Black Mould In Damp Kitchen After Leaking Macerator - How To Remove?

[Jess1485]

We are renovating an old building and we have discovered this mould behind the macerator and the kitchen units. The white stuff it is growing on seems to be polystyrene - perhaps an attempt at insulation. The kitchen is very damp and in the basement. The macerator was leaking so we removed it and this is how we discovered the mould. I would appreciate any suggestions as to what type of mould it is and how to remove it, and stop it reoccurring.

Jess

[proptech]

Hi Jess
You will never be able to do much about mould all the time there is damp. There's only one proper answer, get the damp sorted, there could well be a health risk, so I would suggest getting some professional help to cure the damp problems before you do anything else.

[rap12]

Jess,

When you say macerator do you mean what i would call a Garbage Disposal?

If the disposal has been leaking for some time its possible that the sink cabinet has been affected by fungal damage.

Basements are notoriously difficult to make damp free, and i should imagine that the polystyrene is, like you say, some kind of an attempt at a damp or condensation barrier. Condensation is the major cause of mould.

Half measures will avail you nothing, you will only have to repeat the frustration & expense further down the road. So perhaps remove any polystyrene from any place on that wall and examine the wall surface for moisture or further damage.

What are you proposing for the basement - a light makeover or a total refurbishment etc. ?

If, given your renovation activities, you post on DIY forums such as this, you would do well to learn how to post pics.