Water Damaged Kitchen Cabinets And How To Restore Them
As with any stationary piece of furniture around your home, cabinets serve the dual purpose of functionality and appearance. They are crucial to a well run home. And they are a huge investment. Due to the wide ranging differences in materials and quality, kitchen cabinets cost anywhere from $4,500 to $13,000. When they get wet, you need to know if you can save your investment or will need to replace them. Ultra Clean in Nampa has years of experience salvaging water damaged kitchens and bringing them back to being the “heart of your home.”
How Long Do Kitchen Cabinets Last?
As one of the longest-lasting components of your entire kitchen, your cabinets outlast your appliances, sink, faucet and most countertops. But of course, this lifespan had many factors: quality of the wood, quality of workmanship, amount of wear and tear, occasional maintenance. In general, high-quality cabinets can last up to 50 years.
This sounds like an incredibly long period of time, but cabinets are also at risk to water damage due to the amount of moisture in a modern kitchen. Damage can be a result of a slow leak, poor ventilation, or a sudden burst pipe.
Signs of Water Damaged Cabinets
Since most kitchen cabinets are made from wood, water damage is a likely occurrence. Kitchen cabinets are exposed to more water, steam, and other damaging elements than cabinets in most other parts of your home. Wood can easily be damaged by water, especially if you have a leak somewhere. Look for:
- Swollen
- Not closing properly
- Discoloration
- Warped wood
- Cabinets have “bubbles”
- Outside of the cabinet is delaminated
- Wood discoloration
- Cabinets showing signs of mold
- Wood has begun to warp.
- Bubbling up on the inside or outside of the cabinet
- The wood has started to blacken or change colors
- Mold is apparent
Where To Start?
The first priority is stopping the leak at the source of the problem. Once a leak is located, adequately closing or redirecting the leak will ensure this does not happen again. The professional team at UltraClean will take all the necessary steps to identify, repair and restore any intrusion.
Next, you’ll need to sufficiently dry all cabinets using fans, dehumidifiers, and air blowers. Once dry, replacing certain parts and bleaching out stains might be needed. The goal is to salvage materials that are sound, and replace pieces that will degrade. .
During the entire process, the UltraClean team will be on the p]lookout for potential mold problems. Mold can start developing in as little as 24 hours, even from small amounts of water. Water damage may also result in all sorts of safety hazards and structural problems, so having an experienced team can save you thousands of dollars.
For Water Damage Restoration And Worse in Nampa
UltraClean has been keeping the Treasure Valley safe and dry since 1999. The physical structure is just part of the story. Dealing with water or other damage can be extremely stressful; Ultraclean will bring you peace of mind and get life back to normal as efficiently as possible.
