A flood event or extreme weather can easily damage your cabinets. However, even less extreme water issues can create issues that if not addressed can turn into big repair costs down the road. That’s why the team from Malkin Cleaners is here to help. They’ve collected some of their years’ of water damage repair experience below to outline what to do when your cabinets have suffered water damage.

Let’s take a look!

Assess the Damage

Before jumping into how to repair your cabinets, it’s important first to assess the damage and know what type of warning signs to look for. Some of the most common culprits to look for are split wood or bloating plywood, but is also important to consider which type of cabinet materials yours are made from, like:

• Plywood: This is arguably one of the most difficult materials to restore because plywood cabinets will tend to twist and bend as they dry. Water damage can also cause this type of cabinet to delaminate, so check with your water damage restoration expert to see if they’re still salvageable.
• Hardwood or Solid Wood: Hardwood and solid wood cabinets can often be easily dried out and restored. However, when doing so be sure to look out for cracking, which can often happen due to changes in humidity.
• Particleboard: Since it’s made of such small components, drying and salvaging particleboard can be particularly difficult as it tends to absorb water, much like plywood.
• Metal: Metal cabinets are the easiest to dry and restore. This is because it often only requires a simple wipe-down and cleaning. However, not many properties are equipped with metal cabinets except older homes and commercial properties.

Getting Down to Business: How to Dry Your Cabinets

There are several steps involved in successfully drying your cabinets after a water damage event. First, you’ll need to drill holes to let the air circulate inside the cabinets. Often, the best place to do so is between the subfloor and your cabinet. Try placing your drill holes behind your cabinet’s toe-kick space, located on the bottom of the cabinet.

After performing the steps above, it’s time to install drying equipment, like an air mover or mini air mover. This will ensure air is circulating throughout the cabinet and make the drying time much quicker than simply air-drying them. If you don’t have the right equipment, a local water damage repair team should be able to assist you.

Contact Malkin Cleaners for your cabinet emergency!

If you’ve suffered flooding or other water damage on your property, the team from Malkin Cleaners can help you restore your cabinets. Our phone lines are always open so call us 24/7 at (604) 970-9052 or contact us online.