Cabinet repair question
by
Andy
In the kitchen there is a cabinet that is built around the bottom of the sink and counter top structure and inside of the cabinet directly below sink is cabinet's thin wood floor board that is badly warped. What are the ways of replacing this floor board without damaging any other part of the cabinet?
3 answers
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It seems that water or moisture has gotten at the cabinet bottom and warping it. You need to find the source first. Is there a faucet leak? is there a drain leak? Is there a water line leak? You can easily cut a piece of plywood to fit and place it over the warped board and nail/screw along the edge in a few spots.
William
on Aug 12, 2016
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Remove the floor so you have an exact measurement. Use either 1/4" plywood or MDF (Medium-density fibreboard). Replace the floor and then my advice is to lay down those peel and stick vinyl tiles. This should protect the flooring from future spills. However, as William pointed out, if you have a leak, you must address that first.
Pat Ruge
on Aug 13, 2016
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Diagnose the water problem first. We have a house where the plumbing line in the small bathroom was installed at the wrong height; every time someone uses the pop type plug the line will leak and it will drip a very small amount all the time. We will take out the stopper mechanism and putty over the area with plumbers putty. Leaks from the counter top can also cause water to get under the sink area. Leaks in the line are easy to spot. I twist toilet paper into a loose string and wrap it in different areas of the under the sink plumbing... turn on the water, test the plug. etc. The paper will get wet where the problem is. Look for staining under the counter top. Put paper towels over the bottom of the cabinet to see where drips occur. Have bottles of cleaner leaked out into the cabinet? After the water problem is corrected it is time to replace the bottom of the cabinet. Remove the damaged wood to see what you will need to do to replace the bottom at the original level. Cut a new piece of plywood for the bottom. You can even ask the people at your home store to cut the piece for you but make sure your measurements are correct. Paint the new bottom and install it. You may need to add support pieces of wood underneath the new bottom to have it at the correct level. Be mindful of where plumbing pipes and electric lines are inside the wall BEFORE you hammer in any supports for the bottom. Use common sense. I always save left over sheet flooring vinyl for putting into the bottom of cabinets; it is sturdy and washable. They do sell a heavier cabinet liner for under sinks in the home stores. But do cover the bottom of the cabinet with something water proof and then keep you eye of the situation to make sure that you diagnosed the water problem correctly and that the problem is really fixed. Try to diagnose the problem yourself before a plumber comes in and then tell him what you have observed. Plumbers get paid by the hour so helping him do the job faster saves you money. Get a good plumber; there are a lot of inexperienced plumbers working out there and many of them are not good at diagnosing tricky problems, especially in older houses. If the counter top is leaking, caulk around the sink. Sometimes the sink was never caulked and sometimes old caulk is leaking. Every time you wash a counter top that needs caulking it will leak under the cabinet around the sink. I think you might find it helpful to get a fix it yourself book (used book stores and thrift shops are good sources for cheap books) or visit the library to check out home repair books. What I have found is that most self repair books seem to be missing a step or two from the instructions; I think the experts just forget that a newbie needs very detailed information. You can fix this problem yourself and save a lot of money. If you buy a new cabinet but do not fix an existing plumbing problem the same thing will happen to the new cabinet.
Jennifer Thompson Marciniak
on Aug 13, 2016
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