stress crack in laminate top - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

rockingjwolf · 03-08-2009, 08:46 PM

Hello, I am posting here for some info on what might have happened here. I installed a U shaped laminate top about 2 years ago in a kit. remodel that we performed. I am familiar with having a radius on inside corners for solid surface and I know that the laminate trimmer leaves a small radius on laminate but I just had a top go bad on an inside corner about a week ago. The top is Wilsonart lam., on a high dens. particle board substate. The corner cab. is a full 36" framed base cab. so there are no support issues. I don't believe that the top is wedged into the walls so tight that it would bind, I just am not sure what happened but the homeowner said the crack appeared about a week ago and I don't know how much worse it will get. House is on crawl, about 30 yrs. old, no sag or support probs. evident. The crack is aprox. 12" long, very fine, looks like seam fil would make it go away but this is not the solution I want. Any help or suggestions are most appreciated. Thanks

**loneframer** · 03-08-2009, 09:12 PM

Sounds to me like there is tension on the inside corner possibly caused by expansion of the substrate. Ive seen in high humidity areas on for instance an island top, the top will "dish" because the substrate is absorbing moisture from underneath. The same principal may apply here, only the inside corner is a very weak spot and so it "tears"

atnas · 03-09-2009, 02:04 PM

It may be a moisture problem. Was the underneath sealed with laminate or lacquer?

rockingjwolf · 03-09-2009, 03:52 PM

No, the only spot was where the dw was installed. It had laminate on bottom for aprox a foot in. The dw is also about 8 feet away. Thanks so far for imput. I have been remodeling for 30 years and this is the first top to crack. I was not sure how the substrait was doubled up for the corner since you can no longer see it because the corner base has a full top. Obviously something put alot of pressure on the corner to flex it outward, it just seems unlikly 2 yrs after the fact.

MBS · 03-09-2009, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rockingjwolf

No, the only spot was where the dw was installed. It had laminate on bottom for aprox a foot in. The dw is also about 8 feet away. Thanks so far for imput. I have been remodeling for 30 years and this is the first top to crack. I was not sure how the substrait was doubled up for the corner since you can no longer see it because the corner base has a full top. Obviously something put alot of pressure on the corner to flex it outward, it just seems unlikly 2 yrs after the fact.

How long is the counter top after the 90 deg turn? Does the HO lean up against it near the outer end? Are there teenage kids there who may have slammed each other into it? I know I ruined a few things in my folks house when my brother & I would wrestle. Does the HO sit on it?

A stress crack indicates a lot of outward pressure on a long term basis. After 2 years, it would seem that the installation was fine but some thing/one in the home is unknowingly applying outward pressure to it on a regular basis.

Five Star · 03-09-2009, 05:23 PM

did they have the room painted recently?

maybe someone jumped on the counter to get to an upper cab,or put something into a cab,or paint on top of a cab?

i just finished a job where the painters were painting a bathroom upstairs and one of them must of stepped on the bowl and broke the seal flooding the kitchen.

**Gus Dering** · 03-09-2009, 06:32 PM

Without a picture, my first instinct is that it was abused too.
Maybe kids wrestling, maybe mom and dad "wrestling".
Got any pictures?

WarnerConstInc. · 03-09-2009, 10:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gus Dering

Without a picture, my first instinct is that it was abused too.
Maybe kids wrestling, maybe mom and dad "wrestling".
Got any pictures?

Get some Clorox wipes if mom and dad were 'raslin' on it.

That is Hoosier for Wrestling.

I do not say worsh though. (wash)

rockingjwolf · 03-12-2009, 07:02 PM

Wow you all are helpful. One of you might have hit it. About a year ago the lady of the house had some medical issues and still to this day cant work and needs a cane to get around the house and can't drive. She may have been using the top for more support than she realizes. Of course this is exactly what they do not want to hear. The top is a U shape, dimensions are not wall but front numbers. Leg A is aprox. 4', leg B is around 7' and leg C which is penninsula with sink is also 7'. Crack is on radius btwn. A and B going clockwise. I am thinking of seam fil, they are not asking for new top at this point, still is a crappy solution. thanks again.

Five Star · 03-12-2009, 07:20 PM

try the seam fill, but if its a good customer or if it was a good job price wise and you feel that you can get more jobs off it offer her a new top @ cost and tell her you will swap it out @ no charge, you leave her smiling and it will just cost you an hr of your time! you,ll be the HERO

orson · 03-12-2009, 07:30 PM

stepping on top of a laminate top isn't going to produc e a hairline crack.

I second the suggestion that someone was playing tackle football and ran into the end of the long leg. If you hadn't fastened the other leg so damn well it wouldn't have cracked..

I would politely suggest that this problem is very very likely due to an accident on the part of a homeowner, and assure the ho you'll fix it on their dime as inexpensivley as possible.