How can you tell if there is water damage inside your cabinets?

2/11/2022 (Permalink)

What can your cabinets handle? Do you know what's lurking?

How can you tell if there is water damage inside your cabinets?

The kitchen is the heart of any home. Your bathroom is often the sanctuary. Both rooms have several plumbing connections and built-in cabinets. These cabinets could be wooden or composite. They can be painted, stained, or even open shelves. But if your cabinets are damaged from any leak, you’ll have to make sure they are repaired or they will need to be replaced.

And it’s a HUGE investment.

Kitchen cabinet costs range widely. This could be anywhere from $100 to more than $500 per linear foot. Example:  For a typical 10-by-10-foot kitchen, the national average to replace or install cabinets is around $5,000 to $6,000! Are you ready? That’s why we try to help property owners to be mindful of proper drying and maintenance of their cabinetry.

Even a very small amount of water could cause them to swell, split or ruin MDF. For solid wood cabinets -the damage could be expensive as well. The key to fixing water-damaged cabinets is to identify the damage first, remove the water and dry them out completely next and assess repair needs.

But what are you looking for?

Visible Signs of Any Water Damage

SERVPRO water damage restoration experts recommend you familiarize yourself with the signs of water damage anywhere in your home. A small splash on a cabinet surface will simply evaporate quickly-harmless. The concern comes from an extensive amount of time, when moisture sits in an absence of sunlight and/or ventilation. Different cabinet materials show water damage in very different ways.  MDF cabinets will absorb moisture and swell, this causes instability in the material. Shortly after this happens, your kitchen cabinets might bubble and the veneer might peel off.  Worst case: the entire exposed edge may crumble to dust.  

Cabinet Water Damage When NON-Visible

One very obvious sign that wood cabinets have been water damaged is a dark stain. A closer inspection is that they are losing their finish or sheen and then look deeper. When a wood cabinet has been waterlogged, moisture will affect paint, veneer, and metal handles. And could even start to show mold.

When bases warp, the doors and drawers won’t close well – causing more issues.

Follow these signs and hints; have the water damage restoration experts at SERVPRO of Bloomington/Pontiac fix the water problem and repair/replace your cabinets.

Is There A Moldy Stench in the Cabinet Area?

Especially in the cabinets under your sink- you may smell the “mildew” odor. It’s earthy, funky, and just plain nasty. Trust your nose-they never lie. Look for any discoloration and sometimes a fuzzy and mottled area. Fix the leak-then fix the Cabinet.

Can I Just Paint Over the Damage-There is a Thing for that Right?

Painting wood cabinets is no different than painting any other solid wood surface. Prep and painting properly should produce a beautiful product.  But laminate kitchen cabinets are much more difficult.

As long as the water did not delaminate the top layer from its base material, you can leave the cabinets as they are before your paint. But if the base were damaged, the coverup is only a temporary fix. Replacement is about it.  Cabinet refacing falls between a total replacement of cabinets and a high-end paint job. Professional refacing involves replacing old cabinet doors and drawer fronts.  But if the structure of the cabinet has been exposed to water, changing the front won’t fix the problem.

SERVPRO of Bloomington/Pontiac is here for your water needs. Our staff is trained on exactly how to fix your water issue and get your home back to the safe and beautiful space you want.

Call us today at 309-827-7500 or visit our website at www.SERVPRObloomingtonpontiac.com.

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