Worktop damaged/Split!!

[Gagakev]

Travelling home on Monday and a heavy duty torch fell from the top shelf and split my worktop, any advice on how to repair please? (Please Dont recommend Fablon sticky stuff-Thank you) Think it must be formica based so there must be something out there.

Same split, differant angle.

The photos seem to make it greyer than it is, more cream coloured, many thanks

Note to oneself; ALWAYS check the woman has done her job properly

 

[Sproket]

Travelling home on Monday and a heavy duty torch fell from the top shelf and split my worktop, any advice on how to repair please? (Please Dont recommend Fablon sticky stuff-Thank you) Think it must be formica based so there must be something out there.

Note to oneself; ALWAYS check the woman has done her job properly

We have a dink in our table top where the same thing happened years ago ( must get round to repairing it ) anyway ever since that happened i lower our table and make the cushions up like a double bed so if anything and it has managed to come out it lands on the cushions ...

Anyway have a look here

 

[Damian]

The problem with caravan worktops in a large number of vans is that they are a honeycomb of cardboard with a resin based surface.
Your best bet is to source formica in a suitable colour and in a larger enough sheet to cut a new top and stick to the old.

 

[Gagakev]

Travelling home on Monday and a heavy duty torch fell from the top shelf and split my worktop, any advice on how to repair please? (Please Dont recommend Fablon sticky stuff-Thank you) Think it must be formica based so there must be something out there.

Note to oneself; ALWAYS check the woman has done her job properly

We have a dink in our table top where the same thing happened years ago ( must get round to repairing it ) anyway ever since that happened i lower our table and make the cushions up like a double bed so if anything and it has managed to come out it lands on the cushions ...

Anyway have a look here

Thanks Sprocket they are only six miles from us and we have used them at work to repair UPVC window cill's.
The first time when they just started they charged £40.00 for a repair of similar size, two months ago it was £350.00!!!!!!!!!!! They do do a good job though.

 

[Gagakev]

The problem with caravan worktops in a large number of vans is that they are a honeycomb of cardboard with a resin based surface.
Your best bet is to source formica in a suitable colour and in a larger enough sheet to cut a new top and stick to the old.

Hi Damien, thought of that but the problem is it is the whole worktop that has the sink/drainer in the middle with worktop both sides so at a guess it would be approx 4 foot long and the width guessing again at approx 18 inches. Be tricky going around the sink with curved corners front and back. Thanks anyway.

 

[Sproket]

There are various ways you can attempt to do it yourself if you wish ?

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

a heavy duty torch fell from the top shelf and split my worktop,

Basic loading of caravan - heavy items near or on the floor. Back to school then next week with the kids?

 

[Gagakev]

a heavy duty torch fell from the top shelf and split my worktop,

Basic loading of caravan - heavy items near or on the floor. Back to school then next week with the kids?

Read the last line in my original post.............I do the outside .......she does the inside......not any more I will check both........It normally travels in the cupboard under the cooker, on the floor!!!!

 

[ProfJohnL]

a heavy duty torch fell from the top shelf and split my worktop,

Basic loading of caravan - heavy items near or on the floor. Back to school then next week with the kids?

Read the last line in my original post.............I do the outside .......she does the inside......not any more I will check both........It normally travels in the cupboard under the cooker, on the floor!!!!

That must quite a bind to put the cooker on the floor every journey hmy:

 

[JTQ]

I very successfully repaired mine, a dent about an 8 mm square punched into the surface, with a paste I made of Araldite and colour matched with fine scrapings from a water colour palette. However, my top was a dark grey mottled pattern, whereas I suspect yours will be more of a challenge to colour match. After applying with a cocktail stick I placed a strip of Sellotape over it left till it cured to create the top level flat surface. In the even it worked out very well.

On our current van we place a silicone baking sheet, about 12" x 15" and about 1 mm thick on the work surface to take the attrition of placing cups etc down and as a local workstation. Whilst not now with this van to cover any damage this would serve that purpose. It is very self clinging so does not migrate around even in transit so is left there; should anything drop it might help give the worktop some protection. These sheets come in various plain colours and even designs so could form a feature whilst covering your damage and also serve as ours a purpose.

 

[Gabsgrandad]

We had similar experience a few years back, cost of replacement was prohibitive. However a fitter at the dealers said he had done one before for some one -- with plastic wood. Asked him to have a go at ours, he made a fantastic job of it, (and for next to 'nowt' !) colour matched it best he could and a reasonable match but not perfect. However the smoothing down of the 'patch' was superb and you could run your fingers over the worktop without being able to feel it. Was still as good when we sold the van a year or two later.

 

[saint-spoon]

When we were looking at buy a caravan we saw some awful repairs jobs on work surfaces, on van had a chopping board glued over where someone had used the work surface as a chopping board and cut up the surface; another had stick on plastic sheeting and so on.

This post has got me thinking because obviously this is something that none of want to happen and recently we had the contents of our over sink cupboard dumped on the floor during transit. Fortunately it was only the melamine plates and a few plastic ups that bounced around but three of the four plates did split and needed replacement. Maybe it’s time to consider removing all items from the top cupboards whilst in transit.

 

[Dustydog]

http://www.fleetwood-owners-club.co.uk/information-and-q-a/item/info-worktops
Kev.
Might be worth a call to see if they have one of yours.

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Maybe it’s time to consider removing all items from the top cupboards whilst in transit.

Or ensure that you have 'positive action' door catches which should withstand travel. Have you got shock absorbers on your van? If not, worth thinking about as it's not only cupboard contents that get shaken about.

 

[saint-spoon]

to be honest it was the Long Haired Admiral who stowed everything prior to the mishap, I have checked the locker catches on every occasion since and no further jettison of crockery mishaps.

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

That's two people on this thread blaming the OH. Watch out lads. hmy:

 

[chrisn7]

I repaired a worktop like this (although it was from a chest of drawers, so easily removable): Since you have what appears to be a largish split, drill a hole either through this, or from underneath to penetrate the lower surface, then use a hole saw underneath to get access to the underside of the split. You will have to remove some of the honeycomb cardboard around the spiit. Gently press back the damaged parts to see how the fit will go.
Place a dollop of traditional araldite on a thin piece of wood (eg little piece of caravan wall board) then offer up to the split and support (you may have to be ingenious here, dependent on access). Check the good side is flush with the rest of the surface. Leave to set. As suggested above use a filler to replace any tiny bits that have gone awol

 

[Sproket]

That's two people on this thread blaming the OH. Watch out lads. hmy:

No it was me who did it to ours :silly: 'twas a small heavy plastic projectile that self ejected when the cupboard door was opened and landed on it's corner on the table hmy:

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

That's two people on this thread blaming the OH. Watch out lads. hmy:

No it was me who did it to ours :silly: 'twas a small heavy plastic projectile that self ejected when the cupboard door was opened and landed on it's corner on the table hmy:

If the cap fits ..........

I was actually on about Gagakev and Saint-spoon. :lol:

 

[DeliDave_]

http://www.screwfix.com/p/colorfill-worktop-compound-soft-white-2-pcs/49643?kpid=49643&cm_mmc=Google-_-Product Listing Ads-_-Sales Tracking-_-sales tracking url&gclid=CLbn2Mir7M4CFUw8GwodE30FlA
You can mix these together to try to match colour but theyre not structural I use them on worktop joints.You might be able to squeeze Gripfill in to fill the honeycomb and secure the joint then try filling the gap.

 

[Gagakev]

Thanks for all the helpful replies folks, some good suggestion's there.

I repaired a worktop like this (although it was from a chest of drawers, so easily removable): Since you have what appears to be a largish split, drill a hole either through this, or from underneath to penetrate the lower surface, then use a hole saw underneath to get access to the underside of the split. You will have to remove some of the honeycomb cardboard around the spiit. Gently press back the damaged parts to see how the fit will go.
Place a dollop of traditional araldite on a thin piece of wood (eg little piece of caravan wall board) then offer up to the split and support (you may have to be ingenious here, dependent on access). Check the good side is flush with the rest of the surface. Leave to set. As suggested above use a filler to replace any tiny bits that have gone awol

Thanks Chrisn7 really like your suggestion especially reinforcing from the under side.will be able to access mine quite easily.

It is just a couple of inches inside the cupboard, have ordered the worktop filler and have some wall board in the attic. Just the araldite to get.

Oh and if it fails will go with JTQ's idea of a silicone baking sheet

Will let you all know how it goes....

 

[Gagakev]

So just the update,
cut hole underneath the split ,worktop made of thin formica? (resin based) material with polystrene in between.
Was able to get to underside of split but i couldn't get them to level out so ran a sharp stanley blade along split on the top side to open gap and then able to level it out more or less, applied a filler as per sprockets link but couldn't match the colour exactly so as per Deli Daves link got the worktop filler and am happy with the result.
I was lucky in that Brother in Law is a builder and had 10 different colours to mix and match, but only needed the champagne one.

 

[martindf3]

I repaired a worktop like this (although it was from a chest of drawers, so easily removable): Since you have what appears to be a largish split, drill a hole either through this, or from underneath to penetrate the lower surface, then use a hole saw underneath to get access to the underside of the split. You will have to remove some of the honeycomb cardboard around the spiit. Gently press back the damaged parts to see how the fit will go.
Place a dollop of traditional araldite on a thin piece of wood (eg little piece of caravan wall board) then offer up to the split and support (you may have to be ingenious here, dependent on access). Check the good side is flush with the rest of the surface. Leave to set. As suggested above use a filler to replace any tiny bits that have gone awol

I did exactly the same . Left weather station hung up and it came down and cracked the work top .Used some acrylic paint to get a reasonable match which hasn't come off and my wife said it was more than acceptable ... Result . I cut a wooden batten to push the patch up .
We had an insurance job done on our stone fire place Magic man did it with epoxy with cellulose paint mixed in . Worked a treat but came out ever so slightly shinny ,you have to know where it is to spot it .

 

[lulubelle]

Some years ago the same thing happened to me. I solved the problem by getting a cabinet maker ,a family friend to fir 2 wall tiles into the area that had been damaged.. This looked very neat and gave me a place to put (kettles ,toasters or pans ) that were hot safely. I certainly missed this feature when we sold our van.