Is it possible to fix water damaged MDF cabinet?

[Superhero 8826]

I refrigerator leaked and the water was absorbed by the adjacent MDF panel.

The cabinet expanded and the custom laminate detached at the bottom.

I used a paper towel to soak up as much water as possible, and used some woodworking clamps to make sure it didn’t expand any more.

Thankfully it’s in a corner and not really noticeable to anyone except for me. But I’d like to restore it as much as possible. Any ideas on how I can fix it?

 

[otisdog 365]

The MDF, due to the water is dimensionally larger...you need to replace the piece.

[futureman 22440]

On 10/13/2024 at 3:31 PM, Superhero said:

I refrigerator leaked and the water was absorbed by the adjacent MDF panel.

The cabinet expanded and the custom laminate detached at the bottom.

I used a paper towel to soak up as much water as possible, and used some woodworking clamps to make sure it didn’t expand any more.

Thankfully it’s in a corner and not really noticeable to anyone except for me. But I’d like to restore it as much as possible. Any ideas on how I can fix it?

 

are you OCD?

[smuggs 9350]

Peel the veneer on each side back a little, squirt some wood glue in there, put one of your clamps on it for 24 hours and let it ride.

[Jkwellborn 6686]

Get some titebond 2. It’s waterproof. Mdf doesn’t play well with moisture.

[Modessit 5598]

Just saw this. I used to fix and restore 80s arcade games and cabinets. A lot were made with MDF and painted, and often got water damage (like when a restaurant mopped the floor right against the cabinet).

You have a laminate veneer, so no need to worry about paint. I don't know if you can disassemble the cabinet so you're only working with the damaged side. If not, it'll be harder but not impossible. Of course, if you can disassemble the cabinet AND remove all of the veneer easily, it would be easiest just to have a new piece cut at the proper thickness and put the veneer on it.

First, you'll need to get access to the swollen MDF by removing the veneer without breaking it. Might need a heat gun to soften the adhesive, and a putty knife to gently work the veneer up. You probably won't be able to match it if it breaks, so you'll either have to redo the entire piece with new matching veneer or play puzzle master trying to put it all back together and hope it doesn't look worse than it does now.

After it's off, you need to treat all of the swollen area with Wood Hardener (see the pic below). You can get this at Home Depot or Lowes. Treat the swollen area per the instructions and let it dry. Once the wood is nice and hard (that's what she said) use an orbital sander to sand it smooth back to the original shape. If there is any pitting or missing chunks that you're worried about, you can use Bondo (wood/metal) to fill and sand.

Now, wipe all the dust off and glue the veneer pack on.

If you can't disassemble the cabinet, you'll have to sand it by hand. Wrap a ruler in sandpaper to get in the tight spots.

[HeHateMe 883]

On 10/29/2024 at 5:46 AM, Modessit said:

Just saw this. I used to fix and restore 80s arcade games and cabinets. A lot were made with MDF and painted, and often got water damage (like when a restaurant mopped the floor right against the cabinet).

You have a laminate veneer, so no need to worry about paint. I don't know if you can disassemble the cabinet so you're only working with the damaged side. If not, it'll be harder but not impossible. Of course, if you can disassemble the cabinet AND remove all of the veneer easily, it would be easiest just to have a new piece cut at the proper thickness and put the veneer on it.

First, you'll need to get access to the swollen MDF by removing the veneer without breaking it. Might need a heat gun to soften the adhesive, and a putty knife to gently work the veneer up. You probably won't be able to match it if it breaks, so you'll either have to redo the entire piece with new matching veneer or play puzzle master trying to put it all back together and hope it doesn't look worse than it does now.

After it's off, you need to treat all of the swollen area with Wood Hardener (see the pic below). You can get this at Home Depot or Lowes. Treat the swollen area per the instructions and let it dry. Once the wood is nice and hard (that's what she said) use an orbital sander to sand it smooth back to the original shape. If there is any pitting or missing chunks that you're worried about, you can use Bondo (wood/metal) to fill and sand.

Now, wipe all the dust off and glue the veneer pack on.

If you can't disassemble the cabinet, you'll have to sand it by hand. Wrap a ruler in sandpaper to get in the tight spots.

That sounds like a lot of work for an MDF cabinet with laminate veneer.  I vote to live with damage or replace.