Here at Anne Marie Design Studio, it’s our promise to you that we will continue to provide care long after we’ve helped you achieve your dream of a new kitchen, bath, remodel, or construction of a new home.
Since we are now in the midst of another St. Louis winter, here are some tips to help you keep your new or existing cabinetry in pristine condition.
Temperature and humidity levels vary as greatly indoors as they do outside and just as our skin needs extra moisture in the winter, so do our wood furnishings, flooring and cabinets.
Cabinets, for example, will shrink in the winter due to low humidity and expand in the summer when humidity levels rise. Over the course of a year this change can be as much as three quarters of an inch! Cabinet doors are generally manufactured in an environment of 40% – 50% humidity but most homes range between 20% – 70% humidity because of cooking and washing activities. To monitor humidity levels, you can purchase a humidity sensor that can be kept inside your cabinets or in other areas of your home.
Here are some pictures of what typical wood movement looks like.
So what are the steps you can take to protect our cabinetry, wood furniture and flooring?
*Keep an eye on the humidity inside your home
*Maintain the humidity of your home at or above 20% when temperatures are below 20 degrees and 35% when the temperature is above 20 degrees
*Monitor the condensation of your windows, as this is a sign of too much humidity in your home.
Finished wood responds to changes in humidity over several days to weeks, so it will take some time before wood returns to its normal state
We hope you have found this information helpful. We have enjoyed working with you and hope you have a wonderful New Year!