CARING FOR YOUR
CABINETRY

Compliments of
Silverado Fine Woodworking

 ONGRATULATIONS on the purchase of your new custom-built cabinetry
from Silverado Fine Woodworking. Your cabinetry has been especially designed
to provide storage which fits your personal belongings, without the use of spacers and fillers.
Guided by this owner's manual, your cabinetry will remain handsome and functional
for many years to come, with proper care. Though every attempt has been made
to provide a thorough overview of recommended care and cleaning products,
this brochure is by no means all-inclusive.




ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES

The materials from which your cabinetry is constructed represent the highest quality products available in the marketplace today. However, your cabinetry has a tendency to be affected by changes in its environment. Cabinet doors, particularly those made from solid hardwood or those which are inset, may shift or bind when temperatures and humidity levels vary. Environmental changes, either natural or artificial (i.e. rainy seasons, evaporative coolers, heaters or heat sources) will cause expansion or contraction of cabinetry materials. Exposure to outside conditions through open doors and windows can impact the amount of shifting which occurs.




EFFECTS OF SUNLIGHT

Conversion varnish does not yellow like nitro-cellulose based lacquers discolor as they are exposed to sunlight. However, sunlight can bleach wood and/or the wood stain beneath the varnish, which can change the cabinet's color over time. The intense sunlight of desert areas increases this discoloration. Even indirect, filtered sunlight, or light from electrical sources, can affect the color of your woodworking product(s). The effects of light on your cabinetry can be greatly reduced by following these recommendations:



	Keep direct sunlight off of the cabinetry surfaces.
	Close blinds, shades, and curtains whenever possible,
	especially during the hottest periods of the day.
	Consider the installation of window coverings on
	windows which have none.




SCRATCHES

Prevention is the best strategy for protecting your custom cabinetry from scratches and deeper
gouges. Repair of such damage, when and if it is possible, can require the complete dismantling
of the affected portion and replacement with new materials. Applying new materials or finishes
to existing products which have aged over time can result in imperfect matching. Therefore,
stop a scratch before it starts! Apply sticky-backed plastic or felt bumpers wherever two
surfaces touch. These pads help to prevent:

Scratching of counter tops from appliances, and
Marring of edges and the resultant noise which can occur when closing a cabinet door.

Sheets of these bumpers can be purchased from Silverado Fine Woodworking, or from your
local hardware store. To move an item across a surface, lift it instead of sliding it. Use a butcher
block or other approved surface for cutting. Never cut directly on a custom cabinetry surface
or counter top.

Use hot pads beneath hot or cold items to protect surfaces from extreme temperature changes.
Heat can cloud varnished wood and warp or discolor laminate or melamine surfaces.




 

GENERAL CLEANING INSTRUCTIONS

Each material used in cabinetry construction has an associated list of recommendations and precautions for care and cleaning. Check with the manufacturer of a particular cleaning product if you have any questions about its suitability to your situation! For varnished wood, Laminated products and the interior surfaces of the melamine boxes, please follow these general suggestions
for cleaning:

	Cabinetry should be dusted or vacuumed as particulate matter
	accumulates.
	Carefully select your wiping cloths. Choose a cloth which is lint-free.
	Clean, soft cloths made of cotton and cotton flannel are preferred.
	Avoid synthetic materials, like polyester and rayon, which tend to be
	abrasive.
	Moisten the cloth with a mild cleaning solution, such as Murphy's
	soap to wipe the cabinet's surfaces evenly. Follow with a dry cloth.

Please note: damage can result, both at the surface level and beneath the surface, if fluids (including
water) are allowed to sit or pool. Quickly blot excess fluid with a sponge or a clean, absorbent,
lint-free cloth.


The use of solvent based products for cleaning requires enhanced ventilation and specific disposal procedures. These flammable products, when used with cloth, will ignite spontaneously if they are improperly discarded.

While working with solvents:
Use a respirator made specifically for this purpose,
Do not smoke (anywhere in the vicinity), and
Do not light matches or lighters!

Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for safe use and disposal of any solvent based product.

 

PRODUCTS MADE OF HARDWOODS
AND PLYWOODS

Your wooden cabinetry has been coated with two layers of clear conversion varnish. This top coat is catalyzed, which results in a hard finish with resistance to moisture, scratching, cold temperatures and many common household products.

Please note: it takes approximately 30 days for conversion varnish to cure, or to reach its
maximum hardness. Extra care should be given during this period.

 

CLEANING SPECIFICS

Follow the grain as you clean. Wiping across the grain can scratch the surface if the dust contains grit. Varnished cabinetry does not need to be oiled or waxed, though products made for fine furniture will not damage it. Oil, including lemon oil, is prone to smudges and may attract dust and/or yellow with time. If wax is applied too thickly, it may smudge or allow moisture rings from cups to form. If you choose to wax, find a product containing carnauba wax, buff it, and use it no more frequently than once every six months. Water based cleaners, such as Murphy's Soap or Johnson's Pledge household cleaner, are effective and are relatively safe to use. Regular soap and water will dull, and may damage the finish.)

Certain cleaning products can damage your varnished wooden cabinetry. This list of products to avoid includes, but is not limited to, the following:

Abrasive cleaners
Ethyl alcohol (at a strength of 50% or more)
Lacquer thinner
Nail polish remover (with or without acetone)
Paint thinner
Pine Sol disinfectant, or its equivalent
Silicone-based products

LAMINATED AND MELAMINE PRODUCTS

High pressure laminates are made by hydraulically compressing resinate patterned paper over layers of resinate craft paper. In custom cabinetry production, these compressed sheets are applied to a bonded core material, such as particle board or plywood. The surface design is available in almost limitless combinations of colors and textures. Thermal bonded melamine is particle board with a paper surface which is applied with heat. Color selections of melamine are limited. Melamine is used to construct the box portion of your cabinetry, or for counter top construction where cost is of primary concern. Laminates are more compressed than melamines, and are, therefore, somewhat more durable (and costly). Both products are resistant to impact, wear and discoloration. However, care must be taken to protect the surface from damage by chemicals, heat, scratching and certain staining agents.

CLEANING SPECIFICS FOR LAMINATED
AND MELAMINE PRODUCTS

Before wiping with a cleaner, dust or vacuum all surfaces to remove grit. Leftover adhesive may look streaked or smudged on the surface. To remove this adhesive residue, moisten a clean cloth with an adhesive solvent, such as Formica Non-flammable Contact Adhesive Solvent, and wipe the area carefully. Blot the excess fluid with a dry cloth. Dampen a clean, cotton cloth with ammonia or glass cleaner and wipe gently. Make sure your location is well ventilated!

Please note: Certain household products can stain your laminated cabinetry. Abrasive products can permanently damage laminates and encourage staining. Acids or alkaline based cleaners will erode and discolor laminates. The following list of products to avoid includes, but is not limited to:

ABRASIVES	ACIDS & ALKALIES	STAINS
Abrasive cleaners	Ceramic cooktop cleaners	Tar compounds
Sandpaper	Chlorine bleach	Hair dyes and rinses
Scouring powders	Coffee pot cleaners	Iodine
Scouring pads	Drain or cleaners	Mercurochrome
Steel wool	Tile, toilet bowl cleaners	Tannic acid

ADJUSTING THE HARDWARE

Though your custom cabinets are built to allow for many common variances in door and drawer positions, try to minimize fluctuations in temperature and humidity within the room, whenever it is possible. It is easy to adjust the hinges located on the interior portion of the doors and drawer fronts. All you need to adjust a hinge on your cabinet door, or a bracket on your drawer, is a #2 Philip's Head screwdriver.

Please note: Placing weight on a door while closing it, or failing to clear the path of a closing door or drawer, can cause serious damage to your cabinetry.

DOORS - Your cabinet doors come equipped with the Blum brand of European style, concealed hinges. These hinges allow for a simple, three-way adjustment, as is shown in the diagram below:

DRAWERS AND DRAWER FRONTS - Your Metabox drawer fronts are attached to the sides of the drawer box with the Blum brand of fixing brackets.

The fixing screw on the bracket locks the front into place. Independent height and side-to-side adjustments can be made as required.

Please note: on selected drawers, fronts are fastened to the bottom of the drawer to prevent warping. To determine this, pull out the drawer and check the bottom for angled slots with screws centered in the middle of each slot. Call Silverado for adjusting directions in this case.

COLOR MATCHING

Perhaps the most visual aspect of your cabinetry is its custom finish. Paint, wood stains, wood dye stains and pigmented varnishes are used to color your woodworking product(s). Further choices include the thinning of full color to create washes or tints. Though thinned pigments allow the wood grain to show through to a greater degree, the opportunities to provide consistent coverage diminish to the degree the color product is adulterated. In other words, the finish has less pigment to blend or even out those areas of the wood which have absorbed the pigment at different rates. The darker grains found in a given type of wood will show a higher contrast to the lighter areas of wood with a thinned dye or wash. When new cabinetry is added to existing cabinetry, the different units may not match exactly. As wood sits, it may change in color due to:

the bleaching effects of sunlight,
staining from products spilled on the surfaces or oil from fingers,
the browning or yellowing of top coats consisting of a nitrocellulose base, and/or
the use of incorrect cleaning agents.

Even when a stain or a dye is custom mixed to match the existing color, it may not perfectly match once put onto a new wood. Additionally, if the original unit was top-coated with a nitrocellulose lacquer, and the new unit is top-coated with a higher quality, non-yellowing varnish, the changes in color over time can be divergent. Therefore, an exact color match which continues to match over time cannot be guaranteed.

SPECIFIC INJURIES TO YOUR CABINETRY

Please call Silverado Fine Woodworking for the remedy, in the event your cabinet sustains damage from the following:

Chemicals, including food items
Transfer of paint to a cabinet surface
Cigarette burns
Other damage (not listed here)

Silverado shall have no liability for information which is incomplete or incorrect. The buyer shall assume all risks for the results of the use of the products purchased and the care of such products. Please call Silverado in the event of a specific question or malady.

 

 

Silverado Fine Woodworking
E-mail: silverado@shasta.com
Copyright 1995-2000

 

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