Solid surface countertop scratches
56gmcpickup
| Posted in Construction Techniques on
Hi,
I am new to this forum but not fine homebuilding- I have been subscribing on and off since issue #1. My question today is this: I was repairing some cabinets over a Corian countertop, and made some light scratches with my tools (careless, I know) What grit of sandpaper should I start with (if with sandpaper I should start) and what grit progression should I use? Experimenting is not an option, as I do not want to make it worse. Scotch brite is mentioned in the solid surface countertop article in FHB, but they don’t mention the color/grit- white, grey, maroon or green. Thanks in advance for any advice here.
Dave
Replies
Use the finest grit possible and expect to do the entire countertop.
You might get lucky and only have to do a small area.... but I doubt it.
Just ran into this. Lowes rep sells this stuff partially on the pitch that if it scratches, no problem just "Scotchbrite pad it".
This is true but finding the right pad is nearly impossible.
Goto an automotive paint supply store and get grey and red pads. Use alot of water and after removing the scratch you have to kinda do the whole top because once you buff it, it will lightly change the color.
It works but be careful.
BTW I talked to a pro refinisher, he told me to try it out cause you're not gonna mess it up. They can always come back and fix whatever messs you may have made.
Go to a cab shop and they'll sell you what you need. Use a random orbit sander with water and be sure to mask off the area as it will tend to be messy. Use the coarsest (maroon) for the deepest scratches and then graduate up to the grey, and then the white. You can also use 150-180-220-300-etc. Use the finest grit you have to go over the immediate area and adjoining surfaces so the gloss or semi-gloss will match. Buffing out with a pad helps too. Avoid high-gloss as it shows scratches easily. Hand sanding with a pad on the round-overs and bull noses is easier than trying to hold a ROS on it.