Water Damage Experts In Columbus Discuss Problems With Cabinets

6/18/2018 (Permalink)

For proper removal of all water damage, even that hidden behind cabinets, count on SERVPRO.

Removing water damage from under or behind kitchen cabinets

If a pipe running to a sink breaks inside your Columbus home, water can spill into other areas possibly causing extensive damage. Excessive moisture can ruin the structural integrity of building materials forcing them to be removed and replaced. When the problem takes place near a sink, there is a good chance your cabinets get affected by moisture.

Since cabinets are made of wood, reducing moisture levels promptly is vital to prevent mold growth. When mitigating water damage in Columbus the primary goal is to inhibit microbial development by removing moisture in less than 48 hours. These built-in storage units sometimes make the drying of wet materials difficult since they are attached to the wall. Vanities also can hold moisture in the wall cavities behind them requiring special techniques to dry out the materials quickly.

In some situations, our SERVPRO technicians can detach the cabinets so that the walls behind them are accessible. If removing cupboards is possible, air movers and dehumidifiers get set up to push air across the wall's surface and speed up the natural evaporation process. If the cabinets themselves are wet, they can get placed in an area of the air circulation so that they get dried out quickly as well.

In other cases, vanities cannot be removed easily without removing water pipes. In scenarios like these, our SERVPRO technicians dry out the cupboards and walls behind them while they are still in place. Some cabinets have toe-kicks that can be taken off so that air can get underneath them and reach the walls behind them. If cupboards have permanent toe-kicks, then the trim can be removed from them, and holes can be drilled into them to allow airflow underneath.

If our SERVPRO technicians test the moisture levels of the wall behind the cabinets and find high moisture levels in materials inside the wall cavities, then holes can get drilled into the cupboards' backing and drywall. The holes allow air coming from the air movers to get into the wall cavities and speed up the drying process. If this has to be done, then we can patch up the holes with wood putty once the job is completed.

Dealing with wet cabinets can be tricky and often take specialized techniques to dry within the 48 hour period. If you ever need help with wet cupboards, call SERVPRO of South Columbus at (614) 863-1392 any day of the week.

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