Undersink water damage

[momdidit]

I have water damage under my kitchen sink from a slow leak and I need to repair the wood damage myself. The house was built in the 1970s and is not like the module construction you find in new houses today. Has anybody got tips on how to fix this or a source book I can get from the library? Thanks

[Total Home Care]

only advice i can give is you must first find out how much water damage has been done by taking out a small section of the bottom of the sink base on the inside under sink.....but if their is floor damage under the sink base you will need to take out the complete unit and repair floor as needed.
''''''''''''''''''''''''''''with the limited info you posted i am only speculating that the base is rotted from the water damage....only then should you consider cutting out a small section of the floor base of cabinet to inspect the actall floor under and that is only if you cannot view this from a basement or craw space......;;'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

[HayZee518]

First of all is the water leak fixed?
Upon removing the cabinet bottom, what color is the floor? Gray or green or black? If it is osb does the wood look like it expanded? Does it readily give way under pressure - press on it with your thumb and see.
If it feels "punky" then you'll probably have to replace it. If it seems solid then try an application of "PENETROL" sealant. This is a solvent based oil which is supposed to rejuvinate dry rotted wood.

[pushkins]

If the water leak is now repaired and the damaged is localized to be mainly inside the sink base cabinet then repair the cabinet base (by adding a 1/4" or 1/2" shelf). As long as the leak is fixed and the damage is not structual then removing the cabinet to repair OSB or other sub flooring seams a little drastic considering the fact that it is under the cabinet.

[rk_king2004]

I have water damage under my kitchen sink from a slow leak and I need to repair the wood damage myself. The house was built in the 1970s and is not like the module construction you find in new houses today. Has anybody got tips on how to fix this or a source book I can get from the library? Thanks

The very first thing you need to do is to fix the leak, then tackle the rotted area.

If the entire bottom is water damage, cut it out by cutting a straight line down the middle, with a skill saw, or a jig saw...http://www.alhomerepairsyourself.com

[honlude]

Be real sensitive of the soaked and rotted area because that can lead to mold. Mold can cause serious health issues. Possibly seek a reputable company to do free mold inspection after you're done. Good luck.

[paulee]

Protect your cabinets from water damage

Regarding UNDER SINK PLUMBING LEAKS - I found this product after i had a bad leak that pretty much destroyed my cabinet and underlying floor - plus i got some pretty ugly mold stuff growing too- anyway, this company makes a pan that covers the entire bottom of the cabinet and protects it from water leaking. It's called Driptite Sink & Vanity Base Protectors. I bought one online and love it. just wish i would ahve had it BEFORE i had the problem. I got it at driptite.com

good luck

[skyruler87]

Water damaged the cabinet under the kitchen sink

Hello guys,
I had a leak in my kitchen faucet. I did not take it seriously but now I just found out the extent of the damage and dont know what to do. Here is what happened. The faucet leaked and the water went between the back of the faucet and the wall and damaged the laminate countertop and the wood to which it was glued on. Then after the wood absorbed all that water, the water apparently started dripping under the counter and the cabinet underneath the faucet got damaged. The peice of wood that goes behind the cabinet along the wall is all swollen and spongy and the base of the cabinet caved down after it weakend and got rotten due to the weight of the utensils lying on top of it. so now I dont know how to repair it and if I will be able to find the exact same material to replace everything that has damaged. I was thinking to cut the damaged part out and get the replacement material from home depot and nail/glue it back.

I video taped the kitchen cabinet and uploaded it to youtube. Here is the link: (sorry cant post a link since this is my first post here but you can replace the word 'dot' with '.' and remove all the spaces in between and then open the link) :w w w dot y o u t u b e dot c o m /watch?v=z2YnKNu-Lm4

Please let me know if you guys can give me some advice. If possible provide me with the 'how to do' video link or a write up with lots of pictures and most importantly an estimate of how much will the repair cost me.

Thank you everyone,
Skyruler87

[mrcaptainbob]

Kitchen sink.

A mess for sure, but not that big of a deal.
* First, turn that faucet to one side to locate the model number stamped on the back. It looks like a Moen faucet. Give them a call and explain about the faucet leaking, and that you have the part number. They will send a free replacement.
* While that's in the mail, tackle this sink cabinet. You will have to replace it, as it is rotted beyond repair. Shut the faucets off, remove the connections, remove the drain pipes, then remove the sink itself. There are several screw tabs located along the underside perimeter. Remove them and lift the sink clear of the counter top.
* Remove the sink cabinet. Reclaim the doors the doors and false drawer fronts. You may need them later if new doors do not match shape/style. It appears the kitchen cabinets are of an oak and, color and shade-wise, not difficult to match. May end up just having to change out the doors and false drawer fronts.
* That wall looks to be drywall that was soaked. Remove all the wall that was ruined. Get a sheet of same thickness drywall and fit it over the plumbing. Make sure that the inside of the wall and floor are nice a dry, first. A fan left blowing on the area over night will usually take care of any issues there.
* As for the counter top....a bit more of a challenge, but not impossible. Purchase a new top at any box store. As for the hole....a piece of cake, really. Use the old cabinet as something to go by. Measure from one end to show where the edge of the sink should go. Then measure the width of the old hole and again, make a mark for that. Lay sink upside down on counter top, centering over those two lines, and pencil it's outline. You will see there is an offset between the outline and those two lines you earlier marked. Keep that spacing and mimic it all around the outline. The new, smaller, outline is the hole for the sink cutout. Drill a 3/8 hole anywhere on that inside line. (Don't make the mistake of using the outside line!) Get your saber saw out and follow that line around. Be careful to hold the far end of the cutout from the saw when nearing completion of the cut so it doesn't drop and bind the saw. It will take a bit of sawing, so be prepared for patience.
* Dry fit the cabinet, counter top and sink, making sure all is good.
* If satisfied with it all, secure the cabinet base to the wall by screwing through that backboard piece near the top to a couple of wall studs. Set the counter top in pace and secure that with the screws that were originally used to secure the old top to the cabinets. Those screws are usually secured from under the inside of the cabinets. Pull out a drawer and use a flashlight to locate the screws. Sometimes through corner braces, sometimes through the front piece and driven at an angle to the bottom of the counter top.
* Using some plumber's putty (the kind that does not stain...) place a wad on the counter and use your palm to roll out a long, narrow bead. A long 3/8"noodle is about what you're looking for. Place this just inside the penciled outline. Set the sink tub in place and gently press down all around. Be careful to not move it. Used the hardware that held the tub to the old counter and secure it to the new from the underside. Take turns on all the hold down screws. Don't over tighten one. Gently snug each one in turn until all are firm. Do not remove any putty that has squished just yet. Let it set and cure a bit.
* Connect up the drain and supply lines. Do not turn on water just yet.
* By now the replacement kit sho0uld have arrived. Usually takes about 5 business days.
Follow the directions for replacement of parts. If any questions, call that hot line included and they'll help you through the rebuild. Verify that the faucet moves comfortably left/right and the handle moves comfortably up and down. If all is well, then turn on one supply line and operate the faucet and check for leaks. If that's good, the turn on the other supply line and verify that.
* If all that went well, (no doubt you did a great job so far!!), then it's time to replace the front doors and drawer fronts i needed.

I hope that helps. Let us know how you fair....

[HayZee518]

why are we answering a posting that's 4 plus years old?

[skyruler87]

I'll try to get it all done over this weekend!

Thank you very much mrcaptainbob for a quick and detailed reply. I will try to follow all the steps and if I'll get stuck somewhere I'll let you know. Thanks again.

[skyruler87]

Need some help...

So I took out the sink and peeled the laminate out after heating it a little bit with a hot iron. Removed the cabinet doors and the fake drawers. Now I can see that the counter top needs to be replaced but I am thinking that in stead of buying the entire countertop, what if I just cut out a piece and replace it.

Ok, so here is the problem. The counter top is not one single piece sitting on top of the cabinets. In stead it is glued on plus screwed on to another piece on the bottom ( I guess to make it more stronger). The bottom wood looks more dense and stronger than the counter top wood but they both are of same height (which is "3/4 ich"). I tried to put a screw driver in between these two layers and pry the top countertop out but it is only damaging the bottom layer. And besides, I have no other choice but to take the both layers out since the bottom layer is also rotten and has deteriorated.

I have made a scketch and took some pictures for you to take a look at. In that scketch you will find all the measurements. I did my best to explain every thing in that scketch. Please if there's any confusion let me know. Also can you please send me the link of the countertops and the bottom layer, as I found out that there are several kinds of woods availabe and I am not familiar with them at all. I went on the Lowes website.

Here is the link for the pictures and the scketch: picasaweb.google.com/112202191947655952319/Cabinet?feat=directlink

I will deal with the dry wall and backsplash board later.

[skyruler87]

Ok i feel like an idiot now...lol

I was messing with the counter top and I finally got the two layers separated and guess what! it turned out to be one layer only. The second layer is not a full piece, its the frame that holds and support the counter top..duh!....lol. Anyways, so now what I am going to do next is follow my scketch and buy that piece. Also I do not have an electric saw yet. So, I'll buy that...either the circular blade one or the vertical blade one (i dont know which one's better).

Cabinets side walls from under the sink seems to be okay so I'll keep those. The dry wall will be a lot of work. I have a blower fan air drying the wall right now. Once its dry I'll leave it like that and probably change the back wall of the cabinet. No body will ever know that the dry wall is bad. I'll then buy the wooden base (the floor) of the cabinet. Let's see how it works out.

If you think that I am making a mistake somewhere then please let me know.

Thank you,

Skyruler87

[mrcaptainbob]

New counter...

Great job, Skyruler 87. Did the laminate come off without cracking? If so, that's a good thing. A couple pictures are telling me that was a custom fit installation and not what might be easily purchased. The first is that the counter top is plywood. Usually it's made of a presswood/chipboard type material. That prevents warping. Also, another pic shows a diy type of drawer glide. None of this is a bad thing. We just will walk a different path.
I'd like to do this in stages...Each time you accomplish a step, change direction, come across an issue, you post, we talk, forum members will jump in and help....

* Tools needed will be a circular saw and a sabre saw. Sometimes referred to as a jigsaw. Hope you already have a drill.
* I think reworking that plywood underlayment is feasible, but may be more work than it's worth. The whole top would be more stable if it were one piece and would probably be much easier to do anyways.
*Let's pretend the counter top is cut to size. (Either your suggestion or mine...) Lay the Formica on the plywood, mark all around it, including the sink hole. As mentioned, drill a 3/8 hole along side that line for an entry point for the sabre saw blade. Use a coarse tooth blade for this, by the way. Is the formica top in good condition?
* Leaving that old drywall back there may not be the best choice. It's been compromised and not very strong anymore. It usually gets pretty weak and powdery. If anything stored under the sink bumps it in the future, it'll crumble it out. If you can, change it out now. Removal is a snap, replacement is also easy. A 4x8 1/4" thick drywall sheet is only a few bucks. It may be possible to get it in half sheets, too. Mark it, razor knife it, snap it along that line and that's pretty much all there is to it. You're not mudding it, so that's a really easy job. The added benefit is that you will be able to dry out the wall inside better.
* Any success with a replacement cartridge for the faucet?

Good luck with this project and we look forward to your next posting....

Next approach will be attaching the Formica to that plywood and looking at the cabinet refurbishing....

[skyruler87]

About the faucet

The faucet is not the one that you mentioned in your first post this one is called American Standard. I checked with home depot and the new ones come with Lifetime warranty. Mine is 2 years old or so. I dont have the receipt or any other document. What should I do about getting it replaced free of charge? The faucets were pretty expensive too.

Here is the warranty website: w ww.americanstandard-us.com/customerservice/warranty/FaucetLifetimeFunctionFinish.aspx
I just bought the plywood and the saw and now I am trying to take the whole original counter top out. Wish me luck!