Hello All.
I received a call from a customer complaining about a cracking finish on the front of the hood vent which was installed a little over one year ago. As you can see in the picture it looks like the cracks run in the direction of the grain. I have contacted the supplier of the hood vent and their response was that the hood vent finish damage was not their fault. “It was from excessive moisture/steam coming from the stove.” I pointed out to them that the finish on the end boards and the boards inside the hood vent showed no signs of cracking. The customer has a high quality KOBE exhaust fan installed.
Questions I have are:
Why did my finish fail on this one board only?
Can this problem be corrected or will the finish always fail?

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Pretty lame excuse for the company that made it. Interesting how that one board is only being affected. It's a hood vent. It's suppose to deal with steam, smoke and grease.

The paint might have been put on to thick and you are having a mil thickness issue. Since it's cracking and peeling you might measure the thickness of the paint with a caliper. Depending on the type of finish there is usually a mil limit. With conversion varnish it's usually about 5 mil. Any thicker and the paint can crack.

The other thing that might be going on is whoever is cleaning it might be using a stronger chemical to rid it of grease. Most modern paints can take it but it's not really advised. A damp cloth with a mild detergent is usually more than enough to take nearly anything off a modern painted finish without chancing damage.

Sand the board and get a matching color and paint it on site.

It does look like paint lifting from wood grain
Is there a linear behind that board?
Is it possible that water/moisture is getting into that board from behind?
Do you know what paint was used?

Is there the same amount of finish on the back of the material as the front? Must be balanced and sealed.

Easy first question, what primer and top coat did you use? Second, does the customer always turn on the fan? Many times my wife figures boiling just a little bit of water doesn't require the fan to run.

A photo of the inside would be helpful. Is there a liner in it or just a false bottom made of plywood.

I work for a builder in SC and we have been seeing this lately, usually on panels such as refrigerator panels. Is that board solid wood or veneer? I believe what we are seeing is a result of cheap China veneer core with too high a moisture content. weeks, or months after the install we are seeing what you have there. It appears to be the veneer core drying out and shrinking causing the surface veneer and finish to crack in the direction of the grain.

I agree with Bill. There is something wrong with that piece of material. The rest of the hood could be made from MDF. It does look like the veneer is delaminating.

i would blame the pig.

Bill and Adam are spot on. Further investigation shows that there is a basic butt joint where the front board and the side boards meet. The joint can be seen in the attached picture. The joint is covered on the front by a veneer. From everyone's experience can this veneer be sanded and refinished with the original lacquer finish? Will it be a permanent fix or will the finish crack again later.

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So no linear?

No, there is not a liner. It is in essence a plywood box with edge banding veneer on the bottom The edge banding veneer is starting to loosen on the inside.
The cracked veneer on the front covers the corner joints. This veneer is cracked right down to the plywood. See pictures attached.

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I think this is the effect of using low-quality China veneer core that has a too-high moisture level. months or even weeks after the installation, we may already notice the results.