Can Your Water Damaged Kitchen And Cabinets Be Restored?

It’s so frustrating when something so helpful becomes so harmful (and expensive)! In this country, household water damage costs up to $20 billion annually. And it really impacts individual families; the average water damage insurance claim is for more than $11k.

Of all the rooms in your home, the kitchen is the riskiest. It has the highest number of appliances and fixtures that could fail. If your broken ice maker or leaky pipe floods your floor with gallons of water, you need to get a team on site right now. In Houston, licensed water damage repair professionals at 24/7 Restoration Specialists will determine the extent of the destruction by categorizing and classifying the damage to your home. Then they will plan your repairs.

Most kitchen floors are water resistant but may not be waterproof. The team will check the thresholds and joints for water seepage. If the drywall gets wet, it typically needs to be replaced. Not only is the drywall itself ruined, but the wet paper backer of the drywall can become the perfect environment to support mold growth.

However, one of the most expensive areas to repair is your cabinets. Sometimes wet cabinets can be cleaned, dried and repaired. The experts at 24/7 Restoration Specialists will be able to assess your kitchen disaster and determine if they can be repaired, or if they need to be replaced.

How Will They Restore Them?

First, the first step is to completely empty your cabinets. You will need to keep food items stored in glass or plastic containers during the process. Then they will remove the doors to limit the damage as well. (The weight of the doors causes the particle board to disintegrate.)

These doors will be moved to another staging area with high-volume fans and structural drying dehumidifiers. Back in the kitchen, they will remove as much water as possible with the doors out of the way, using all the tools appropriate for the space.

If the water has delaminated a few areas of the cabinet, professionals can often repair the damage. For extremely warped or swollen cabinets, temporary braces can be used to help straighten them out.

However, it’s difficult to work with badly damaged MDF and plywood. And unfortunately, you can’t save basic particle board cabinets. Even some solid wood kitchens will be too damaged to salvage. You might only need to replace some and then use wood stain so they all match. In some cases, you may need to refinish kitchen cabinets after water damage.

Disinfect and Deodorize To Prevent Mold

Even though your cabinets are dry, odors and mold can still develop over time. You need to be sure that any mold spores growing in the wet kitchen area don’t get tracked into other areas (or the ventilation system) of the home. 24/7 Restorations Specialists have processes to kill mold and bacteria as well as remove smells.

Typical Process For Filing Insurance Claim

If your damage is due to a problem with an appliance or plumbing (not an external flood) it is usually covered by your homeowners insurance policy. In general, this is the order of steps:

As soon as you find unexplained water, take (reasonable) measures to stop it from flowing.
Call your insurance agent and report the claim.
Concurrently, hire a professional water damage clean-up company. In Houston, 24/7 Restoration Specialists will have your best interest at heart during cleanup and restoration, if needed.
Determine if you need to leave the home. Usually hotels and meals are covered under the policy.
Take photos and videos of the damaged areas. Keep a spreadsheet of damaged possessions: model numbers, purchase cost, when acquired, etc.
Meet with your adjuster.
Understand your loss settlement: ACV vs. replacement cost.
Negotiate the settlement for repairs. 24/7 Restoration Specialists has years of experience with all the major insurance carriers.

If You Need Water Damage Restoration in Houston

Whether you have insurance coverage on your home or not, wet kitchens demand immediate attention. Avoid more damage (and danger) by getting water restoration experts on sight ASAP. If you find signs of water damage, call 24/7 Restoration Specialists immediately. The water damage restoration technicians will bring the expertise and equipment to restore your home as quickly and safely as possible.