is this expensive, can i DIY?

rondogz

Just found this in my place. All through kitchen cabinets and onto the wall in the bedroom nextdoor.

Leak is resolved but the walls and cabinets are pretty damaged. Is this expensive to fix? Could I DIY?

EricL

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community. It's sensational to have you join us, and thanks for sharing your question about your kitchen cabinets.

You would need to assess the damage first by removing the kitchen cabinets. How far did the water damage go, do you need to replace the plasterboard? Did the water affect the timber framework of the wall. The assessment will be the same for your kitchen cabinets, did the water just damage the back walls of the cabinet or did it affect the side and bottom parts of the cabinet? Is it worth repairing and recycling the cabinets or should you just change the entire set?

These questions and others will be answered once you start to take apart your kitchen. Assessing water damage needs to be done thoroughly and can't be analysed just by looking at the surface damage alone. This is a project that you will need to assess very well. Will it cost you more to take time off to repair all the water damage, or will it be more affordable if you let a professional repair it in a fixed amount of time.

Let me call on our experienced members @Dave-1 and Nailbag for their recommendations.

If you need further assistance, please let us know.

Eric

Dave-1

Morning @rondogz

As @EricL has mentioned the damage needs a deeper assement to detmine how bad or not bad it is.

At a surface level it dosnt look bad, can you poke a flat head screwdriver into the backing of teh cupboards? Is there other rooms that show water damage? Does the plaster if you can touch it feel spongy? These are the thingsI would be goingthrought to determine if its worth my while to pull apart a kitchen to rectify something.

The water leak has been repaired, generally the point of the leak will show the worst effect. So if you have caught it before it went full scale then you may have been lucky. That middle board of the cupboard showing no signs of deformation is a good sign the water hasnt entered into the particle board. The rear wall dosnt really show too much deformation other then discoloring? The top photo shows the most and once its dry then id assess, even if its spongy but the only spongy place I would have it on my list as a low prioruty (cost verse time) to try and rectify.

Just re-read your question and you say its gone through to the wall in the bedroom behind it. Could we have a photo of the damage? And same rule with the plaster, if it looks ok and you cant easily force a screwdriver into it you may be lucky.

Dave

rondogz

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your reply! I had a plumber come out today and take some moisture readings for me. I've just bought the place and now I'm stuck with this!

Moisture readings are low, and he said the bedroom wall isn't a problem (just some residual discolouration, it's brick and not dry wall). Leak only came from cracks in the silicone seal on the bench top which has since been fixed.

Essentially, he said it's relatively minor and would just involve replacing the backing of the kitchen cabinets. They're not spongey or wet to touch, just stained and a little deformed

with a small amount of black mould starting to grow which is really my only concern.

MitchellMc

Hi @rondogz,

That sounds good. Provided the cabinetry has dried out, it should be fine, and I wouldn't replace the boards unless they start disintegrating. With the moisture issue being resolved, they'll likely stay as they are now.

I would get a spray bottle and make up a mixture of 50/50 vinegar and water or 1/10 of bleach and water. Spitz the areas that are developing mould, and that should kill it. Don't saturate the timber, as we don't want to introduce excessive moisture to it again.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Dave-1

Afternoon @rondogz

Good news and I would be doing the same steps as @MitchellMc has suggested. Houses/units all come with various issues and over time they will get solved when neccasary. I bought my place 14ish years ago and didnt realise there was a dip in my loungeroom floor when I looked at it (they had a lounge over it) and its only got to a point recently that I have had to fix it.

The effort involved in replacing the back of the kitchen cabinets would be large and pretty much cost the same as redoing. It will look the same whichever way you go about it. If your kitchen is current styled, id leave it. If its an older style you want to change it then maybe keep that in mind.

Dave