Advice on square edge laminate worktop?

You're welcome.

 

I have fitted the Howdens square edge in Oct last year and the edge in front of the sink opened in 6 weeks. The sink cut out was sealed with silicon and Howdens are trying to blame the joint. However the worktop has opened on the sqare edge both sides of the joint but the joint is sound (I always use a full tube of colourfill per join). Surely if water was getting in the join and travelling approx 300mm along the front of the worktop the join would fail??

Howdens have offered to supply new worktop but not cover installation. They will not say what would happen if the same thing occurred after. Has anyone any idea how I can take them on??

 

My point exactly. I do not see them lasting too long with water about. Maybe if made exceptionally well but as you can see from the Howdens tops most just glue the edge on the front and as soon as a drop gets in it starts to expand and exacerbates the problem.
If Howdens or the tops are FIRA registered start a complaint through them. I has a customer do this with a Homebase supplied laminate floor that expanded with water damage and they paid in full for the floor and fitting. Amazing as it was in a kitchen and the lady liked to mop a lot!

 

Handy63, you fitted this top yourself? So you're clearly pretty handy.

In which case it ain't gonna cost you anything to refit it - apart from time?

In this first instance, then, I think I'd be inclined to accept their compromise in good grace, and get stuck in.

First, tho', re-read their warranty and instructions for their tops - see what it say about preventing water getting on to the edges, etc. If it says - "Don't allow water to run over t'front/settle/pool/ blah blah blah..." as it probably will, then they've pretty much covered themselves.

I can't think of anything you can add to make this situation less likely to happen again...

Almost every 'laminate' worktop with a chipboard base is susceptible to this - even bull-nosed worktops will swell if enough water is allowed to run over the front edge and reach the underside.

It might be that you'll chust have to be a bit more careful in future...

 

Devils Advocate, I accept some of your points but why would they specify and supply a worktop for a kitchen that is not at least water resistant?

It was their design and they specified the worktops so not sure what you mean by me taking more care in future? If the joint had failed I would clearly be responsible but although the edge of the top has gone the joint is sound.

Again I have been tempted to just replace the tops but you don't answer what would happen if the top failed again? I welcome advice/critisicm but feel it needs to be reasonable

 

I get what you mean, Handy'63. I wasn't criticising - I was trying to be realistic.

And I agree - if these front strips are not at least as good (water-proof) as a 'normal' worktop which has laminate coming around in an unbroken sheet, then, yep, you could argue that they are simply not fit for purpose. And you'd probably win.

The point I was trying to make is that there is no 'laminate' worktop that I know of that's going to put up with 'careless' use (I'm NOT saying you've been careless - just explaining a point); Ie - if you let water 'pool' on a mason mitre joint, it will almost certainly fail in fairly short time; it ain't going to be as perfectly sealed as the surrounding laminate, and as soon as a teeny bit of water breaches the joint it'll swell fractionally, and the joint from that day on will fail rapidly. Even away from a corner joint - if a bullnosed worktop has water pouring over the front lip on a regular basis, some of that water will get to the chipboard underside and ditto.

But, I agree - a square-edged laminate top should really be constructed to a similar waterproofing standard as a normal round-edged worktop.

So, if if are concluding that these tops in general are just not fit for purpose and you don't want to have them again, then you can almost certainly oblige the supplier to refund you their full cost - less fitting ('cos that tends to be a standard get-out clause).

If they drag their feet, tell them you'll sue them SmallClaims, or on-line (moneyclaim.gov or similar). You will almost certainly win.

What then? If you accept from them replacement tops of the same type and these also fail, you are going to have a bigger task. Yes, you might 'win' again, but this time they will almost certainly tell you "Here's the money - don't come here again - and we will certainly not supply the same types of tops again.)

So, your decision here is - what to do now with your tops. If you are convinced that these tops are not fit 'for purpose', then I would suggest you get your money back and not accept replacement tops of the same type - you need to go for something different or better (like Maia). So you may be best off getting your money back.

They may try to argue that their obligation is only to replace like-for-like and not refund monies, but you do have a strong case for counter-arguing that these tops are simply not of adequate quality to carry out their intended task. You tell them - "What's the point?! The same type will likely fail again. It is not reasonable to expect tops to be kept bone-dry at all times - I do wipe them down with a damp cloth, y'know... So these will likely fail again, and not because I'm being careless. I was not negligent in my care for the last ones - they simply cannot cope with ordinary daily use. Ergo - if you insist I simply get the same again, then don't be surprised if you see me again in 6 month's time..."

Your call. You almost certainly can make them give you replacements, or refund your money. You might be able to also get them to pay for fitting them, but that'll take wearing them down and being a bludy nuisance.

But if you go for the same types again, and treat them the same way and they fail again knowing what you do know now, then you're on yer own.