cracked counter top

We developed a few good cracks on our 2012 trip to and from Alaska, i was very dissappointed and when i returned home i seeked out Corian installers that also did repair. I found a one man shop repair/installer that felt very confident he could make it look brand new the only problem is he did not have the material to make an exact match so i called Dustin at Northwest RV (Eugene Oregon) he sold me a couple of sink cover tops for 25.00 plus shipping and it matched perfect. The repair man used a router that made about a half inch wide notch in some places upto six inches deep, he went within a 1/32 of completely routing through the top, with a special glue the inserts were above the top by a +- 1/32, he then took a 220 gritt scotch brite on a orbital followed by a 500 gritt and buffed the whole countertop and what a job(Beautiful). I must say i did some additional bracing to alleviate stress points underneath the top and as of a year later and 12,000 miles (knock on wood)no cracks. Well see how the 2014 Alaska trip does. 3708

PS... the reason they crack is heat and cold fluctuations. Our stove top cracked because we placed a hot pot on it without a pad underneath.

we called a local cabinet countertop shop in Tampa. Our stove cover cracked. We took it to them and they repaired it for $75. The only problem is that it looks brand new and the rest of the countertop is darker from use! Look for Corian repair shops.

Any of the solid surface ****er tops can be repaired and if done properly the repair will be invisible. The cause of the break,crack,etc,needs to be addressed so that it does not happen again.
The corners of sink and range cutouts need to be radiused. A square cut is a guaranteed crack. Those radiused corners need too be doubled up with a small piece of solid surface scrap glued underneath at each corner before doing the cutout.Then as the cutout is done the reinforcing blocks are radiused too.
An extra step is taken with the range cutout corners by applying a foil insulating tape to keep heat away from the solid surface material in the area of the corners. Find the right installer/fabricator and you will discover your counter tops are very repairable.

Why not just duct tape it?

:)

Seriously go to Ebay and look for a corian repair kit. Pretty cheap, but you have to take your time and mix the colors right.

If it's Corian, you can't get the proper DuPont repair materials. DuPont will only sell them to "licensed" Corian repair/installers. We have a similar material called Avonite that Tiffin uses in their coaches. When buying a new 2008 Allegro Bus the DW insisted on a gas range and oven, and the one the dealer had was a drop in cook top, so the dealer ordered the proper top from Tiffin and was to swap it out. When it arrived, it was cracked, right in front of the sink, but the dealer swore he could get it fixed and I could then decide if I wanted to take it or not. I knew EXACTLY where the crack was and when it got back from the repair guy, I couldn't see it, couldn't feel it, and couldn't even smell it (LOL). They put it in and we spent 75,000 great miles in that coach without a problem with the top. If you have a support issue causing the crack, that surely needs to be addressed, but once a crack in that stuff is repaired, the repair won't fail unless something causes it to fail.

I agree with smlranger, check with Winnebago. If it is Vendura it can be repaired easily. Vendura had repair kits for the DIY. Vendura can be worked just like wood. Winnebago can tell you what color your countertop is. Vendura will need that info to get you the correct kit.

The prime reason its cracks is that they do not glue and screw it to a 1/2 plywood base. Most people only use up to 1/2 inch for a counter top or walls. Without a base it will flex. I grew up in a cabinet shop, "Father" and we never had one to crack. Everything that went out was glued and screwed to prevent flex. You can purchase the kit. Just use a heat lamp and warm up the surface till very warm. Heat guns can take some time. Clean up good while it is wet. Then sand after it drys. Start at 400 and work your way up. Take a spray bottle and keep damp while sanding. Work your way up in grit till you get the finish you want.

bdpreece wrote:
If it is Corian I found this; How to Repair Cracks in Corian Countertops

I see that they are not enthusiastic about DIY repairs in corian. leave it to a professional or it will look, well patched.
bumpy

Check with Winnebago. In some years, they used a product called Vendura which looks like Corian but is not. It also can be repaired. Basically you need to find someone with the skill to work with the resins used to repair these.