Mould in kitchen

[dazza007]

Hi,
We purchased a house 6 months ago and noticed that there is mould growing under the kitchen units. Initially I got the guttering fixed as it was pouring out onto the wall.
It seems to have eased the problem however it has not gone away.
It is a north facing corner wall so I thought it could be now condensation. The mould behind the cabinets, i removed most of the affected paper of the plasterboard however there is an inaccessable part in the corner where 2 corner cupboards meet, and this is what i think to be the route cause of a a musty smell. I have no idea what is causing the mould to persist
Cheers
Dazza

 

[JohnD]

I got the guttering fixed as it was pouring out onto the wall.

if the wall was soaked it can easily take a year to dry out. Improve the ventilation. Mark the outline of the damp patch with a pencil and write the date, do it again each month and see if it gets bigger or smaller.

 

[dazza007]

It makes sense john, It was a bad case of neglect. Would the wall need waterproofing
I removed the paper off the plasterboard that had mould on, I had a dehumidifier in there to dry the wall out. There is a contained part of the wall that i could not reach between two cabinets in the corner that is releasing the smell.



It all came about because the next door neighbours child threw a juggling ball on the roof which had lodged in the downspout, then the guttering filled and broke free, IMHO. I know this because there was an identical juggling ball or two that landed in my garden a couple of weeks after I moved in, which i have kept...

 

[JohnD]

pull the cabinets out.

better to do it now than wait until you have rot and mould

you can put a cheap fan to blow over the damp brickwork. If the plaster or plasterboard is wet, hack it off until the wall is dry.

examine all damp wood with great care as it will rot. Especially look at the floorboards, and underneath them.

 

[dazza007]

Pulling out kitchen cabinets is something I wanted to avoid. The plasterboard feels dry, however there is a mould smell. There is no regrowth where I have removed the paper. I agree that a fan can move the moisture.
Could condensation be feeding the mould too?

 

[JohnD]

Kitchens often get condensation, but at this time of year it is reasonably warm, and provided you remember to open the windows, and don't drape wet washing around, it is probably not the main cause.

Plasterboard will prevent the wall drying out, so you need to pull it off.