Particle board separated

[blue]

One slab of our brand new laminate countertop has had the particle board separate under the "full wrap" in 2 places. It is only noticeable if you look under the edge of the countertop and not terribly noticeable unless you know what you are looking for. We haven't installed it yet and I am of the opinion that I didn't pay for a countertop with separated particle board, thus I don't want a countertop with separated particle board.

We had one of the guys from the company who built it come in and look at it yesterday. He said "it shouldn't come apart anymore so go ahead and install it, but if it gets worse we'll make you a new one". I was shocked by this (but only my boyfriend was there at the time so I wasn't around to express my shock to the guy). Basically he wants us to install it and the company hopes it won't get any worse so they don't have to replace it, RATHER than just replacing it now and saving us the hassle of installing it, ripping it out and installing it again.

My boyfriend called them back today and said we were unhappy with it the way it was. They told us to bring it in and they would "glue" it, and if anything goes wrong later they will of course warranty it. This of course puts us in the position of having to potentially rip it out, rescribe, reinstall, etc. if something should go wrong again. But of course if gluing it is suitable, we're ahead since we have already spent hours getting it perfectly aligned to the wall and would rather avoid having to spend the time on that again. Should we be demanding they make us a new countertop? or is gluing it a suitable fix?

[BinaryBillTheSailor]

Did you get what you paid for or not? Did you accept delivery of the product without noting the defect? Does the defect actually make any difference? Where is the damage exactly? I'm not clear as to what "full wrap" means.

BB

[blue]

Well as far as I am concerned no, I paid for an intact countertop, this one is coming apart.

My dad and boyfriend picked it up, the company basically stuck it in our car, we noticed after we scribed the backspash to fit the wall and went underneath the cabinet to attach it. We are not sure if it was like that when we brought it home, or if it split over the next few days. We called as soon as we noticed the defect, they have not tried to place any blame on us.

Well the countertop is coming apart, if it comes apart further then the whole wrap could "undo". If it doesn't split any further we might be okay unless of course when we open one of our drawers, something from the drawer catches on the underside of the countertop (which is lower in the 2 places it is split) and pulls it off more.

On the underside of the front 180 degree lip, or the underside of the "full wrap" (this is what the company who made it calls this style). In

2 places the particle board under the laminate has separated and thus the laminate hangs slightly rather than being tight.

I found a web site that illustrate what I mean:

It is the right most of the 2 "Tri-cove countertops" on this page, basically a 180 degree wrap.

[Chris Perdue]

that is commonly refered to as "european" type top...usually a shorter backsplash and the round front edge...if the two pieces of particle board are indeed coming apart it is a manufacturer defect and not the topshops mistake...still the warrantee falls onto the shoulders of the topshop...if you are unhappy or unsure, have them remake the top.(is it a straight run or does it have a miter?)...the time scribing is not significant(usually...at least for me and my belt sander I install kitchen/bath cabinets and tops for a living) it *can* be glued successfully and glue is the only thing the factory puts between those two pieces..but if it is coming apart it could mean the entire piece(the entire length of the top) is poorly bonded...or not...kind of like a gamble....good luck

------------------- Chris Perdue

*All opinions are those of the author of this post* "Sometimes you're the windshield, sometimes you're the bug" reply take your PANTS off

[TinMan1332]

Of course, demand a new top!

They are being way too cheap. This type of top is a big money maker (little material cost, little labor, big profit).

J.P.

[Charlie Bress]

My comment in a situation like this is "Was there anything wrong with the money I paid? Was every dollar worth 100 cents? Then why should there be anything wrong with the product you sold to me?"

Charlie

[RB]

What you most likely have is a "postformed" laminate counter. These are produced properly by thermoforming a special, thinner (0.039" vs 0.048") laminate over the substrate using a specific adhesive and a tightly controlled temperature/pressure/time profile. 330 F at 10 psi for 20 seconds preceded and followed by a lower temperature conditioning period is typical. The links below address just one type.

My experience with this is that if done correctly it works. But, the equipment investment is high so most small shops use a non recommended method, the bonding is poor and delamination is the norm. If the shop doesn't have a thermal press in my opinion it is unethical to sell the product since it's reliability is questionable.

RB

blue wrote:

[Petro]

if you install it you own it

pay for ..................only what you want.

order a brand new one and don't be sucked in to accepting damaged goods. this is a growing problem everywhere.

[Ron]

Don't install it! Make them replace it or go somewhere else. What they are offering you is a repair job on a new countertop, that's not what you purchased. If they don't take care of it, take them to small claims court and find a new supplier. If it breaks down in a few years after they re-glue it, count on them not taking responsibility for it. You'll bear the cost of tearing it out and replacing it.