Wood Workers/Cabinet Makers advice OT

M Nut

Well-known Member
Long story, but I'll try for the short version. I had my new kitchen cabinets stored in my parents garage awaiting time for me to put the stain and poly on them. Totally forgot that when it snows and my parents park their cars in the garage that the melting snow covers portions of the floor. Got 8" of snow yesterday, and ma parked her suv in the garage. Most of the cabinets got wet on the bottom and soaked water up about 1" or so on them. How should I handle this situation? Wife has them on pallets with a fan blowing on them now. They have no finishing work done as of yet, just bare wood. (black ash) Needless to say, my wife is ready to kill me. Any advice as to how I should proceed is appreciated.
 
I would think if you would let them totally dry and sand them again the water stains should dissapear. I do some wood working and no means a professional.
 
guess you should have let her put them on pallets in the first place. you wouldn't be in deep do do now. now you have to walk softly around her. not good when wood gets wet. maybe could stain them black but dought she would go for that. maybe you could keep these for your garage and get her a new set built.
 
guess you should have let her put them on pallets in the first place. you wouldn't be in deep do do now. now you have to walk softly around her. not good when wood gets wet. maybe could stain them black but dought she would go for that. maybe you could keep these for your garage and get her a new set built.
 
Yep, shoulda, woulda, coulda,....... but didn't. I have to make these usable, some way, some how, as buying new ones is not an option financially. Cabinets cost several thousand dollars to have built, as you likely know:(
 
Do what any one else would do, sue your parents for using their garage.

Really, call the cabinet mfg and see what they recommend.
 
That's a thought. If it seems stained beyond sanding capability, that is a good possibility. Thanks for that idea.
 
Thanks for the chuckle, sad part is you're probably right that some people would do that.
These were built by an elderly man in his woodshop. No mfg. to call, but thanks for the thought.
 
On the face where the toe kick would be, you can by a thin veneer to glue and staple over it. That would leave you the edges you still have to sand.

Depending on the water staining you may not be able to get all the staining out. I have never stained ash, always painted. Not sure how it takes stain, if you go with a darker stain it may hide the water staining better if it doesn't sand out.

Rick
 
I've never used black ash. If it were red oak, it may turn black and no way to get it out.

No idea of the stain you are using. The amish like to use fruit wood stain on their oak, which I like to use too. I don't care how much stain you put on oak, in time, it will diffuse and turn lighter.

As for putting poly on wood. I spray my poly with 10-20% mineral spirits. Spray the stain too. Making a Christmas present, snow on the ground, temp around 30. Took the project outside in the cold and sprayed it. As long as the sun is shinning, it will flash dry in less than 30 minutes.

Pic of king size head board and the snow.
a92188.jpg
 
I think I would call Rockler Woodworking. They are in the Minneapolis area. I am not a woodworker but have been in their Minnetonka store. They tend to have as salespeople very knowledgeable fellows who are wood workers themselves. They sell multiple lines of stains-finishes etc and sure they would be happy to help. Their phone in Minnetonka (MN) is 952-542-0111. Hope this helps.
 
It is called "characture" no matter what you do SWMBO will not forget that you goofed. If she lets you live to a ripe old age maybe 30 consider yourself lucky. I have property on the river and have some experence with water staining. Time is your friend let the wood DRY completely then you can resand them, if you try anything now you will only seal in the moisture. I would move the cabinets into a heated house if possable.
 
Put in heated room, put all pieces separtly, let them dry
until they are competly dry, take lite sand paper on block,
sand stain off, kiss your wife and tell her you won"t do it again.
 
I would just get the cabinets up somewhere safe for now, dry them and wait until you have the time and means to finishing them. Cold damp weather really isn't the best time to finish cabinets. The cabinets will have water spots. When it's time to deal with the water spot, if the cabinets are going to be stained light in color or natural the first thing you're going to have to do is bleach the water stains. You could use household bleach but it would be more effective to use two part wood bleach and bleach the stain areas. Then the entire surface is going to have to be sanded to at least 180 grit sandpaper. Just the cabinets sitting in storage even if they had not gotten wet have gotten dirty and the humidity has raised the grain so it wouldn't stain evenly. The toespace on the front could probably be covered with 1/4" ash plywood once the cabinets are installed so you could skip that part if you wish. It's mainly the exposed ends you need to worry about. After the cabinets are sanded, I would use a pigmented oil stain like Sherwin Williams Wood Classics stain and then use a coat or two sanding sealer sanding it between coats with 220x stearated sandpaper and then put two coats of Sherwin Williams interior oil based polyurethane in a satin or semi-gloss sheen.
 
As already stated, let it dry completely first. You didn't state whether the cabinets are solid wood, veneer covered plywood or veneered particleboard. If solid wood, they should be repairable without any lasting damage (unless you get some severe warping). If its plywood construction it may be iffy and if it is particle board you will have a really big problem. Can't say about black ash, but bleaching followed by sanding works well on pine to remove water stains. You can use ordinary household bleach. You may have to do it 2 or 3 times, followed by sanding each time. Don't try to rush drying, bleaching or staining. In later years, you and the wife will likely be able to laugh when remembering this screw-up!! Good luck and walk very softly for the next month!
 
The issue becomes the cell absorption. Not sure you can remove it. Over all stain may provide a blending. Concern is if there is chlorine mixed in with the melting. If it dries lighter you may have a chance to darken, if it goes dark, like I think it will, no sanding will get it done, and I sure wouldn't try bleaching. I suggest you remove all firearms, and knives for a suitable period of time. This from an experienced "How could this possibly happen to me?"
 
Aaron- I"ll email you my renters cell number. He and his wife are excellent cabinetmakers......in the business for decades.
 
Hardwood lumber can weather in the rain till it is dark gray but the color is only in the the top hairsbreadth of wood and once you plane it off the wood is just as clean as new inside unless there are cracks in it which allow the weathering to penetrate. I would think you might be okay with a bit of sanding or maybe better would be going over it with a wood scraper. They peel the surface away instead of grinding it around like sandpaper does.
Zach
 
Let 'em dry, in an unheated area, with a fan on them, I wouldn't put them in inside air till they are all the way dry. Because the bottoms are wet, water will suck it's way up the sides, and cause trouble, if you try to finish 'em, while they are still wet. Get a moisture meter, and don't finish, till the moisture @ top = moisture @ bottom. Might not take real long, might take the winter. Molding to cover stain defect is always the last option.
 
Thank you all for your advice and knowledge. Thanks Jim for the phone number of an expert. I will call them if I have any questions. They are drying much better than I ever hoped for, and as of now I really believe they are going to be 100% fine. I'm thinking a small amount of sanding in a few days when they are totally dry and all will be well. I was sternly informed that I will be moving every one of them, piece by piece, down into our basement where melting snow won't get at them. (I just have to be darn sure they are installed in the house by the time spring thaw comes!)
 
Hope it all works out for you......wouldn't want your daughters to have to go visiting you in that cold dog house, especially with a foot of snow and low temps that just moved in!
 
Is your cabinets get wet due to snow? I think you better contact to a kitchen cabinets maker contractor and ask for a suggestions. And I hope you wife will not kill you after renovating a kitchen cabinets.
 
Everyone has given you good advice. The question I have is??? What about the road salt that was in the snow??? I wonder if you should flush them off and then let them slow dry???

I have an old wood cabinet in the shop. It has a ring around it where it has wicked up the water and salt over the years.
 

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