I live in an Old House (1907 Craftsman) and took awhile to determine if this should be there or here under home repair. Since this could happen in any house I chose repair.

Here is the story: I am in the early design/research phase of a kitchen (badly needed) remodel. The very small kitchen was most likely "remodeled" in the sixties or seventies (approx. 12' x 12'). All the cool old and charming cabinetry, flooring and appliances removed and replaced with cheap plastic/wood laminate stuff.

BUT Here is the problem: I have discovered a water leakage that needs immediate attention and repair. Cheap thin plastic tiling forms the backsplash behind the kitchen sink and wall mount faucet and they are cracking and falling off. This has been slowly happening over a number of months/years(??) For a very long time now (years) when I rinse, wash, etc. off the counters, whatever, water has been seeping through the tiles. Then water most likely drips down the back of the sink counter, behind it but I can't see the wall because of sink counter wood back is adjacent and connected to the wall.

Recently the tiles started detaching and falling off. Now mortar(crumbling grey material?) is damp and falling apart due to the much washing. (Before me, there were renters and they didn't cook or clean much.) You can see a bulging hole, and wooden lathes exposed, covered with lots of the mortarly-type grey, wet-sand matter falling out, and the hole gets larger with each passing day.

The sink countertop are is cheap-yellow-dingy-plastic laminate held down by aluminum plastic stripping along the edge. This whole counter top sink are is small (approx 8' x 25").

When I look below the sink, part of the back wall is covered by the wood cabineting. But the other part of the wall (to sink-right) is open and exposed to the houses foundation. Its the corner cabinet (now adays they put those cute lazy-suzy-spinning things). The corner area is open and exposed, during the daylight I can even see some cracking and light comes through the foundation.

My first thought is to take a sledge hammer the to kitchen sink cabinet, so I can get to the behind area where the water is dripping. We are really poor so can't just jump in with a remodel and fix it all at once. I have to fight the urge to just get in there and tear the whole cabinet out. I just want to know what the damage is and fix-it-now. But, I hesitate.

Why?? Sigh!!! . . . Its DH's fault. (Does DH mean husband? partner?)

Anyway, my other half is in denial and lives in another world. My bookish, computer, geek-guy, intellect has lived in this house for over twenty years and has done nothing or just enough to get by. I moved in eight years ago, and recently in the last year I have been bitten by the bug to re-pair, remodel, and generally spruce up the place. Its a really cool, unique house. We are not rich and he thinks all is fine, as is. When I showed him the big hole in the wall, he really suggested gluing, and covering it up with some of those "fancy art tiles you always wanted". Never mind about potential water damage and structural whatever, because we he says "we don't have the money".

Sigh!!

Any suggestions here for me on strategy? I would like to know what to do first, rationally or should I just jump in and see where it takes me?