What's the Cause of the Damp in this Photograph?

[stem]

last summer a new bedside cabinet was placed in the corner of the bedroom in my mother's bungalow. It began to smell damp in there recently, and when the cabinet was moved, this was what we found.



Any ideas as to the cause, and how to prevent it?

The pertinent details are:

• Bungalow constructed in 1980,
• Cavity walls filled with mineral fibre after construction.
• The ground is well drained and is well below the damp proof course.
• The room is 8' 11'' x 11' 11'' (2.72m x 3.63m) with two external walls
• External walls are fairly sheltered and clear of objects
• The guttering and down pipes are all clear and do not leak
• The window is cracked open on a latch during the night (locked shut during the day)
• The room has a radiator and is heated to 18 degrees
• Solid concrete floor with a hard black coating under carpet & underlay.

Any help would be most appreciated.

 

[Mottie]

Just general bad airflow behind the cabinet I think. We had similar in our house. Noticed it when we decorated a bedroom. Changed the furniture layout and its not come back in 10+ years.

 

[^woody^]

It's condensation.

Keep the corner open and put the cabinet elsewhere.

You'll need to steralise the wall and floor and carpet