How To Repair Water Damage On Cabinets
Kitchen cabinets are put through a lot of stress, peculiarly if they're under the sink or refrigerator and they're fabricated from materials like MDF and particle board which don't tend to exist super strong. H2o from your sink and moisture in the air can atomic number 82 to water damaged cabinets that look a bit worse for wear.
Water damaged cabinets will often get swollen, causing paint to flake off or laminate to chimera upwardly and ruin the terminate. Y'all might even notice that a laminate surface starts to pop off completely due to water damage inside your cabinets.
However water damaged kitchen cabinets bear on your kitchen, y'all need to repair them as shortly as possible before the impairment gets any worse. Wood can survive a sure corporeality of water damage, simply the team at Kitchen Infinity can definitely tell you from experience the cabinets can also attain a point of no render where they become unsaveable.
Here we're going to expect at the best way to repair kitchen cabinets that are water damaged, as well every bit discuss possible ways to protect your cabinets from water problems going forward.
Let's get to it!
9 Steps For Repairing Kitchen Cabinets Subsequently H2o Impairment
At present, these are general steps that tin can be broadly applied to most situations for most cabinet door materials and styles. Obviously, you demand to use some mutual sense regarding the level of water damage and how feasible information technology is to salvage your cabinets from water impairment.
These nine steps should work fine to repair water harm off of cabinets made from MDF, particle board, plywood, and many other materials.
Then, how do you repair water damaged forest cabinets?
i. Prepare the cabinets for repair
First things starting time, you need to prepare the cabinets for the work y'all're going to do.
You need to remove the cabinet door from its hinges and place it on a work surface which is safe and protected for tools/paint. Preferably move it to a garage/shed and put dropcloths around to take hold of paint.
Depending on the severity of the water impairment, you may desire to remove the hinges, door handles, and any other pieces of hardware from the chiffonier door. You may find that this makes the process easier regardless of the water damage level.
Make sure that the doors are dry before y'all start working on them – they cannot be recently water damaged. Take them off a couple days earlier y'all plan to repair them if necessary.
2. Use a shellac-based primer on the forest
Easy to find in virtually hardware stores, shellac-based primers are designed to aid repair small blemishes and impairment in wooden furniture such as our cabinets.
Shellac-based primer normally comes in a spray bottle for piece of cake application over damaged areas. Apply i or 2 coats of this product over damaged areas to help even out the surface of your cabinet door.
The keen thing about shellac-based primer is that yous can put whatsoever kind of paint over it. This primer is going to assistance fifty-fifty out the surface of the wood but likewise allow your pigment to stick to it really well.
3. Apply plastic wood filler if necessary
If there are larger areas of damage on your kitchen cabinets, you may like to utilise plastic forest filler to aid seal them up and repair the water damage. Particle board tends to get more than bumps than MDF then if you accept particle board cabinets, do this pace thoroughly.
Personally, I similar to apply the plastic wood filler straight from the tube into affected areas and then smooth it over with a small putty knife. Obviously the amount you use and the technique yous use to utilise information technology will depend on the state of affairs you've got in front of yous.
Make sure that you get the surface of your cabinets nice and apartment (or as flat as possible!) before the next step.
four. Go sanding that chiffonier door!
Now information technology's fourth dimension to kickoff sanding!
Kitchen cabinets repair ofttimes involves sanding at some stage, and this is no exception! H2o damaged cabinets demand sanding down so that the surface of the wood appears even once again, without any bubbling or bloated areas.
I similar to use 120-dust sandpaper, though any similar coarse grit should be okay. Some people exercise this stride past manus, simply I find that it'south much easier to utilize an electric sander for this pace.
You should ideally use a high-quality electric sander fabricated by a reputable habitation design company.
Be conscientious not to sand the forest besides much – you lot're probably going to repeat the procedure, so the cabinets shouldn't look equally good as new directly away. Just make certain it looks smoother and less damaged after you lot sand information technology down.
5. Repeat the previous steps if necessary
If your cabinet are really desperately afflicted by h2o harm, you should consider repeating the previous steps ane or 2 times over until the repair work is acceptable.
Yous may want to reuse the shellac primer, the plastic woods filler, and the sanding process depending on how damaged the cabinet door really is.
Use your best judgment or ask a friend who'southward skilful at home DIY if you're non certain! Repeat steps ii to 4 until the wood is looking flat and relatively smoothen.
Don't worry about the color at this point – focus on the wood repair itself.
half dozen. Start painting your kitchen cabinet!
In one case the water impairment is barely visible and the chiffonier door looks very flat and shine, it's time to start painting it back to how it was.
Use the same blazon of paint that you used for the original cabinet blueprint. The shellac primer volition help the paint to adhere to the forest nice and easily.
If you're working with larger a cabinet door, y'all may want to use a paint roller for the process, finishing off any minor details with a small paintbrush. Some people also like to apply paintbrushes for the whole affair – it depends on your preference and skill level with painting.
You probably want to paint over the entire chiffonier door (not just the h2o damaged areas) otherwise the pigment will expect patchy and uneven.
Once you've finished painting, leave the chiffonier door to dry for however long is necessary co-ordinate to the blazon of paint you've used. Bear in listen that oil-based woods paints can take several hours to dry in between coats, then let as much fourth dimension as you'll need.
seven. Sand the painted cabinet doors downwardly
Y'all'll notice that you lot're very adept at sanding after this repair job!
Yes, once the paint is dry, sand it downward once more with a finer sandpaper. The goal hither isn't to flatten or reshape the forest – it'due south to make the finish of the paint appear more seamless. The sanding also creates small-scale holes and grooves in the cabinet door surface which helps future coats of paint to adhere properly.
I employ 220-grit sandpaper for this part of the repair procedure.
You can sand the painted wood by manus or use an electrical sander in one case once again. Yet, I would recommend sanding this step past hand because y'all need to exist more careful and preserve the paint job.
Be gentle!
8. Utilise a final coat of paint and sand it downward once again
Now apply a final glaze of paint, allow it dry, and gently sand it downward over again with fine 220-grit sandpaper or similar. You might desire to repeat the process i or two more than times depending on how your cabinet door is looking.
At this betoken, no h2o damage or paint chipping should be visible. The cabinet door should look as skillful every bit new. The repair is virtually consummate!
9. Utilise a water-proofing varnish or seal
If you desire to actually repair water damaged kitchen cabinets and stop the problem from coming back, I would suggest applying a final topcoat or clear coat to help continue the water out going forrad.
You can find various waterproof seals, clear coats, and varnishes for wooden kitchen cabinets. Make certain yous find i that is suitable for the type of wood y'all're working on and the type of paint that you've been using.
Also exist enlightened of the clear glaze's finish. For instance, if you're going for a flat matte paint finish, you want a articulate coat that volition not wait glossy when it dries.
Waterproof paints and varnishes won't make your cabinets impervious to h2o, just they volition get in much more than difficult for future wet to penetrate the wood.
How Do I Protect My Kitchen Cabinets From Water?
One time you've got your kitchen cabinets repaired, y'all desire to go on them safe from future damage. Afterward all, it's ameliorate to protect your cabinets than constantly repair them. There are five principal ways to do this:
1. Get them laminated
You may have heard of laminated kitchen cabinets. This is when your wood cabinets and frames have a layer of "laminate" over them which protects them from water damage.
This laminate layer is a shine, shiny applique which may be made from plastic or a like h2o-resistant material. Laminated kitchen cabinets are not waterproof, but this shine outer layer can end h2o aerosol from penetrating the wooden core of your cabinet doors.
Laminated kitchen cabinets are usually on the glossy side, though it is possible to paint laminate kitchen cabinets so they friction match your intended kitchen manner.
2. Use a h2o-proofing varnish, seal, or clear coat
You tin find diverse clear coats for your kitchen cabinets that help to continue them waterproof. This way, you tin terminate your kitchen cabinets from absorbing h2o easily, even if they're made from cheap woods.
Waterproof seals, varnishes, and articulate coats come up in various formulas and are applicable to dissimilar types of kitchen cabinet door, depending on the blazon of wood and the pigment used.
If you find a waterproofing articulate coat, just ensure that the finish (i.e. sleeky, matte, satin) matches the stop that you're going for with your new kitchen cabinet design.
iii. Get a deeper style of sink
If you keep dripping water all down your kitchen cabinet doors, yous might observe information technology'south time to modify the design of your kitchen.
For instance, do you need a deeper style of sink so that h2o doesn't splash out then hands? Mayhap you need a meliorate seal effectually the edges of the sink to stop the water from leaking out.
Changing your sink manner could stop water spillages from happening altogether. Prevention is better than repair!
four. Attempt new countertop edges
You might also want to change the design of your countertop edges. You might not think about it, just the manner that your countertop edges are designed can significantly impact the likelihood of water dripping into your cabinets and ruining them.
For example, kitchen countertops with a bullnose border (i.e. an edge that curves all the way around) tend to carry water spillages over the edge and drip them into the cabinets beneath.
On the other manus, beveled edges on your kitchen countertops tend to brand spillages drip downwards straight onto the floor, missing the cabinets entirely.
If you find that your home is decumbent to cabinet damage, a square edge or beveled border countertop is a great solution if you don't have small children to worry nearly (the edges can be sharp!)
5. Become amend ventilation or dehumidification
If you find that your problems are acquired past moisture, you may find that you want to invest in meliorate ventilation for your kitchen. For example, if you lot eddy a lot of h2o or do a lot of cooking that produces steam, you need to help that steam go out of your dwelling house.
Information technology's non rocket scientific discipline.
The obvious solution is to open your windows to help the moisture and steam escape, just you might also want to consider products such every bit kitchen extractor fans and dehumidifiers to help soak up excess wet in the air which is ruining your precious cabinets!
Open up windows can only do so much.
The Bottom Line
Information technology's not super easy to repair your kitchen cabinets, but it is definitely possible if you're willing to put in the necessary time, endeavor, and materials. Depending on the type of paint you lot're using and the severity of the project, it tin have anywhere from a few hours to several days to repair your wet cabinets, so keep this in mind.
Personally, I find that it's best to keep your cabinetry protected from future spills by investing in deep sinks, good sealing, and counter edges which assistance spills to scroll off the finish and straight onto the floor. Whether you're repairing existing issues or safeguarding against future wet, I hope that your repair task goes well.
Remember to stay safe, take all the time you need, and proceed repeating those steps until the cabinets expect good as new!
Source: https://kitcheninfinity.com/how-to-repair-water-damaged-cabinet-doors/
Posted by: woodardoringlats.blogspot.com
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