# installed cupboards and bathtub done right?



## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

so i had a pretty shady contractor do renovations. the counter has an overhang for barstools to eat at. well being the mts type personality that i am, i have a fish tank under it (company can eat off paper plates on their laps) and the tank sticks out about 10 inches. well a couple times my hob's leaked and water wnet behind the tank on to the ceramic tiles. the floors are all unden so the water mostly ran staright down the grout line where there is clearance for the hob. but , the grout line also run fro m the baack of the tank to the cupboard. he made the drawers so they do not come out. which sucks if something gets stuck. but now when i open the drawers i can smell mould. then i remembered that when he did the floors he left the areas where the cupboards were going void of tiles. after everything else i found out now i am wondering if he could have screw another penny out of me he would have. So it doesnt seem right. at least if there was tile the water would sit and evaporate under the cabinet. what if the plumbing leaked? so there is just bare thin plywood under them. 

anyone know about this procedure?

also post 3 has pic of tub install


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

It is fairly common for there to be no tiles under kitchen cabinets. When we did renos before, the contractor said we could tile it all up if we wanted before the cabinets went in, of course it would cost more. We did end up tiling all the way.


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

same with the tub?


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

Yup, they don't tile under the tub either. Although my contractor did use concrete to level up the tub to help support its weight.


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

thanks for the input.


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

he was supposed replace all the bathroom flooring. so the way he did it makes it look flush with the other floor but itis just sitting on the subfloor where the air barrier is. its basically just on the joists so is very cold with only a 2 ft crawl space


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## kacairns (Apr 10, 2012)

Water doesn't evaporate as easily as you think. Whether you have tile or plywood under your cabinet doesn't make a difference either when it comes to water, after about 72 hours without drying out you are running risk of mould. Tile grout can support the growth of mould which is why it needs to be sealed regularly. Also your cabinet base/box will mould just as fast as your plywood.

Since you smell the musty odor you probably do have some mould growth, it sounds as if it is fairly minor but all depends your own immune system and those around you. I've seen a half square foot of undisturbed mould make someone violently ill. I've been in in places over the years that were covered wall to wall with different bacterial growths trying to fight each other for space without protection and haven't been affected by it.

You really only have 2 options. 1) ignore it. 2) take things apart and figure out what is causing the odor, is it the plywood, or the cabinet, or the grout, or all 3?


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## onefishtwofish (Apr 21, 2010)

i wish i could just take out the drawers to check it out more. at least spray some lysol. maybe i should move the tank...........I wish he had given me the option to tile under them or not
there r times when having a man around the house is useful.......lol...............


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## kacairns (Apr 10, 2012)

can you take a picture of the side of the drawer


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## Lamplighter (Aug 3, 2012)

I did a reno last year. I updated a kitchen and washrooms. There was black mold behind the tiles that showed up when they were removed. I got sick and ended up with pneumonia. The inflammation caused by the pneumonia looked like tumors on a CAT scan. A year later and my lungs function at less than 50% capacity. I use inhalers!! I wouldn't fool with mold!


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## Lamplighter (Aug 3, 2012)

onefishtwofish said:


> i wish i could just take out the drawers to check it out more. at least spray some lysol. maybe i should move the tank...........I wish he had given me the option to tile under them or not
> there r times when having a man around the house is useful.......lol...............


 Bleach will kill mold! I'm not sure if Lysol will.


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## kacairns (Apr 10, 2012)

Bleach will, doubt lysol will. But you have to make sure you get all the mould otherwise you've basically wasted your effort as you've left some of it alive and it will spread. Sometimes you make it mad if you don't get it all too =)


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## Lamplighter (Aug 3, 2012)

There's special Lysol mold killer.

LYSOL® Mold and Mildew Remover | Cleaning Products, Disinfectants


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## tony1928 (Apr 22, 2010)

You have to get rid of the moisture issue to rid mold. No amount of cleanser will keep it away.


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