What are the drawbacks of utilizing wooden shelves in a humid kitchen setting?

There are many disadvantages in the use of wooden shelves in the humid environment of the kitchen, mainly reflected in the following aspects:

Susceptible to moisture deformation
The characteristics of wood make it more sensitive to changes in humidity. In a humid kitchen environment, wood will absorb a lot of water, resulting in volume expansion. With the passage of time, the repeated moisture and drying process will cause the structure of the wooden shelf to change, deformation and distortion. For example, shelf shelves may become uneven, affecting the placement of items; The frame may be distorted, causing the overall structure to be unstable, and even unable to be used normally in severe cases. Shelves made of pine, for example, are more prone to such problems in humid environments due to their relatively loose texture.

Mold and rot
The humid environment provides ideal conditions for mold and bacteria to grow. After the wooden shelf absorbs water, if it cannot be dried in time, the surface and interior will rapidly breed a lot of mold, mildew and odor. In this high humidity environment for a long time, the wood will gradually rot, reducing the strength and service life of the shelf. Especially in the rainy season in the south, the kitchen humidity increases significantly, and the risk of mold and decay of wooden shelves is higher. For example, in some kitchens that have not taken moisture-proof measures, black or green mold spots often appear on the corners and edges of the wooden shelves after a period of use.

Breed pests
Wet wooden shelving tends to attract pests, such as termites and borers. These pests feed on wood and will corrod many holes and channels inside the shelf, damaging the structure of the wood and seriously weakening the load-bearing capacity of the shelf. As pests breed and erode, shelving can be damaged unknowingly or even collapse suddenly. Once pests are found to breed, it is more troublesome to control them, and it takes time and effort to deworm them.

Affect aesthetics
After moisture, the surface of the wooden shelf will appear discoloration, water stains and other phenomena, and the originally smooth surface may become rough and peeling, affecting the overall beauty. Moreover, the stains caused by mold and decay are difficult to clean thoroughly, further reducing the beauty of the shelf, and are incompatible with the clean and beautiful kitchen environment. For example, the original color of the warm solid wood shelf, after a period of use in a humid environment, the surface may become gray, mottled, lose the original texture.

Difficult to maintain
In order to extend the service life of wooden shelves in wet kitchen environments, frequent and meticulous maintenance is required. For example, it is necessary to wipe moisture regularly, apply moisture-proof paint, and dry treatment. But even so, it is difficult to completely avoid the damage of the wet environment on the wooden shelf. Compared with other materials, wooden shelves are more expensive to maintain and take more time and effort.