Six years ago I installed prefab formica countertops as part of a home sale. The new owners have been a client of mine. It seems that the DW has a top vent for steam and it has messed up the underside of the top over the years, especially the swelled up edge.

Question: did I miss a basic part of the install for these things that should be done all the time? Was I supposed to install some sort of protection under the top in that area, or seal it or something?

Nope.
Wait - Don't know about the post formed Formica.
I've got a 1000 or more new closes with D/Ws. Shop built laminates - happens sometimes.

Ask them (they won't tell you) if they're the type that like to open the door after a cycle completes and let the dishes air dry.

Don't EVEN think about eating it under "extended warranty".

 

Is the field joint, if any above it? If so, a no-no! If it is on the outer edge, nothing could of seen that to happen, the appliance makers/engineers, have no clue to COMMON-SENCE!!

 

No field joint above. This thing is one side of a corner, so there is an angle corner nearby. That is unaffected.

 

It's pretty well known (at least I thought so) that the area above dishwashers will usually get some steam. HO habits aside, it will happen. I always put some protection there, even if it's just a couple of coats of varnish.

 

Huh. I'm so used to having counters with wood/lcomposite edges & clear coated under-edges - never considered some weren't.

 

27"x 3" pc of laminate always installed on bottom of laminate countertop in the tops I get.

 

Your postform - does it look like the pic?
I know the older style was just a blunt 90 and didn't wrap around.

 

Close enough. The edge is sort of ogee (on it's back), but it does wrap underneath just the same. The thing took on so much moisture that's it has swelled by 50% and the particle board is crumby. Today I lowered the DW (screwed in the legs) so it wouldn't catch the door, but it's still kind of a mess.

BTW, this thing was from Lowe's. Raw particle board underneath, typically, and uncoated as I recall.

 

I apologize for typing this, but, post form laminate from either Blowe's or Home Dopey and you got six years?

You are a fortunate man!

 

Something they did to make that happen, or the laminate seam under there was already problematic.

Never seen DW's steam make Formica swell, unless like someone said they would constantly crack the door open at the end of the cycle and steam deteriorated particle board itself making it swell.

 

When they had this DW serviced for something else, the guy said some models, like this one, vent at the top (heated dry), not front, and it was too snug in there. This was a Maytag unit with the control buttons and everything on the top of the door. (I have not removed the unit to verify this top vent location - don't want to have particle crumbs raining down on me just to see it, if it's there.)

 

its very common for the dishwasher to do this to cheap plam countertops. some mfgrs recommend a piece of foil tape applied at the location of the DW. I like to just seal it with some random varnish/poly/etc

 

Every dishwasher I've fitted has been supplied with either a self adhesive foil strip or on high end units, a stainless steel plate to fix to the underside of the countertop. Thats in the UK.

 

I assure you, that:
1. On the last d/w's purchased for MY consumption - no such moisture aid (el cheapos - HD or Menards)

2. On production builds, used GE (Tier 1 contract) and Kitchen Aid - no such aids - at that time

http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/pdfImages/2e/2e978368-bfef-42c3-a1b3-7591ab282464.pdf

So, its an evolving process.

"on some models"