Thanks to its long term working relationship with one of the country’s major insurance providers, Plastic Surgeon was called in to see if its expertise in the field of cosmetic repair could remedy the situation.
The challenges
The side panels to the kitchen units were laminate faced particleboard which had become saturated to a height of between six and eight inches, causing the material to swell, discolour and begin to spall in places. There was also very unsightly mould growth present due to the length of time over which the water leak had occurred.
The client’s loss adjuster and a general building contractor had already looked into the possibility of obtaining replacement panels, but the age of the kitchen units and the shaped leading edge to all three – matching other mouldings on the wall units – meant this was not a viable option. It was furthermore very important not to cause further distress to a frail elderly person who suffers cognitive issues.
The highlights
Having received notification of the job Plastic Surgeon assigned an experienced Finisher to carry out the work. And as is normal practice with PlasticSurgeon’s service, the lady was sent details of the appointment: including the Finisher’s name, photograph, van registration and contact details.
With three days tendered for the repairs due to the extent of the damage, the Finisher began by cutting out all the particleboard which was too swollen to save. Then across each of the three end panels he began to build back up the profile using layers of Plastic Surgeon’s Ultra-Premium filler.
With the area restored to slightly above its original level, the surface was carefully smoothed back flush using a graduation of sandpaper; both with the electric sander and by hand, around the detail of the moulded edges.
Then, employing Plastic Surgeon’s System 200 colours, the Finisher accurately matched the base colour to the kitchen cupboards and sprayed the entire area of each repair before painstakingly adding the detail of the woodgrain with a fine artist’s brush.
The restoration was completed with two to three coats of System 200 lacquer to help protect the repairs over time.
Key outcome for the client
- The insurance company was saved the considerable cost of replacing the entire set of kitchen units facing it due to the non-availability of matching replacement panels.
- No waste was incurred through scrapping original building components, or the environmental footprint of producing and installing new.
- The elderly property owner was saved the far greater disruption to her life which would have entailed from having her entire kitchen replaced.
