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The kitchen is the throbbing heart of every Eldersburg, MD house. For you, your bathroom is a retreat. Each room has many plumbing connections as well as built-in cupboards. They are composed of wood or composite and can be painted, stained, or have open shelves. If your cabinets have been ruined by a leak, you will need to repair or replace them.
It's also a substantial financial investment. A kitchen cabinet can cost anything from $100 to over $500 per linear foot. The cost of repairing or installing cabinets in a standard 10-by-10-foot kitchen ranges from $5,000 to $6,000.
Even a small amount of water will swell, splinter, or damage MDF and solid wood cabinets. The key to repairing water-damaged cabinets is determining the degree of the damage, removing the water, and drying them thoroughly. What exactly are you searching for, though?
Visible Signs Of Water Damage
Water damage experts recommend that you learn to spot the signs of water damage. A stray drip on the cabinet top will evaporate rapidly. The issue arises over a lengthy period of time when moisture accumulates due to a lack of sunlight or ventilation. Depending on the cabinet material, water damage might appear in a variety of ways. Cabinets made of MDF, for example, will collect moisture and expand. As a result, the material becomes unstable. If this happens, your kitchen cabinets may bubble and the veneer may peel away. Alternatively, the exposed edge might dissolve completely into dust.
Water damage manifests itself as dark stains on wood cabinets. But look attentively; if the shine or brilliance is disappearing, look into it more. If a wood cabinet has been flooded, moisture will ruin the paint, veneer, and metal handles.
Is There A Mold Smell?
A noticeable "mildew" odor may be detected, particularly in the cupboards beneath your sink. It has a mushroomy, earthy, odorous, or sour flavor (like wet laundry.) With your nose, look for gray, white, or orange discoloration that is occasionally fuzzy and speckled.
Can I Just Paint Over The Damage?
When it comes to painting, wood cabinets are no different than any other wood surface. Laminate kitchen cabinets, on the other hand, are more difficult to install. Melamine is a scuff-resistant, smooth surface created by attaching a thin polymeric material to particle board.
As long as the water does not delaminate the melamine from its base material, you can leave the cabinets as-is before painting. The coverup, on the other hand, is only a band-aid if the foundation is shattered.
Professional Cabinet Refacing
Refacing cabinets is a middle ground between total cabinet replacement and a high-end paint job. Professional refacing can replace obsolete cabinet doors and drawer fronts, as well as fix the veneer on box fronts and sides. However, replacing the front of a cabinet that has been ruined by water will not address the problem. You should address the causes of water damage before spending money on new fronts.
Your cabinets will almost definitely need to be repaired or replaced if your kitchen or bathroom has been flooded. The licensed water damage restoration technicians at Restoration 1 of Central Maryland have undergone comprehensive water damage training and have years of expertise. They will restore and repair water damage to your home in a systematic manner, utilizing top-of-the-line equipment and tried-and-true methods.