Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 6/10/2009

Question
Bruce, I would appreciate your opinion regarding the storage of the cabinets for our new home.  The builder had the cabinets ordered much too soon. All of our beautiful kitchen and bath cabinetry has been sitting out in the garage area for weeks waiting for the floors to be refinished (about three weeks away) before they can be installed. I am concerned because our builders refuse to hang the garage doors.  The cabinets are not getting wet, but they are exposed to high levels of humidity.  Should I be concerned?  Thank you, Ginny

Answer
Hi ginny, yes you should be concerned, especially if the weather is humid and the cabinets are not covered in shrink wrap or have some other protective packaging such as boxes covering them.  Fortunately most cabinets are made and finished to withstand a certain amount of moisture due to the wet location of being in the kitchen.  Put your concern in writing, copy yourself and the general contractor and be specific about the dates when the cabinets were delivered and where they were stored.  This way when the cabinets are installed and they show signs of warpage or other problems you have a back-up when you tell the builder to remove and replace them.  When inspecting the cabinets after installation or just prior to installation look at the hardware and drawer slides for rust, the backs of the cabinets are oftentimes unfinished, so look closely at the backs for discoloration or other signs of moisture penetration.   I hope this information helps feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com