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How to Repair Water Damage Under Kitchen Sink – Pro Advice

Mold removal, water damage restoration, fire damage restoration

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Have you opened the cupboard under your kitchen sink (or any sink) to find a puddle of water or stained and spongy wood? You’ve come to the right article to learn what you should do about it! Many people on the internet have opinions about how to repair water damage under kitchen sink (s). Unfortunately, most of them are not experts in water damage. We are!

We’re Cleaner Guys, a professional water damage restoration company with more than 20 years of experience dealing with water damage of all kinds. We can tell you what really needs to happen to clean up the water you now find under your sink. Read on!

Table of Contents

What Water Damage Under a Kitchen Sink Looks Like

“Water damage” is material harm caused by the intrusion of water. It usually looks like water staining, swelling or bubbling of the wet materials, and saturation causing materials to become spongy and soft. Unfortunately, water damage under a sink often isn’t noticed until it also starts to grow mold. This is because the water-saturated wood is often hidden from view under products or nonslip mats.

If you’re trying to figure out if there is water damage under any of your sinks, check for dark staining that looks like coffee or water stains, squishy, swollen, or soft wood, or mold. Of course, the most obvious sign of water damage under a sink is ongoing water intrusion that you can see, like being able to see a pipe leaking. We’ll cover sources of water damage next.

What Causes Water Damage Under a Sink?

Water damage under a sink is most commonly caused by leaking plumbing, but it can also be caused by excess condensation from high humidity, or by a leaking liquid product stored under the sink.

Do your best to identify the source of the water damage you’ve found under your sink. You will need to share this information with your landlord, if you’re a renter. You may also need it to show to the professionals who may help you repair the damage. It will help them know what to do to fix the problem!

(If you are a renter, you should check out our full guide on how to deal with water damage in an apartment with your landlord.)

How Serious Is Water Damage Under a Sink?

Many other sources on the internet talk about cleaning up water damage under a sink like it’s no big deal. Unfortunately, we have to tell you that they are not experts in water damage cleanup. Any real professional water damage expert will tell you that water damage can be very serious.

If the water you’re dealing with is just a small puddle of standing water, and when you wipe it up, the wood underneath is unstained and not soft or swollen, you don’t need to worry. That’s not serious water damage.

But if the wood in your under-sink cabinet is spongy, soft, swollen, peeling, or water-stained, you should treat it as very serious and urgent.

Water damage in an under-sink cabinet is serious mostly because of the strong risk of mold growth. Wherever there is excess moisture, mold can start growing in less than 24 hours. If your water damage looks and feels like it’s probably been there for longer than a day, then it’s best to assume that mold growth has already started.

Mold growth causes mold sickness in most people. Symptoms like headaches, migraines, and respiratory issues like congestion and coughing are common. Some people can have extremely dangerous allergic reactions to mold! Mold must be treated as soon as possible, and only by professionals. Handling it yourself increases your risk of toxic exposure. That’s why water damage under a sink is so serious.

Photo from an actual Cleaner Guys job. The plumbing was leaking and causing water damage under the kitchen sink for a long time before anyone found it. It grew extensive mold as a result.

How to Repair Water Damage Under Kitchen Sink

If you can wipe up the standing water, and the wood underneath is not stained, soft, squishy, or damaged in any way, then you are probably safe.
However, if the wood in your under-sink cabinet is water-damaged in any way, you should take immediate action.

First, if you can, stop the source of the water. If the source is a leaking pipe, turn off the water to that sink if you can. Then put a bucket or a bowl under the leak. Next, start drying out the area the best you can with hair dryers and fans.

Third, you must call a professional water damage restoration company to come assess the damage. We know that no one wants to have to spend the money on that. But we have seen so many under-sink water damage situations go from minor to catastrophic because they were not professionally taken care of sooner.

Water damage that has had some time to soak into the cabinet wood does not just go away, even if you think you’ve dried it well on your own. The water has almost certainly soaked down in where you can’t see it, and is causing mold to spread. We see this happen all the time, as the photos above and below can attest. They are from actual water damage sites we have had to clean up, where under-sink water damage was ignored. Minor water damage ignored turns into a massive problem, usually with mold infestation under and behind the sink cabinets.

The Solution:

If you want to be sure that the water damage under your sink is truly gone, and not silently spreading and getting worse under your cabinets, then you need to hire a professional water damage restoration company. They are the only ones who have the training and the equipment to make sure that the water damage is gone, and no mold will follow.

Photo from an actual Cleaner Guys job, where water damage was going on behind their kitchen cabinets for a long time, they just couldn’t see it.

Key Takeaways

Water damage under sinks should be taken very seriously. Even after you think you’ve dried it, it can often continue to spread and cause damage under your sink cabinets, in the walls of your home. Even though you probably searched “how to repair water damage under kitchen sink” to find out how you can clean it up yourself, you really, really shouldn’t try to. Water damage takes professional expertise to be cleaned up properly and effectively. If you try to DIY it, you run a strong risk of having to deal with a worse problem later. We see it all the time in our practice.

Take our professional advice. Hire an expert water damage restoration company near you to assess and clean up water damage under your sinks.

If you need water damage restoration in Mount Vernon WA or anywhere in the surrounding area, consider Cleaner Guys as a high-quality, well-trusted option. We’re proud to boast award-winning customer service, lower prices than others, and top-notch workmanship! Contact us today through the menu at the top of your screen, or call us right now at (360)757-4300. We’re ready to help you!

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. No part of this article is medical or legal advice, and may not be used as such. For all serious medical matters, consult your doctor. For all serious legal matters, consult your legal advisor. This article contains Cleaner Guys’ experience and opinions only.

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