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I’m a semi-pro laminate installer & encountered (no pun intended) a new problem the other day. I was doing a big U-shaped counter & had to join two sheets side-by-side (48 & 60 inch wide sheets.) For various reasons, it was a difficult job- took me 3 hours to get the sheets ready to glue down- but I did get a nice clean match-routed joint. The problem was that there was still a very visible joint that would catch your fingernail.
I blamed myself for a sloppy substrate, too much adhesive, etc., etc. I peeled the edges of the joint up, cleaned the substrate, reglued, still no good, did it again, yadda, yadda, yadda. Finally, I got my micrometer out and measured the thickness- one sheet was 50 thou, the other was 45 to 48.
The distributor replaced the laminate, but even the office clerk implied that I was stoopid for not having checked the thickness before starting. So, two questions:
1) Was I stoopid for not having checked thickness? How often does this happen? (You didn’t warn me, Kimball!!) The warehouse guy suggested I make a habit of asking for two sheets of the same width, so they’d have been cut right after each other in the same run of material.
2) Is it reasonable to expect the manufacturer to reimburse me for my labor? Like I said, it took me 3 hours just to get ready for adhesive.
Replies
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Bob, I don't believe you're any stupider than I for I woulda never thought of mic-ing a sheet of laminate. You should tell us what manufacturer so we might be wary. I guess if I think back, I may have "passed" a joint that looked good but felt bad. Probably after I had gotten agravated messin with it. Your labor? Probably not, but now they owe you a favor.
*Bob, Your probably sol on getting compensated for your time, but thanks for letting others know -- that's what this post is all about.I remember that same situation with joining 2 different widths. This was that brittle solid color (no dark edge) stuff from Formica. It was a sink seam and I was able to sand it and feather it (the only advantage to working with that stuff). Still never figured why and I have at least two pairs of one inch micrometers sitting around. Guess we are just led to take some things for granted.Jim Malone
*So they got snipe on the edges of laminate, too?
*The supplier in this case was Formica. I haven't seen any warnings in their literature or in any books and articles.
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I'm a semi-pro laminate installer & encountered (no pun intended) a new problem the other day. I was doing a big U-shaped counter & had to join two sheets side-by-side (48 & 60 inch wide sheets.) For various reasons, it was a difficult job- took me 3 hours to get the sheets ready to glue down- but I did get a nice clean match-routed joint. The problem was that there was still a very visible joint that would catch your fingernail.
I blamed myself for a sloppy substrate, too much adhesive, etc., etc. I peeled the edges of the joint up, cleaned the substrate, reglued, still no good, did it again, yadda, yadda, yadda. Finally, I got my micrometer out and measured the thickness- one sheet was 50 thou, the other was 45 to 48.
The distributor replaced the laminate, but even the office clerk implied that I was stoopid for not having checked the thickness before starting. So, two questions:
1) Was I stoopid for not having checked thickness? How often does this happen? (You didn't warn me, Kimball!!) The warehouse guy suggested I make a habit of asking for two sheets of the same width, so they'd have been cut right after each other in the same run of material.
2) Is it reasonable to expect the manufacturer to reimburse me for my labor? Like I said, it took me 3 hours just to get ready for adhesive.