Cleaning and Care
Great Northern Cabinetry uses only quality materials that are durable and beautiful. Our cabinetry requires minimal maintenance and will provide many years of service. Treat your cabinets as you would fine furniture. They are in a far more hostile environment than your furniture and are designed to resist household chemicals and food stains. Do not expose your cabinetry to strong sunlight, extreme temperature or humidity changes. Proper humidity control is essential to the life of your cabinetry. Ideally, the recommended temperature is 68 to 70 degrees with a humidity level of 40%. After your cabinets are installed you may find some door warpage. This is natural and the door must hang through one heating season to accustom to the temperature and humidity of its environment. If after going through this cycle and the door is still warped, we will gladly replace it at no charge.
We make the following recommendations for the care of your cabinetry:
Do not use cleaners or abrasive products to clean any surface of your cabinetry!
Immediately after installation of your cabinets, we recommend Murphy’s Oil Soap and warm water to be used with a soft rag to clean the interiors and exteriors of your cabinetry. Slightly dampen the rag and then immediately wipe dry with another soft cloth. Never wet or soak any surface.
Wipe your spills immediately. Do not allow them to stand and dry out. This could cause staining to occur or difficulty in removal causing scratching or denting of the cabinet surfaces.
Clean the interiors periodically or when required with mild soapy water. Use a soft rag to prevent scratching and wipe immediately dry with a towel or another soft cloth.
Clean the exteriors of your cabinets with Murphy’s Oil Soap and warm water. Use only a soft dampened rag and immediately wipe dry with a towel or soft cloth.
If scratches occur that expose the raw wood, your dealer can order a Touch-Up Kit in the original stain color from Great Northern Cabinetry, Inc. for you. Mellowing of the finish has probably occurred, so the touch up may not match exactly. In time, the touched up area will also mellow and eventually blend in with the surrounding area. If a door or drawer front is damaged beyond repair, your dealer can return it to Great Northern Cabinetry, Inc. for matching the finish to manufacture a new one. In many cases we cannot match the finish exactly because of the mellowing. In time the replacement door or drawer front will mellow and blend in. There is a cost for replacements which your dealer will give you.
Adjustment Information
Door Adjustment
Over time and with use, you may find that your doors may become misaligned. To correct this, you will need a Phillips screwdriver. The adjustment screws are located within the hinges. Determine first whether you need to adjust the door up or down, left or right, or in or out. There are adjustment screws for the three directions. Next determine the type of door overlay that is on your cabinets as the hinges for each overlay look slightly different. Standard overlay has the door covering half of the cabinet frame leaving 3/4” reveal of the cabinet frame on the sides and bottom of the door. Full overlay has the door covering most of the cabinet frame leaving 1/4” reveal of the cabinet frame on the sides and bottom of the door. Inset has the door seated within the opening of the cabinet frame. Click on the appropriate link for hinge adjustment instructions. Standard Overlay Full Overlay Inset
Soft Close Hinge Adjustment
The cup hinges used on our standard cabinetry have a feature that prevents your doors from slamming shut. These hinges also contain a small switch that enables you to control the amount of resistance needed for that just right soft close action. If you have a heavy or large door for example, you may need to increase the amount of resistance set on one or both hinges to slow the door action. If you have a small or light-weight door, then a reduction may be needed. Click on the following link to download the adjustment instructions for our soft close hinges. Soft Close
Drawer Front Adjustment
If your drawer fronts become loose from the drawer box, open the drawer and locate the screw heads on the front inside of the drawer box. You can use a screwdriver to tighten these screws after realigning the drawer front to its proper location.
Drawer Box Adjustment
If your drawer box becomes tilted or misaligned, this can be easily corrected with the tool-less adjustment which can be found on the underside of the drawer box. Pull open the drawer and simply rotate the wheel at the front bottom of the drawer to adjust the drawer box height.
To remove a drawer from the cabinet, pull open the drawer and simply press outward the two front release devises found on the underside of the drawer box. Then slide the drawer toward you while lifting up the drawer.
Sliding Trays
Your cabinets may have adjustable sliding trays in some of them. Once your cabinets are installed and the sliding trays are placed in the proper location you wish them to be, it is important to secure your sliding trays with the set screws that were provided with them. They are located in an envelope taped to the inside of the sliding tray which also includes the instructions.
Stripped Screw Repair
Some woods are softer than others and with heavy use or over-tightening, you may strip loose the screws from the wood that hold hinges on to the cabinet frame. If this happens, this can be repaired with the use of high quality wood glue and some very small wood dowels. Remove the hinge screw from the cabinet frame, place glue into the screw hole, cut a piece of the wood dowel to fit into and fill the existing screw hole and press it into the screw hole so that it is flush with the surface of the frame. Wipe away any excess glue with a soft cloth. Let the glue dry completely. Then screw the hinge back into place until snug being careful not to over tighten which will strip the wood again.
Sustainability Promise
Great Northern Cabinetry actively participates in reducing our impact on the environment when making our products.
Positive results come from building products that hold up to normal use, reducing the need for replacement. At Great Northern Cabinetry we believe that starts with selecting and constructing cabinets and accessories with the right materials, and producing products in processes that are designed to generate as little waste as possible. We select materials manufactured to meet or surpass current regulatory requirements, including low formaldehyde emissions. All Great Northern cabinets are environmentally kind, built with enduring, natural materials that stand the test of time.
Great Northern Cabinetry’s dedication to the environment is further advanced by our ESP certification from KCMA (Kitchen Cabinet Manufacturers Association). The ESP (Environmental Stewardship Program) was created to help cabinet manufacturers demonstrate their commitment to environmental sustainability and help consumers easily identify environmentally-friendly products. To qualify for this program and become certified, rigorous requirements must be met in areas such as air quality, resource management and environmental stewardship. Look for the green ESP seal on your Great Northern Cabinetry products. This is your assurance that we are doing our part to help preserve our environment. Feel good about your home being a part of the solution, and not contributing to the problem.
Warranty
Great Northern Cabinetry warrants its cabinetry to the original purchaser only of the installed residential cabinetry, against defects in material or workmanship for the lifetime of the products after delivery, communicated in writing and verified by the dealer. (Exclusion: Great Lakes line of products is warranted for 10 years from date of purchase.) Some products purchased through but not made by Great Northern Cabinetry which are limited in warranty by the maker of the product will follow the warranty provided by the product’s manufacturer. Within a reasonable amount of time after such notification, we will provide a replacement part for the defective part. Purchaser shall pay all labor and installation cost associated with the replacement of the defective part. Due to possible updates and changes made to products and specifications, Great Northern Cabinetry will replace part under warranty with a new part of similar style currently offered and cannot be held responsible for replacement product that may not exactly match installed product. The warranty set forth herein is exclusive and in lieu of all other warranties, whether oral or written, expressed or implied. No warranty of merchantability or fitness for particular purpose shall apply. Great Northern Cabinetry’s liability shall be limited to the repair or replacement of parts or goods and in no case shall be liable for incidental or consequential damages. This limited warranty does not cover misuse, mishandling, abuse, improper storage, improper installation, or neglect. The agents, dealers and employees of Great Northern Cabinetry are not authorized to make modifications to this warranty, or additional warranties binding on Great Northern Cabinetry. In addition, statements whether oral or written, do not constitute warranties and should not be relied upon.
Defective Product Guidelines Doors: Doors that are warped must be allowed to hang through one heating season before a no charge replacement will be considered. Some doors may warp due to humidity changes and this is normal. The door will usually return to its normal flat position after going through one heating season. Please check to be certain the door is actually warped and that the cabinet has not been improperly installed causing the cabinet to be “racked” out of square. Damages caused by improper humidity levels will not be warranted. (Recommended temperature is 68 to 70 degrees with a humidity level of 40%.)
Finish: Complaints concerning finish must be inspected by a Great Northern Cabinetry representative. Great Northern Cabinetry reserves the option of approving a field repair, or having the defective item returned to the manufacturing facility for repair or replacement. No repairs may be undertaken without authorization from Great Northern Cabinetry. Slight variations in grain and color are not considered defects, as this is the natural characteristics and beauty of the wood. No merchandise may be returned to Great Northern Cabinetry without prior written authorization. Contact your dealer, the customer service department, or our sales representative for assistance. Great Northern Cabinetry reserves the right to change specifications and material without notice and is not obligated to incorporate such changes in products previously manufactured.
Warranty Timeline:
Cabinetry purchased between 10/1/2023 – present carries a Limited Lifetime warranty except Great Lakes cabinetry which carries a 10-year warranty.
All cabinetry purchased between 3/1/2012 – 9/30/2023 carries a 10-year warranty.
All cabinetry purchased prior to 3/1/2012 carries a 5-year warranty.
Warranty Registration: To register your product warranty, please complete the warranty registration form. If you prefer, you can complete and mail the warranty card found in your Installation/Warranty Booklet that came with your product.