Schooner Bay Builders is urging seasonal residents returning to Cape Coral to inspect their kitchens for signs of slow water leaks that can develop while a home sits closed through the summer months. Many of the city's homes, built during the construction waves of the 1980s and 1990s, contain aging plumbing connections that can weep undetected for weeks when a property is unoccupied.
According to the company, the most common sources of these leaks are sink supply lines, dishwasher and ice maker connections, and air conditioning drain lines. When these components fail slowly, water can collect beneath cabinets and flooring without any obvious sign until a homeowner returns. By then, the result is often swollen cabinet bases, lifted flooring, damaged drywall and mold growth behind finished surfaces.
Schooner Bay Builders reports handling a number of leak-related kitchen projects, with slow leaks from sink supply lines, dishwasher and ice maker connections, or AC drain lines identified among the leading causes. The company notes that water-damaged materials usually cannot be salvaged. Cabinets built on particleboard cores absorb moisture and lose structural integrity, flooring separates from the subfloor, and saturated drywall must be removed to address mold before any rebuilding can begin.
"Water finds the lowest point and sits there, so the damage is often worse than what a homeowner can see from the surface," said Richard Christiaens, co-founder of Schooner Bay Builders. "Before a kitchen can be rebuilt, the affected cabinets, flooring and drywall typically have to come out entirely. That sequence of drying, removal and reconstruction is what separates a lasting repair from one that fails again."
The company's structure reflects that sequence. The managing partners of Schooner Bay Realty partnered with Christiaens, who owns a Southwest Florida disaster cleanup, restoration and reconstruction company, allowing a single team to move from water mitigation through to finished kitchen construction. As a Cape Coral Kitchen Remodeler, the company applies that combined background to projects where moisture damage must be resolved before new finishes are installed.
Kitchen designer Abby Merz said the planning stage matters as much as the demolition. "Once the damaged materials are gone, the layout is essentially open for reconsideration," Merz said. "We look at how the space functions, how it connects to adjacent living areas, and which cabinet and countertop materials hold up well in the local climate before anything is rebuilt."
Homeowners dealing with leak damage can review the company's kitchen remodeling services on the company's website. Additional company details are available at the Google Business Profile for Schooner Bay Builders.
https://youtu.be/eNfcPnRzotQ?si=97eX0elJ_BadZ8mO
Schooner Bay Builders is a Cape Coral residential construction company providing custom homes and kitchen, bath and additional space remodeling across Lee, Collier and Charlotte counties. The company emphasizes quality craftsmanship, transparency and a client-first approach, drawing on decades of combined experience in Southwest Florida construction and restoration. Schooner Bay Builders, LLC is not a subsidiary or controlled affiliate of Schooner Bay Realty, LLC.
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For more information about Schooner Bay Builders, LLC, contact the company here:
Schooner Bay builders
Dustin Gardner
(239) 333-2345
Dustin@schoonerbaybuilders.com
1210 Del Prado Blvd S
Cape Coral, FL, 33990