There’s Water In My Kitchen Cabinets
What’s Next?
Due to all the water lines and drain pipes, your kitchen is vulnerable to water damage. A leak from any one of those sources can cause extensive damage to both your upper and lower cabinets. Excess water is terrible for wood and medium density fibreboard (MDF) — especially expensive kitchen cabinets. Stock cabinets start at about $100 per linear foot, semi-custom cabinets will run you around $100 to $650 per linear foot, and custom cabinets usually cost between $500 and $1,200 per linear foot.
In many cases, it’s possible to salvage a wet kitchen. Professional grade air movers and dehumidifiers are effective at drying cabinets, but only if you get help from a professional restoration company like Red Truck Disaster Response in Boise.
Address the Cause Before Restoring
Call Red Truck Disaster response immediately. While it’s important to begin drying water damaged cabinets as quickly as possible, all efforts are wasted if you don’t fix the cause of the water damage first.
After shutting off the water to your entire home, they will identify the cause and identify if water is clean (from the tap) or dirty (an outgoing line from the sink, garbage disposal or dishwasher.)
The red Truck will determine the best method for drying your cabinets: in place on the wall, on the kitchen floor, or removed to another location. Let her experience determine the next steps. For example, if the material around the hinges is wet, the weight of the doors can cause further damage. Removing the doors limits the stress on the wet cabinets and improves air flow to speed up the drying time.
Know Your Materials
Factors affecting chances of saving your expensive cabinets are: amount of water, length of time, type of water, and cabinet type.
Particle Board and Plywood
The vast majority of kitchens built or remodeled after the mid -1960s use materials made from wood byproducts. Plywood is made from thin sheets of wood, layered in alternating directions, glued together with adhesives. Particle board is a composite material made of wood, resin, and glue. These compressed wood-like boards are then coated in some type of veneer to make them look more like real wood– think IKEA.
While the top horizontal layer can resist drops and small puddles, the sides of the “boards” are really fragile. Water weakens the glue, the boards swell, and the veneer gets warped. With enough water and time, particle board cabinets will crumble and fall apart.
Solid Wood
Although less common, some kitchen cabinets are made of solid wood. Even high end cabinets usually have a combination of materials. The advantage is that hardwood cabinets are more resistant to water damage than those made of particle board, but enough water or time will allow water to penetrate the wood. While they will eventually dry, wet hardwood cabinets are likely to swell and warp.
Prevent Future Damage With Constant Inspections
With so many sources of clean and waste water in your kitchen, something is bound to break. Be vigilant about noticing small leaks and drips; get a repair team in before you have water spray all over the cabinets. Water damage more than 48 hours old will require mold mitigation steps.
In order to prevent water damage in your kitchen, you should check for signs of water damage regularly. Inspect under sink cabinets for signs of leaks and make repairs if necessary. Check dishwasher and refrigerator supply lines at least once per year. Use top quality, metal components. Avoid using plastic water lines when installing a supply line to your refrigerator or ice maker. If you see, or smell, any water damage, have Red Truck Disaster response come take a look.
Red Truck uses thermal hygrometers, moisture meters and thermal imaging cameras to assess the location and extent of moisture. It is usually the case that if your cabinets have been soaked, so too has the floor beneath your cabinets and the wall behind your cabinets. If the tools indicate the water damage is more extensive than just your cabinets, additional measures will need to be taken to protect your kitchen.
Red Truck Disaster Response
For flood damage and water clean-up in Southwestern Idaho, contact Red Truck Disaster Response. After thousands of insurance claims, they understand insurance claim coverages and will partner with your adjuster to make ALL the repairs to return your home to pre-loss condition. Contact us if you find yourself facing water damage.
