm surprised he is not familiar with chipboard.


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## nealtw

samfloor said:


> Thanks Gary. Since Joe is supposed to be a builder, I'm surprised he is not familiar with chipboard.


 
Chip board may be what they call it in the UK. Phone a lumber yard and ask if they carry chip board for subfloors and see what they say. Builders would be more apt to talk about products by the name that the suppliers use like Adventech.


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## Rusty

In this part of the U.S., the terms chip board and OSB are both used. People at the lumber yard know what they are. Also called beaver barf.


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## GBR

SuzyHomemaker said:


> I have the same thing on our kitchen floor linoleum.  And it is growing.  I believe it is a mold underneath.  It was by our window, so I suspect there was a leak of some kind.  We are ripping up our linoleum, fixing our window, bleaching the spot under the linoleum where the mold must have been growing and laying new floor.  Not good news, but necessary.



So what type of underlayment was there, and did you follow the water trail to the window area? How did you fix the window, did you do a water/hose test?

Gary


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