Caring for your new kitchen

From the moment you first visit one of our Mayfair Kitchen Studio showrooms in Chester or Wirral with an idea for your dream kitchen design, to when you have had your kitchen installed and have prepared your first meal in it – we are with you at each and every stage of the planning process. We want your kitchen to last into the years to come, which is why our team of planners, designers and fitters only use the finest and most exceptional materials, and time-honed craftsmanship. The materials used in your new kitchen should last a lifetime as they are highly robust and durable, but they will always be in tip-top condition if they are properly taken care of. It is important that you give your new kitchen some TLC, so that you can make the most of it and future-proof it for the many years to come.

We always recommend that you fit your kitchen in a heated room with plenty of ventilation. Wooden cabinets and materials can experience some movement as they acclimatise to their new environment. This is perfectly normal. You may notice hairline cracks in wood – this is natural movement that happens because the wood is settling. You should allow a few weeks for the wood to properly settle. The settling process will not harm the integrity of the wood. Depending on the humidity of your kitchen, the wood will naturally expand and contract. This is why it is important to have the room (where your kitchen will be installed) properly dry and free from any excess moisture from fresh paint or plaster, etc. Try to keep excess humidity in the kitchen to a minimum. For instance, when you have finished your dishwasher cycle, don’t empty the dishwasher straight away. Instead, wait for the dishwasher to cool down before emptying. This will prevent lots of hot air and steam from being absorbed by the surrounding cabinets.

Always ensure that your kitchen fittings are not exposed to any extreme temperatures. We recommend keeping the temperature of your room between 18-20ºc where you can. If you have under-floor heating, this shouldn’t be installed beneath wooden cabinets, as this will dry out the wood and cause potential damage to the integrity of the wood. You should always consult with your underfloor heating installer on how to run your heating system correctly (if applicable), and to keep your wooden kitchen fittings in prime condition.

By taking the above careful steps, you will maintain the life of your kitchen, so that it stays in premium condition long into the future.