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Maintenance guide
It teaches you how to measure accurately
Cabinetry Care and Maintenance Guide
What Are the Common Damages of Solid Wood and High-density Fiberboard (HDF)?
Solid wood has been cut from trees and contains wood fibers throughout the piece of lumber. Furnishing made of solid
wood has no hollow spaces, and its specifics vary among species. A typical issue with wooden boards is that they
absorb the ambient moisture, which gives them the tendency to warp and expand.
High-Density Fiberboard (HDF) is an engineered wood product composed of wood fiber extracted from chips and pulped
wood materials, formed by glue under immense pressure and heat. High-density fiberboards are moisture resistant, but
not waterproof: when a high-density fiberboard absorbs water, it expands and it does not return to its original
shape when it dries. This leaves permanent bulges in the material.
How Moisture, Humidity, and Temperature Affect Your Cabinetry?
Moisture
- quilibrium with its surroundings. Solid wood expands as it gains moisture and tends to shrink as it loses moisture and does not shrink or swell equally in all directions.
- Repeated short-term exposure to excessive moisture such as splashing of surfaces from a sink or even a single longer-term event such as flooding will result in irreversible damage to wood cabinetry.
- Steam, as from cooktops, crock pots and improperly sealed dishwasher doors, can cause problems as well.
- Too much moisture and leaving water unwiped on HDF materials will HDF to bubble and swell.
Humidity
- Wood expands as humidity increases and shrinks as humidity decreases. Solid wood willdimensionally change more across the grain than with the grain.
- As wood expands (swells) and contracts with changes in humidity, the finish at the joints willcrack. This cracking is universal but is much more evident on light colored paint than on stains or dark paints.
- Where humidity exposure is uneven, pieces may warp, cup or bow.
- Extremely dry conditions can result in wood parts splitting and /or cracking in addition to shrinkage as described above.
Temperature
- Temperature variation can cause some of the same problems as humidity variation, and the two are often interrelated.
- Temperature increases cause materials to expand; Temperature decreases cause materials to contract or shrink. Sudden temperature changes cause more dramatic material changes, more likely to lead to cracking and splitting in solid wood and lead to warping, cupping and bowing in any wood components.
Maintenance& Cleaning for Cultured/Artificial Marble, countertops
To protect against damage and etching to stone surfaces, care is required.
All it takes is placing something too hot (like a curling iron left on the counter too long, or a little cigarette
burn) or even just setting something sharp (like a barrette) on the counter, and then when you pick it up you
inadvertently scratch the stone countertop by accident.
Another way that you can quickly damage a stone countertop is by not cleaning it properly.
Here is the proper way to clean a Cultured/Artificial Marble
1. Use a recommended cleaner. (See recommended products below)
2. Spread the cleaner on the counter and use a soft damp cloth (think: microfiber or chamois, not any type of
scrubber) to wipe down the entire cultured marble/artificial marble countertop.
3. Most importantly, you should never use anything abrasive on a cultured marble/artificial marble countertop —
such as steel wool, colored scrubbers, or anything else that you would normally use to scrub out a stain. These
can all damage countertops in a matter of seconds.
Cleaning Products That Are Safe To Use On Artificial/Cultured Marble, Countertops:
1. Gel Gloss Kitchen & Bath Polish and Cleaner Liquid or Aerosol Spray
2. Method Daily Granite, Stone Pro Marble Products
3. Mothers California Gold Polish
You should never use anything with harsh chemicals in it on a countertop. Avoid using bleach or anything with bleach products in them. Abrasive powders such as Vim must NOT BE USED
Hard Water can stain countertops too. Many people don’t realize this. You should never leave water on your countertop in any form: water drops, water rings from the bottom of a glass, etc. Instead, you should wipe up water on your countertop using a soft cloth.
Technically, the dull finish that most people experience with Cultured Marble & Marble countertops is called "etching"
Etching is a normal condition and cannot be avoided 100%
Cultured/Artificial Marble is sensitive to acidic substances (juice, wine, coffee,vinegar, tomato sauce,etc ) these can "etch" (dull the polish) rather easily, even when sealed. What happens is that the acidic liquid or substance corrodes or eats at the marble seal. The reaction will destroy the thin polished layer causing a dull, light spot. Cultured/Artificial Marble needs to be re-sealed every six months in order to maintain the best condition