Hello all, I've done some reading on this issue but would really appreciate your thoughts…
I'm refitting the kitchen in my recently-bought 1940s council flat. One base corner unit smells very musty - it's at the point where two external walls meet. I ripped the cupboard back out (which is discoloured) and the walls behind are covered in black mould marks, which extend about 2m in both directions from the corner. There is also black mould in the grouting on the tiles between worktop and windows on these walls.
The walls behind the base units are actually dry now, as far as I've been able to feel. (But do realise it is summer, I've had windows open and the kitchen has had zero use for the last 6 months). But I'm worried about mould coming back once I've put the new kitchen in -- I want to make sure it's dealt with thoroughly now.
My questions:
1. Am I right in concluding this was probably caused by condensation - or are there other checks required for a firm diagnosis? Is it worth me buying a gauge to measure the moisture content of the wall?
2. I plan to scrub the walls with anti-mould cleaner and then paint using emulsion with anti-mould additive - is that likely to solve it? How long do I need to let the walls dry out before fitting new units? Any recommended brands of paint/additives?
3. The existing units have a service void behind but the new units will be from Ikea and fit right to the wall with no void. Should this be a concern regarding ventilation where it's an external wall? I've heard about some product you can layer onto the inside of external walls before you decorate - sounds like they might be a bit like rigid bubble wrap - to insulate and reduce condensation. Anyone got any views on these and if they would help me here?
4. To combat moisture in the flat generally, I've installed a bathroom extractor fan and I'll be getting a hood extractor for the kitchen. The kitchen area is 2.3 x 2.8 by 2.4m high. So total volume ~15.5 m3. The fan I'm looking at extracts 560 m3/hr via external duct. Does that sound ok? Is there anything else I should think about doing now, while I'm decorating the place anyway?
Other info in case it's relevant: It's an average-sized one bed flat, on the top floor of two, with external walls on 3 sides. There is a flat roof and a metal girder running round behind the plaster just under ceiling level, which I understand from local residents gets extremely wet from condensation in the winter. The kitchen has a wide archway instead of a door, so no way of sealing it from rest of flat while cooking unfortunately. The previous owners had painted the place ready for sale so tricky to tell if mould was a problem in other areas of the flat. I found a dehumidifier left by them too. As you can imagine, I'm trying to do everything I can to get the place set up right while it's covered in dust anyway!
Thanks for reading and I'd really welcome any thoughts at all.
I'm refitting the kitchen in my recently-bought 1940s council flat. One base corner unit smells very musty - it's at the point where two external walls meet. I ripped the cupboard back out (which is discoloured) and the walls behind are covered in black mould marks, which extend about 2m in both directions from the corner. There is also black mould in the grouting on the tiles between worktop and windows on these walls.
The walls behind the base units are actually dry now, as far as I've been able to feel. (But do realise it is summer, I've had windows open and the kitchen has had zero use for the last 6 months). But I'm worried about mould coming back once I've put the new kitchen in -- I want to make sure it's dealt with thoroughly now.
My questions:
1. Am I right in concluding this was probably caused by condensation - or are there other checks required for a firm diagnosis? Is it worth me buying a gauge to measure the moisture content of the wall?
2. I plan to scrub the walls with anti-mould cleaner and then paint using emulsion with anti-mould additive - is that likely to solve it? How long do I need to let the walls dry out before fitting new units? Any recommended brands of paint/additives?
3. The existing units have a service void behind but the new units will be from Ikea and fit right to the wall with no void. Should this be a concern regarding ventilation where it's an external wall? I've heard about some product you can layer onto the inside of external walls before you decorate - sounds like they might be a bit like rigid bubble wrap - to insulate and reduce condensation. Anyone got any views on these and if they would help me here?
4. To combat moisture in the flat generally, I've installed a bathroom extractor fan and I'll be getting a hood extractor for the kitchen. The kitchen area is 2.3 x 2.8 by 2.4m high. So total volume ~15.5 m3. The fan I'm looking at extracts 560 m3/hr via external duct. Does that sound ok? Is there anything else I should think about doing now, while I'm decorating the place anyway?
Other info in case it's relevant: It's an average-sized one bed flat, on the top floor of two, with external walls on 3 sides. There is a flat roof and a metal girder running round behind the plaster just under ceiling level, which I understand from local residents gets extremely wet from condensation in the winter. The kitchen has a wide archway instead of a door, so no way of sealing it from rest of flat while cooking unfortunately. The previous owners had painted the place ready for sale so tricky to tell if mould was a problem in other areas of the flat. I found a dehumidifier left by them too. As you can imagine, I'm trying to do everything I can to get the place set up right while it's covered in dust anyway!
Thanks for reading and I'd really welcome any thoughts at all.
