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How to seam a solid surface counter at an inside corner. Click Here. This is kind of instruction that leads to bad quality and negative press about the product.
Andy,
I have seen something like this around here with shop that V-grooves everything. All tops are stripped off sheets in straight lengths V- grooved, glued the formed corners very similar.
At one point many many years ago, this was how you did inside corners. And before that you used a dowel taped to the sq inside corner and filled the back of the dowel with adhesive, this gave you your “radius” inside corner. Before that you use butt joined the sheets. Solid surface has evolved greatly over the last 40 years.
If I did that, none of the manufacturers would warrant my work. So how can this be something recommended by companies today. We used to do the dowel trick but that was 20 years ago and the process sucked.
I agree Andy, but, how many people were trained years ago, and have never been retrained? Obviously no mfg today would suggest this is a satisfactory method to fabricate countertops. Some of the hardess work I do is to go the “old ” guy in the shop and try and let him know things have changed. Just cause you’ve been doing it for 30 years, doesn’t mean your doing it correctly. Things like this on the internet will only make it harder to get people to change.
So why is Formica allowing this to continue? I see their name mentioned and colors, but in the warranty section, it mentions paying the homeowner to do their own repair. Makes me think that it is not warrantied by Formica.
Are they using a vertical edge? Only way to get a top and backsplash out of a sheet. Talk about crap….
Most shops that are V-Grooving use a method similiar to this. I see it weekly and cannot understand how there are not problems. Most of the manufactuers amend their warranty to allow this, I have seen this with my own eyes. Most of the shops that I have seen V-groove all 4 sides of the countertop giving more surface area for a stronger seam.
Makes me think that it is not warrantied by Formica.
Al, I agree with you as far as pesonal choice and principle goes, but as a cold, hard business decision it bears out.
If the customer wants the cash, they attempt to fix it, and live with whatever, or they don’t even try. I think most won’t even try, but either way the “fabricator” is off the hook.
And so, I think, might be Formica.
Tom
Ray,
This is also why 3cm solid surface doesn’t call for gussets.
They figure that the thickness makes up for the lack of external support. I think it makes sense. I thought that you still had to dowel a V-grooved seam, but who the frig knows?
Oh, yeah, Lenny would know.
Tom
Talk about shops that do it the old way. There are some rather large companies around my area that do not even have a paralign or the like, what are these people thinking? As far as the 3CM with no support under the seams, it works well. I tried seaming two pcs that were 30″ by 24″ each, then placing the pc on 2X4’s at the ends and standing on it. It did not break and I am no feather weight
Tom, exactly. Gets them off the hook for repairs not working. Genuis! What a way to sell sheets, if you have no regard for the industry or your reputation. These guys are doing gravy work here, no quality issues, blame it all on the homeowner fabricator.
Only bad points are the next homeowner and people who see this junk and think it represents all solid surface.
I spoke with a half dozen Jetta customers at the home and garden show last weekend. Spent several hours explaining why the old jetta wasn’t real solid surface and how Avonite and Staron would hold up better. Companies that trash the trade with substandard product need to be shunned.
Tom, by chosing a cheaper fabricator or product, aren’t the homeowners making the decision to just “live with it” ? No doubt there is a need for a cheaper top, but laminate serves that market already. Personally, I would rather see brands keep prices high for sheet goods, insist on quality fabrication, and back their warranty well. Sounds like what you belive in as well, keeping your quality levels way up there.
Different strokes for different folks, I guess.
Tom, by chosing a cheaper fabricator or product, aren’t the homeowners making the decision to just “live with it” ?
Yep. Except that the warranty is produced by the manufacturer. There is a different liability standard when the manufacturer advertises it, rather than a fabrication company. In my state, the courts look at large companies as if they were bottomless money resources.
Tom
Most mfgrs dont require dowling of the V-grooved tops. And the person that made the statement about 3cm material not needing a seam plate is correct. Last year at the show we had a basketball key made out of EOS 3cm,with 2 seams, raised up on 4×4 blocks. We were inviting people to step up on the seam and shoot 3 baskets to win an EOS tool bag, I don’t know the exact count but I think it was around 400 people, in 2 days, shot baskets from the seams without failure. We had a couple of guys that exceeded 350lbs that stood on the pc at the same time, it was pretty amazing. The 3cm glue surface on the seams offers so much strength that seam plates are obsolete now. There is a video on the website that shows 2 guys standing on an EOS seam, check it out.
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