What Do I Do If My Dishwasher Leaks and Damages My Kitchen?
Everyone loves a dishwasher. They’re one of the most convenient and timesaving devices you’ll find in a modern kitchen, and we’d be hard-pressed if asked to go without one. But for all the convenience that they offer, dishwashers can sometimes present an unforeseen liability to your kitchen! It’s all too easy for the drains in dishwashers to become clogged and back up, or for the watertight seal around the door of the dishwasher to become old, brittle, and broken. If either of these things happen, it could result in your dishwasher overflowing and causing significant damage to your kitchen!
In this article, we’re going to explore what you can do if your dishwasher leaks and damages your kitchen, including how to assess the different types of damage you may experience, as well as who to call if you find yourself in this situation.
Assessing the Damage
The first thing you need to do if your dishwasher has leaked is determine whether or not it has caused any damage to your kitchen, and if so, where the damage is located and how severe it is.
Damage to your flooring is one of the most common types of water damage you can face when your dishwasher overflows. This kind of damage can vary widely – it may not amount to much of a serious problem at all, or it could be a massive liability that requires immediate professional intervention. Let’s take a look at the various types of water damage you might face.
If your flooring appears to have some white spots on it even after everything is dried out, then you’re probably looking at discoloration or staining. This is the most fortunate outcome, because it means that you may have only taken damage to the finish of your floor, and not the wood itself. In these cases, a professional can apply a little bit of careful sanding and refinishing, and you should be good to go.
If your floor appears to be swollen, however, with the board’s edges sitting above or below the typical surface of the floor, this is a sign of a more serious problem. If you leave this problem alone, you’re likely to find that it only gets worse as time goes on. Eventually, a swollen or cupped floorboard can become fully warped or buckled, in which case you’ll be looking at a costly full replacement job. It’s best to get in there and assess the damage as early as you can!
Cabinets are another area where you might find water damage. One telltale sign is if your cabinet doors or jambs are swollen in some way; if this is the case, it’s a sure sign that the cabinet material has absorbed water during your dishwasher mishap, and that’s a problem you’ll want to fix right away. The material most cabinets are made of is prone to deterioration over time when it gets waterlogged, so you’ll want to act fast!
What Can I Do About It?
If you’ve taken a look at the damage caused by your leaking dishwasher and you’re questioning whether or not it’s within your ability to repair, then you’ve really already answered your own question. Damages to your home aren’t something you want to take lightly, and it’s always best to err on the side of calling in a professional. Fortunately, a highly experienced restoration company like Indiana Restorations has all the right tools, knowledge, and experience to repair the damage done, protect against future damage, and get your kitchen looking new again. Don’t hesitate to reach out today!
