To whom it may concern,
I just made a countertop for my kitchen utilizing a 5X 10 sheet of Stop Red Formica Laminate. The countertop is “L†shaped with a peninsula being the short leg. The inside corner has a 8†radius and the outside corners of the peninsula are rounded as well. The edge is 90degrees to the top and has the standard strip laminated on prior to installing the top surface.
I was installing a dishwasher last night and one of the straps on top of the dishwasher caught the under side of my edge and popped a nickel size piece off (in 3 pieces all of which I have). This spot is about 3†from the inside corner.
I was planning on attempting to re attach these chips figuring I have nothing to loose but am not sure how to proceed.
What are my options and is there any documentation that you can direct me to?
Replies
Give it a try, by all means. If you aren't satisfied with the results, it'll be easy enough to replace the self-edge later. Just piece them back in there the best you can, a little Seamfil here and there, and you might get by just fine. It is a house, after all, not a museum.
Wit,
The way I think of approaching this is: Mask off the surrounding area on the countertop. Get the pieces all together underneath wide clear tape. Acquire some good "super glue" (they throw several choices at you). (I would think that a thicker consistency type would be better) Check fit using the tape as a holder. Cover floor under repair. Install and hold until it seems ridiculous.
Is there a color expert in the family? Get a little oil base artist color and touch joints in repair with a toothpick.
Fonzie
Try it. Thats first.
Tim Mooney
I have done that. I was putting a new sink in which was a bit larger than the old one. I wasn't thinking, took out the rip saw and couple of pieces of laminate came off. After much swearing and pondering on the result of my own stupidity, I fitted the pieces together and found that the melamine surface looked presentable. I put some white glue on both surface and press the pieces down the best I could, then I tightened the mounting bolts on the sink and use the lip of the sink as a clamp. The resulting repair is barely noticeable and even with water around all the time it seems to hold up pretty good after three years. As everybody have said , give it a try.
Tom
There's a nice thing about formica and its cousins: PVA (aka yellow carpenters glue, Elmer's, Titebond) bonds well to the back, but not to the front. You can put the glue where it is needed to hold the chips in place, dribble it all over the front, get squeeze-out, and such. The stuff on the front will just peel off. You might use Titebond II, which is more water-resitant than the standard PVA.
This is kind of a take-off on Fonzie's approach.
You could add just a tad of an appropriate mix of artist's oil colors into some five minute epoxy. Press the pieces individually into place as the epoxy begins to thicken and wipe off the excess adhesive on the surface with a soft cloth dampened with acetone. When it's dry, you can carefully scuff any showing colored epoxy with the folded edge of maybe some 400 or 600 grit to get the appropriate sheen to the epoxy.
Or.......as already stated......you can just replace that edging.
Wit, just a suggestion. Before you're done, trim that underhang of laminate off the bottom. Make it smooth with the substrate so this doesn't happen again. Best of luck.
__________________________________________
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Take the strip off with a heat gun and replace it. Cut a new strip with the table saw, a little wide, then run it between a stop and straight router bit to the exact width. This will give you a clean edge to butt to the deck laminate. Trying to fix the chips is gonna look like crap.........a lame fix. Replacing the strip might take you an hour or so, but the results will be worth it!
jocobe
Or depending how much in view the trim piece is, you can make a verticle cut about the 4"s in from that corner and remove that piece which includes the nickle sized booger and replace that 4" trim with new. Then all you have is that small seam to contend with.
Half of good living is staying out of bad situations.
The other...proper application of risk.