Now that your cabinetry is like new again I wanted to give you some information that you would probably also receive when you buy new cabinets. There is little to no compromise when properly refinishing vs replacing. More often than not, new painted cabinetry is far lower quality in wood material and coating quality than what you get from applying a high quality painted finish to your stain grade wood cabinetry. There are some problems that can occur with wood cabinetry that are not a result of poor workmanship in the prep work or the coatings. It is likely that you will not have any of these problems or even notice the minor ones if they occur. But if you do notice something, we want to help by providing you the proper information to understand or troubleshoot the problem. It is beneficial to know the characteristics of cabinet coatings in order to not be alarmed by minor cosmetic details that can come to attention on a close examination. We process your cabinetry to be the best that it can be and use the best coatings available in our industry. But with all coatings, the result is never without any noticeable minor flaws or limitations. We want you to be informed so that you know exactly what to expect from your new cabinet coating. With proper care, your cabinetry will stay looking and working great for many years. Proper care includes keeping water from settling on the cabinetry, occasionally wiping down any accumulated grime, and providing an environment that is wood friendly regarding major temperature fluctuations and adequate humidity.
Cleaning Recommendations
Although there are many cleaners that may work on our coating we recommend using a mild dish soap and a soft cloth/ towel. Stay away form anything concentrated with a lot of added chemicals etc. For regular cleaning, a small amount of dish soap saturated throughout a damp washrag should do. Then gently buffing dry when finished, with a soft towel, will leave them looking new again. If there is any type of scuff or residue that is more stubborn add a dab of dish soap to a part of the rag with a little more water and gently wipe that area with the soapy area of the rag to take care of the difficult area. Dish soap should be enough for almost everything you will encounter. Wiping down your cabinets occasionally and preventing gunk from building up on them will keep the finish looking it’s best for a very long time. This is especially important on doors that get a lot of use, like cabinets with trash cans, where sticky residue buildup over time can compromise areas of the coating. If you get something like permanent marker on your cabinets or anything that just won’t easily come off we have found Citrus Goo-gone to work well at these hard to remove spots. Take care not to rub aggressively, you should not need to. After using the goo-gone, follow up with the standard dish soap and wipe down. If you want to try other cleaning products, test on the backside of a door first.
Moisture and Water Damage
Repeated exposure to excessive moisture such as splashing on surfaces from a sink or other water source will affect the coating on your cabinetry as well as result in damage to your wood. A great habit would be to wipe down your lower cabinet doors and drawers below your sink after the dishes are done if water tends to settle on them. Steam, as from cook-tops, crock pots and improperly sealed dishwasher doors, could cause problems with the wood that will affect the finish in minor ways as well, although this is not as common. If you see problems developing consider making some changes. Moisture should be wiped from surfaces immediately to avoid damage, especially on edges where the water sits or hangs. Immediate attention will greatly reduce the possibility of damage and also reduces the likelihood of mold and mildew.
Cabinetry Joints
Movement in joints can also be a cause for hairline cracks in the joinery. This happens even with brand new wood cabinetry, don’t be alarmed this is not a coating failure. If the joint can move and shift with the use of the door, the finish along that joint will open as well to allow for the wood movement. Wood cabinetry is not seamless, so you may notice seams on joints over time, on close inspection, depending on how the doors were built and the type of joinery used on the miters. We fix any open or loose joints when we process your doors, but this does not guarantee that some joints will never loosen, or open up with usage, or due to expansion and contraction. This is well known in the wood finishing industry: Read from others here.
Previously Caulked Cabinet Doors
We do not caulk the cabinet doors where the face-frame meets the panel. This is for good reason, those joints are not designed to be caulked. If we refinish your painted over cabinets and that edge is caulked, the caulked edge basically becomes a joint, and may experience these hairline cracks as well. Hairline cracks are generally only noticed under close examination and are nothing to be concerned about. It is not a coating issue or a lack of surface prep. It is the natural tendency of cabinet coatings for this to occur, and attempting repair will not provide a permanent solution. See my page “Should I Caulk my Painted Cabinets” for more details on this.
Humidity
Even finished wood is affected by changes in humidity. Wood expands as humidity increases and shrinks as humidity decreases. As wood expands (swells) and contracts with changes in humidity, the finish at joints can open and reveal a “hairline crack”. Under extremely dry conditions, the panels within the frame of the doors will shrink and the panel edges will be exposed. Where humidity exposure is uneven, pieces may warp, cup or bow. Dry conditions can result in wood parts splitting and/or cracking in addition to the shrinkage as described above. The optimal humidity level is 35% to 50% relative humidity. Extreme conditions (lower than 20% or higher than 80%) especially need to be avoided. Most often, if the humidity level is returned to a normal level and maintained for a period of time, these issues will show improvement.
Temperature
Temperature variation can cause some of the same problems as humidity variation and the two are often interrelated. A sharp temperature increase can cause materials to expand, temperature decreasing can cause materials to shrink. Cabinet boxes and trim attached to them can also stress with changes to the indoor climate or shifting and movement. Being attached to the house, settling can also have an effect. Hairline cracks may develop on edges in some areas under these circumstances.
Enjoy your Cabinetry! Wood is resilient and if accidents happen we are here to help. The fresh look of your painted cabinetry will bring you joy every time you enter the room!