Musty smell in kitchen cabinet for years

[Koolpc]

You have mould behind the units. Its probably a cold wall, no ventilation...

Had this myself once....we bought a place and when you opened the kitchen units it stank...musty, mouldy, damp small...

Took all the units away and lo and behold, mould, mildew on the walls!!!

Sorted it by battening the wall, insulating, vapour barrier, plasterboard, skimmed....job done...sorted.

 

[adamt11]

Thanks.

The light green stains on the painted pipes are probably condensation or flux, but any black marks on the wall are mould. Clean them off and see if they come back.

The joints under the sink look OK

There is a bad water mark on the underside of the worktop to the right of the sink. Might have been a spillage or a leak from upstairs. Is it dried out now?

I can't see any pipes going to the right of the sink towards the musty cabinet.

Put your camera underneath and photograph the gap in the corner please

Please stand back and take a wide shot of that end of the kitchen

Yes the water mark is dry now. There was visible mould underneath the sink which was treated with mould spray and painted on with the white anti-mould paint.

No there are no pipes going from the right of the sink into the musty cabinet.

Put your camera underneath and photograph the gap in the corner please

Underneath where sorry?

Third photo is furthest, top right corner underneath the cabinets.

 

[JohnD]

I meant, put your arm underneath and try to photograph the gap between the cabinet and the wall. Apart from IKEA, cabinets usually have a gap at the back where pipes and cables can be run. I'm thinking there might be something to see on the wall.

Is that the gas pipe I can see?

Does it come through the wall from outside?

Does it feel surprisingly cold?

The corner does seem to be "dead space" with no air circulation, and these can be prone to condensation damp. This would show as black mould on the wall. Taking the plinth off may have helped it dry out. Does the damp smell get worse in winter?

I'm guessing you would not be keen to take the cabinet out. It is probably screwed to the wall, the worktop and the adjacent sink unit.

However some cabinets have backs made of painted hardboard, and you can cut them out to get at the wall. A multicutter makes it easy. You have to beware of any hidden pipes or cables before cutting. This would enable you to clean and treat it, and perhaps wangle some insulation slab in. I don't think I can see an extractor fan which helps keep humidity down.

 

[adamt11]

You have mould behind the units. Its probably a cold wall, no ventilation...

Had this myself once....we bought a place and when you opened the kitchen units it stank...musty, mouldy, damp small...

Took all the units away and lo and behold, mould, mildew on the walls!!!

Sorted it by battening the wall, insulating, vapour barrier, plasterboard, skimmed....job done...sorted.

Thanks for your reply.

How can I take the units off to check what's on the walls? Would I need to take everything off all the way to the sink, or is it possible just to take off the section of cabinet nearest the cooker that has the musty smell? Would I need an electric screwdriver to do this?

I rent from the council, and I doubt they would agree to remove it as there's no visible mould, only a musty smell which they might dismiss.

 

[Koolpc]

If rented, get in touch with the landlord. They should be responsible to fix it..

 

[JohnD]

The cabinet are most likely screwed to the wall, if you are lucky you will be able to see and unscrew them. The worktop is most likely fixed with screws up from the cabinets. If you are unlucky there may be brackets you can't get at.

The worktop will be grouted or silicone to meet the wall, and you need to cut that before moving the worktop. Wall tiles are often dislodged when moving a worktop.

Was the pipe surprisingly cold? If so it will attract condensation.