Before

After

Fixing Water Damage to Cabinets

Cabinets are one of the most problematic parts of your home when they have received water damage. These dark, damp areas have a particular fondness for retaining moisture and growing mold. Oftentimes, since cabinetry is expensive, particle board becomes an alternative building material to reduce the hefty costs. Since particle board is already one of the lowest quality building materials available for cabinets, you may find yourself in a nightmarish situation if interior particle board has seen extensive exposure to water.

HOW DID THE DAMAGE OCCUR?

Water damage to your cabinet can be caused in a variety of ways. Flooding that rises into your cabinets, leaky pipes from a sink drain, and burst pipes within the wall behind the cabinet can all have different damaging effects on your cabinets. Things like pipe leaks cause the least amount of damage, provided that they are detected early. Burst pipes and flooding can completely saturate a cabinet, sometimes pushing it past the point of repair.

FIXING THE UNDERLYING ISSUE

Regardless of the damage, the source issue needs to be detected and resolved to prevent further damage. You might see the most damage beneath your cabinet, but if the damage came from a pipe, there’s likely damage within your walls that you cannot detect. That damage can be making its way throughout your home.

In the majority of cases, the issue responsible for water damage isn’t a simple fix. Water travels quickly, and it’s unlikely that the only part of the problem is the one right in front of your face. If the water was set loose by a corroded pipe, chances are high that the pipe is also corroded in areas that aren’t exposed. Thoroughly research the issue from the stem up, and make sure adequate repairs have been made. You don’t want to have to dig in your walls every few months when other signs of damage begin to surface.