How To Safeguard Your Kitchen Cabinets From Humidity?

What happens if you walk into your kitchen and immediately notice a strange smell coming from the cabinets? This smell is usually the result of high humidity levels, which can cause all sorts of issues for your kitchen cabinet hardware. 

From mold and mildew to warping, humidity can cause serious damage if left unchecked. But there’s no need to worry. With the right precautions, you can keep your kitchen cabinets safe from humidity without having to break the bank. 

In this article, we’ll discuss some simple steps you can take to safeguard your kitchen cabinets from humidity and keep them looking their best. Read on to learn how to protect your cabinetry and prevent costly repairs down the road.

Table of content

  1. Understanding How Humidity Can Damage Kitchen Cabinets
  2. Identifying Sources Of Humidity In The Kitchen
  3. Top Tips To Prevent Humidity
    1. Avoid Excessive Humidity
    2. Seal With Polyurethane
    3. Use Expandable Foam Insulation
  4. Materials You Can Use to Reduce Humidity In Your Kitchen
    1. Weather Stripping
    2. Silica Gel
    3. Desiccant Pads

Understanding How Humidity Can Damage Kitchen Cabinets

When it comes to durable kitchen cabinets, one of the biggest threats is humidity. Excessive moisture in the air can cause warping, splitting, cracking, and bubbling on the cabinet doors. Fortunately, there are several ways you can protect your cabinets from this risk.

First off, you should understand exactly how humidity affects your cabinets. Humidity can cause wood to swell and expand as it absorbs water from the air. This can lead to warping of the wood panels in your cabinet doors and drawers, making them difficult to open and close as intended. It can also lead to cracking or splitting along the grain of the wood, creating an unsightly mess in your kitchen.

In order to prevent damage from humidity, it’s important that you keep your kitchen well-ventilated. Consider installing fans or opening windows whenever possible to reduce moisture levels inside your home. Additionally, use a dehumidifier if the relative humidity in your home is consistently high (above 60%). Finally, make sure that all surfaces where food is prepared or stored is kept clean and dry at all times—this will help reduce any excess moisture buildup that could affect your cabinets down the line.

Identifying Sources Of Humidity In The Kitchen

Humidity in the kitchen is a real threat to any cabinets you have in there. It can cause warping, bowing, and cracks, which leads to costly repairs. So it’s important to take steps to safeguard them from it.

First things first: Identifying where that humidity is coming from. Here are a few of the most likely sources:

  • Cooking activities: Stovetop cooking, boiling water, and steam created when cooking can all create more humidity in the space.
  • Ventilation: Poor ventilation in your kitchen can trap moisture and humidity in the room.
  • Humid climate: The locality of your home will determine how quickly and how extensively humidity affects your home and cabinets.

Once you know where it’s coming from, you can take steps to reduce or minimize it. For example, using a kitchen fan when cooking, ensuring proper ventilation throughout the year (particularly during hot summers) and installing a dehumidifier are all great ways to make sure your cabinets stay safe from excessive moisture levels.

Top Tips To Prevent Humidity

Considering the humidity in your kitchen, you may be wondering, how can I keep my kitchen cabinets safe? Let’s look at a few tips to help protect your kitchen cabinets from humidity.

Avoid Excessive Humidity

One of the best ways to guard your kitchen cabinets against moisture damage is to try and avoid high humidity levels in the first place. Follow the following:

  • Use an air conditioner or dehumidifier in humid seasons.
  • Make sure your kitchen is well-ventilated—open windows and doors when it’s not too hot or cold outside.
  • Install exhaust fans over ranges and sinks to reduce moisture buildup.

Seal With Polyurethane

Another effective way to protect your cabinets from humidity is to use a sealant like polyurethane. Polyurethane is made up of two different resins that come together when exposed to each other. This forms a protective barrier on the wood that will help repel moisture and slow down any warping caused by humidity.  .

Use Expandable Foam Insulation

Expandable foam insulation helps protect your wooden cabinetry by filling any gaps between the walls and floors that would otherwise allow moisture in. The foam blocks out water vapor, preventing it from entering the wood, which helps reduce potential warping caused by high humidity levels.

Materials You Can Use to Reduce Humidity In Your Kitchen

Humidity can wreak havoc in your kitchen, and if you want to keep it from compromising the integrity of your cabinets, there are a few materials that you can use. Here are the top picks for keeping humidity levels under control.

Weather Stripping

Weather stripping is an inexpensive but effective way to keep moisture from getting inside your cabinets. This thin strip of rubber or foam goes along the bottom of your cabinet doors and prevents outside humidity from seeping in. It’s easy to install and won’t take up too much room, so it’s a great way to keep moisture out without taking up valuable storage space.

Silica Gel

Silica gel can help reduce the amount of moisture in cabinets by absorbing the humidity in the air. It’s a granular substance that comes in sachets that you can hang inside your cabinets and drawers. As it absorbs moisture, it turns color, giving you an indication of when it needs to be disposed of. Silica gel is non-toxic and odorless, so there is no risk of contamination or strange smells coming from it.

Desiccant Pads

Desiccant pads are another great option for keeping the air inside your cabinets dry. These small pads contain special compounds that help reduce moisture levels in the air by trapping it in their absorbent material. They come in various sizes and shapes, making them easy to fit into any cabinet configuration you might have. 

Also Read: How to Safely Relocate Your Kitchen Appliances

Conclusion

Keeping your Kitchen Cabinets safe from humidity can be a challenge, but with the right knowledge, you can make sure your cabinets are safe and sound. Start by making sure your kitchen is properly ventilated and use a dehumidifier to keep the humidity at a safe level. Seal any drafts and gaps around the cabinets, and choose materials like metal and plastic that are more resistant to humidity. Lastly, use a sealant to keep moisture out of the wood.

Doing these simple steps will help protect the cabinets and keep your kitchen looking its best. But remember, the best defense against humidity is prevention, so it’s important to stay on top of maintenance and cleaning to keep your cabinets looking their best.