Cabinet Care & Ownership Guide

Protecting the Beauty, Performance & Longevity of Your Cabinetry

Your cabinetry is built to be used every day.

Cooking, cleaning, opening drawers, preparing meals and simply living in your home all expose cabinets to moisture, changing temperatures, household products and regular wear.

Fortunately, caring for your cabinetry doesn't need to be complicated.

A few simple habits can help protect its appearance and function for years to come. Just as importantly, understanding how cabinetry—particularly natural wood—responds to its environment can help you recognize the difference between normal changes and something that may require attention.

This guide explains how to properly clean and maintain your Woodmaster cabinetry, manage the environment within your home and know when it's time to contact us.

Proper care, maintenance and environmental control are also important for maintaining applicable warranty coverage.

Everyday Cabinet Cleaning

For most routine cleaning, simple is better.

Clean your cabinetry using mild soap and water applied with a slightly damp, soft cloth.

After cleaning, immediately dry the surface with a clean, soft towel.

You don't need specialized furniture cleaners, oils or polishes to properly care for your Woodmaster cabinetry. In fact, some products marketed for cleaning or protecting wood can damage cabinet finishes or leave residues behind.

Do Not Use

Avoid:

  • abrasive cleaners

  • melamine cleaning sponges

  • scouring pads

  • solvents

  • bleach

  • ammonia-based cleaners

  • waxes

  • furniture polishes

  • other harsh household chemicals

When you're uncertain whether a particular cleaning product is suitable for your cabinetry, ask Woodmaster before using it.

Wipe Up Spills Promptly

Cabinetry is designed for everyday use, but it should not be subjected to prolonged moisture.

Water and other liquids should be wiped up promptly rather than being allowed to sit on cabinet surfaces.

Pay particular attention around:

  • sinks

  • countertops and seams

  • dishwashers

  • cabinet edges

  • toe kicks

  • bathroom vanities

  • other areas where water may collect

Grease, food products, household chemicals and cleaning products should also be removed promptly.

A finished cabinet surface provides protection during normal use, but it isn't intended to function as a waterproof surface.

The easiest rule to remember is simple: if something spills, wipe it up.

Humidity Matters More Than You May Realize

One of the most important aspects of cabinet care isn't something you do directly to the cabinets.

It's managing the environment around them.

Woodmaster requires indoor relative humidity to be maintained between 40% and 50% year-round.

This is particularly important in Central Alberta, where indoor humidity can change considerably between seasons.

Natural wood continually responds to the moisture content of the surrounding air. When humidity increases, wood can absorb moisture. When conditions become dry, it can release moisture.

As that happens, small amounts of expansion and contraction are natural.

Maintaining a reasonably stable indoor environment helps minimize excessive movement and protects both the appearance and long-term performance of your cabinetry.

Natural Wood Will Move

Natural wood isn't an entirely static material.

Even after it has been carefully dried, manufactured, finished and installed, it continues responding to its environment.

Small changes may therefore occur at:

  • joints

  • seams

  • door panels

  • mouldings

  • other natural wood components

Minor movement caused by normal changes in temperature and humidity is considered a natural characteristic of wood rather than a defect in materials or workmanship.

This doesn't mean cabinet doors should constantly change shape or require continual attention.

Properly manufactured cabinetry accounts for normal wood movement.

It simply means that expecting natural wood to behave exactly like an entirely manufactured material isn't realistic.

Our Understanding Natural Wood Guide explores this subject in greater detail, including grain and colour variation, heartwood and sapwood, seasonal movement and natural aging.

Ventilation Is Important

Kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms naturally produce moisture.

Adequate ventilation helps prevent excessive humidity, steam and condensation from accumulating around cabinetry.

Use appropriate ventilation when:

  • cooking

  • boiling water for extended periods

  • showering or bathing

  • operating appliances that generate substantial moisture or steam

Pay particular attention to cabinetry located close to moisture-producing appliances and fixtures.

Repeated exposure to excessive steam or condensation can eventually affect cabinet materials and finishes.

Protect Cabinetry From Excessive Heat and Steam

Heat and steam deserve the same attention as standing water.

Cabinetry should be protected from excessive or prolonged exposure to:

  • steam

  • condensation

  • direct heat sources

  • excessive moisture

Use appliances according to their intended operation and avoid directing prolonged heat or steam toward cabinet doors, panels or finishes.

Small countertop appliances can also generate concentrated heat or steam. Consider where that heat or moisture travels when choosing where and how you use them.

Sunlight and Your Cabinetry

Natural light can gradually change the appearance of wood.

This is normal.

Different wood species respond differently. Cherry, for example, is particularly known for developing deeper and richer colour with exposure to light, while Walnut can gradually become lighter and warmer.

Finishes and other materials can also change subtly with age and exposure.

If one area receives considerably more sunlight than another, the change may not occur uniformly.

Objects that consistently cover part of a wood surface can also temporarily create colour differences because the surrounding exposed wood has received more light.

These changes are part of living with natural materials.

Our individual Wood Species Guides explain what you can expect from each of Woodmaster's commonly selected woods.

Caring for Painted and Other Cabinet Surfaces

Not every Woodmaster kitchen uses visible natural wood.

Depending on the project and desired finish, cabinetry may incorporate materials such as laminated particle board, MDF, real wood veneer and other finished surfaces.

The same basic care principles still apply:

Use mild cleaning methods. Avoid harsh chemicals. Remove moisture promptly. Maintain appropriate indoor conditions.

Different materials respond differently to moisture, impact, heat and environmental conditions, but none benefit from excessive water or aggressive cleaning products.

If your cabinetry incorporates several materials or finishes and you're uncertain how a particular surface should be treated, contact Woodmaster before experimenting with a cleaning product.

Doors and Drawers May Occasionally Need Adjustment

Cabinetry contains moving components.

Doors are opened thousands of times. Drawers carry changing loads. Hardware experiences regular movement throughout the life of the kitchen.

Woodmaster uses Blum hinges and drawer slides, which are designed for reliable everyday operation and adjustment.

Over time, normal use may occasionally require:

  • adjusting a cabinet door

  • aligning a drawer

  • adjusting hinges

  • adjusting drawer slides

  • tightening screws or other hardware

These types of periodic adjustments are considered normal homeowner maintenance rather than defects in the cabinetry.

If you're unsure how to make an adjustment—or something doesn't appear to be operating normally—contact Woodmaster rather than forcing the component.

Don't Ignore Loose Hardware

A loose handle, hinge or other piece of hardware is usually easy to address when noticed early.

If a screw becomes loose through normal use, tighten it appropriately rather than continuing to operate the cabinet while the hardware moves.

Continued use of loose hardware can place unnecessary stress on surrounding components.

Periodically paying attention to how doors, drawers and handles feel during normal use can help you catch minor adjustments before they become larger problems.

What Is Considered Normal Maintenance?

Owning cabinetry involves a small amount of routine maintenance, just as other permanently installed components of your home do.

Normal homeowner maintenance includes:

  • routine cleaning

  • wiping up spills

  • maintaining appropriate indoor humidity

  • providing adequate ventilation

  • protecting cabinetry from excessive moisture, steam and heat

  • periodic adjustment of doors and drawers

  • adjustment of hinges and drawer slides

  • tightening screws and hardware that loosen through normal use

These activities help keep your cabinetry looking and operating as intended.

They are not normally considered warranty defects.

What Can Affect Warranty Coverage?

Woodmaster follows the applicable Alberta New Home Warranty guidelines, and proper care, maintenance and environmental control are required to maintain warranty coverage.

Damage or problems resulting from circumstances such as:

  • inadequate maintenance

  • improper humidity levels

  • excessive moisture

  • prolonged water exposure

  • excessive heat or steam

  • improper cleaning products

  • misuse

  • abuse

  • neglect

  • failure to follow Woodmaster's care requirements

may not be considered defects in materials or workmanship and may not be covered under warranty.

This isn't intended to make cabinet ownership complicated.

Most of these situations can be avoided through the straightforward care practices described throughout this guide.

When Should You Contact Woodmaster?

Not every change requires professional attention.

Minor seasonal wood movement, an occasional hinge adjustment or a screw that needs tightening can be part of normal cabinet ownership.

But if something doesn't seem right, we'd rather you ask than guess.

Consider contacting Woodmaster if:

  • a door or drawer cannot be properly adjusted

  • hardware isn't operating as expected

  • you notice significant or unusual movement

  • a finish appears to be failing

  • you're unsure whether a condition is normal

  • you're uncertain which cleaning product or maintenance method is appropriate

  • you believe a component may require repair

Photos can often be helpful when describing what you're seeing.

If you're uncertain, contact us before attempting a repair or using an unfamiliar product on your cabinetry.

A Few Good Habits Go a Long Way

Beautiful cabinetry doesn't require complicated maintenance.

Keep it clean.

Keep it dry.

Maintain your home's relative humidity between 40% and 50%.

Use adequate ventilation.

Avoid harsh cleaners.

Pay attention when hardware becomes loose or requires adjustment.

And ask Woodmaster when you're unsure.

Those simple habits help protect the appearance and performance of your cabinetry while allowing natural materials to behave as they were meant to.

Your cabinetry was built to be lived with. Understanding how to care for it helps ensure you can enjoy it for years to come.