MikeB wrote:

Right, I live in North Texas (DFW area) in a house that was built in
1983.

Today my wife noticed some black spots on a kitchen cabinet shelf.
Upon further investigation, the deepest, most unreachable part of
those shelves were black with mold. Since these shelves are right next
to the dishwasher, I next looked under the dishwasher and my worst
fears were true. There must be a slow or small leak somewhere in the
dishwasher plumbing, since there was a lake of water under there. This
water never seeped onto the floor, since the tiles on the floor seem
to form a small barrier that allows the water to spread under the
cupboards, but there never was enough water to complete fill that
hollow and spread over onto the floor.

So now I have several questions.

Can spraying bleach cure this or am I looking at replacing (at best)
the shelves that seem to be some form of particle board or 9at worst)
the entire set of kitchen cabinets?

How the heck do I get the dishwasher out of there and how do I look
under the dishwasher to find the leaking plumbing? All my tugging on
the dishwasher doesn't seem to move it and I'm afraid I might twist or
break something (nothing feels very strong) if I pull too hard.

For those familiar with the mold issues a few years back here in North
Texas, I guess I'm SOL as far as my insurance picking up a part of the
tab? I'll call my agent tomorrow, but I thought I'd ask here in case
someone has some experience.

Unplug the power (or turn off the breaker).

Disconnect the drain hose under the sink and drain it into a pot.

Remove the screws that hold the dishwasher to the bottom of the
countertop. Look for brackets at the top of the opening. If you have a
solid-surface counter, the brackets may be at the sides.

Remove the kickplate at the bottom of the dishwasher. Behind it you'll
find the electrical and water connections. There should be enough slack
to gently pull the dishwasher out of the opening. Since you have a tile
floor, you *may* have trouble getting it out. I wish you luck there.

Suck up all the water with a wet vac. Get back in all the corners.

Put a fan on the opening to dry out the floor. Let it run for a couple
of days.

Since water got under adjacent cabinets, they need to dry too. Unload
the cabinets and leave the doors open. Give it a couple of weeks to dry.

Bleach is probably good to kill the mildew, but I'm not a remediation
specialist. Look for detailed instructions on the web or at your
library. If you want a pro to do the job, let me know and I can refer
you to an excellent contractor.

The last time I did this, the infestation was slight, and I used a
mildew sealer from the big box store instead of bleach. It was supposed
to kill the nasties and leave a film to seal them in.

Wear gloves, long sleeves, face mask, etc.

Obligatory story: You should have seen the stuff in New Orleans. I
inspected an old church that had been flooded, and it was awful. Our
youth group went down to do the demolition. If they can do it, anybody
can. Then the district decided to combine the church with another
congregation, since there were only 19 elderly members. Thanks anyway,
kids.

--
Steve Bell
New Life Home Improvement
Arlington, TX