Damp problem solving

JenWS

New Member
I have recently moved into a 100 year old bungalow. Started renovating kitchen and have found mould behind kitchen cupboards, but only on one wall (external wall, North West facing).

Have had 2 people round to look and had 2 different solutions suggested. The first chap said he suspects damp cavity wall insulation and his remedy would be cut into the wall, remove insulation and seal back up. (There's no obvious ingress point for water so I think he is guessing)
Second chap thinks it's condensation, and suggested a positive input ventilation system.

The kitchen is poorly ventilated (windows steam up very quickly when cooking) so condensation seems likely. We are intending to put better extraction in anyway.
From the way the mould has grown, is there any definitive way to tell which cause is most likely?
 

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OP,
1. It looks like condensation but you need to pull the neighbouring units away to see the condition of the whole wall. Also remove all wallpaper & lining paper. Then pic the whole wall & post please?
2. Condensation can occur on top of rising or penetrating damp.
3. Is the wall surface we are seeing plasterboard?
4. Is the floor solid concrete?
5. A pic of the outside of the wall would help?
6. Mineral wool CWI, for instance, is always suspect esp. given that large areas of the cavity can be left unfilled - or no worthwhile pre-install survey was made.
7. Powerful (& silent as possible) kitchen and bathroom extractors are always needed as standard.
 
It's a very common sight in buildings that have been left unheated for a long while, basically mildew or black mould, invariably poor ventillation, my method is sponging off with dilute household bleach is pretty effective, leaves the wall nice and clean because it bleaches out the black staining, can also use a solution of white vinegar and soda crystals, takes a lot of wiping but nothing hard.

I have never seen it come back in a warmed house that gets a bit of ventilation from time to time.
 
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