How To Repair A Crack In A Corian Countertop

tsvetanovc Posts: 1, Reputation: 1 New Member Mar 30, 2007, 09:06 AM

Corian countertop crack repair Hello, Would anyone know where I can get a Corian repair kit and instructions on how to repair the crack in my counter? I would like to repair it myself. Thank you.

wags Posts: 80, Reputation: 4 Junior Member Mar 30, 2007, 01:49 PM

Originally Posted by tsvetanovc Hello, Would anyone know where I can get a Corian repair kit and instructions on how to repair the crack in my counter? I would like to repair it myself. Thankyou. Repairing Corian (or other solid suface) is not a DIY project. You will need to cut out the cracked portion and insert another piece. This is done with templates, routers and special bits. Also you can not purchase the special adhesives. I would call the company that installed your countertop for a referral. There are companies the only do repairs/renewing of solid surface Good Luck !

kidolph Posts: 90, Reputation: 12 Junior Member Apr 6, 2007, 07:34 AM

Between 50% and 75% of cracks in Corian can be repaired by the average DIYer. The professionals are very good at what they do, if they are certified by the manufacturer. However new, not certified, techniques with new materials are available. See CORIAN® for the Creative - CO I hope this helps Ken

wags Posts: 80, Reputation: 4 Junior Member Apr 6, 2007, 08:43 AM

To repair a crack you need to cut out the cracked portion of the Solid Surface and insert a matched piece. This is NOT a DIY project. Allowing glue to "wick" into the crack will NOT stop or repair the crack. With over 35 years of experience working with Corian and other SS products I know this product. Also if the repair is not done correctly and by an authorized fabricator you will void any further warranty on the product. If your looking for a short term stop gap, then use Crazy Glue, but this is a temporay repair at best. Good Luck!

kidolph Posts: 90, Reputation: 12 Junior Member Apr 6, 2007, 09:15 AM

Wags, We can carry this discussion on longer if you wish. You may call me or email me. I have been helping people fix their own Corian for over 12 years. We have helped over 1,000 people fix their own tops and sinks. I always recommend warranty work be done by certified people when a top is under warranty. Cyanoacrylates were the original glue recommended for Corian by the DuPont labs over 45 years ago. Industrial Cyanoacrylates are much stronger than epoxies when each is used properly. These repairs, when done properly, are permanent and stronger than the Corian itself. They never stop a pro from doing a certified repair in the future. Before you chuck it try it. I hope this helps. Ken

wags Posts: 80, Reputation: 4 Junior Member Apr 6, 2007, 09:47 AM

Actually when Dr Slocum developed Corian in the mid 60"s silicone was the recommended adhesive. It was not untill the 70's when "Crazy Glue", the brand name of the Cyanacrylates adhesive you mention was readily available. While yes, the adhesive is strong, without cutting out the defective (cracked) piece, and replacing it with another piece you will not be "repairing" the crack. As I stated you can use "Crazy Glue" for a temporary fix but it will void any further warranties on that countertop. It is a stop gap measure not a "fix". If this is being sold as a Fix, then that is wrong. Can it be done, of course, its just not the correct way to repair the material. Also, as your aware, when repairing a crack you need to add support strip under the seamed piece. Also you need to identify what the material cracked in the first place, if that is not corrected, then it will only crack again. I think it is very misleading to sell a stop gap to a customer when it will only void any additional warranty they may have on the material. Contact the Mfg of the Solid Surface you purchased for details on how the material needs to be repaired in order to maintain your warranty. No solid surface mfg I know of, would recommend, nor cover a top repaired by anyone other than a certified fabricator.

kidolph Posts: 90, Reputation: 12 Junior Member Apr 7, 2007, 09:43 AM

I met Dr. Slocum before his retirement from duPont. I still keep in contact with the engineers at the plant. The information I give is mostly what I receive from them. "Crazy Glue" is a dilute "craft grade" version of the industrial cyanoacrylates and is not appropriate at any time for Corian. The CA we offer is from the aircraft industry where they are used to bond metals. It is 98% pure with a surfactant added to lower the surface tension and allow it to wick in deeply. When used properly CA is 2 to 4 times as strong Seam Adhesive. That is why a support strip is not usually necessary. These repairs are not to replace waranty repairs but there are a lot of installations that are out of waranty or have been denied waranty for abuse. In such cases, these repairs are useful. I would not recommend this use if we had not completely tested the product. Our first test was to make a but joint across the middle of a 1/4" sheet. We could then lift the 50 pound sheet by its four outside corners, flat. It bowed but did not break. Then we shook it. It bowed but did not break. On a smaller piece we smashed it after joining and it shattered but not on the joint. The original sheet was cut inot 5"x98 " strips and is in a unique installation which flexes 3" across the joints every day for the last 12 years, wnder water, in the sun of the California desert! We have had one customer repair a wide crack coming from his cooktop. He heated the Corian to close the crack then applied the CA, carefully following instructions. He did not repair the underlying problem. A year later he had another crack next to the original. The repair was stronger than the Corian. Again I will be happy to discuss this with you at any time. Ken Dolph

wags Posts: 80, Reputation: 4 Junior Member Apr 9, 2007, 07:22 PM

I hope you have great insurance, as selling an industrial adhesive for use by homeowners is a huge liability. And, having worked in the solid surface industry for 35 years (including Dupont) I know they would never endorse what your selling or what your suggesting homeowners to do. There is a reason "crazy" glue is what it is, and why its sold that way to the public.

kidolph Posts: 90, Reputation: 12 Junior Member Apr 10, 2007, 07:11 AM

Wags, If you would like a copy of "How to Work with Corian in the Home Workshop" (duPont C951 H59444), you can call duPont at 1-800-4-CORIAN.

Hello, Corian in most cases must be repaired by a professional. I know this is not what the DIY wants to hear but the expensive tools required (router, sander, router bits, table saw, jig saw, speed sander). If you would like to see how repairs are actually done just visit our website www.creativereintro.com and click the service tab. Anyone interested in how Corian repairs look and the processes involved should check us out. We also show some interesting work that is not done by most shops. Thanks!

Corianman Posts: 2, Reputation: 1 New Member Jun 7, 2008, 05:34 AM

I realize that this answer is to over a year old question. But since it still comes up on a search I just wanted to add my 2 cents for the readers. I am retired now and have no affiliations with DuPont. I was one of the first sets of fabricators to go through the DuPont certification process and spent over 25 years fabricating this wonderful Product. I also taught at the DuPont school in PA. as a Fabricator Instructor for several Years and My Fab shop was the first authorized repair shop in the MD, Northern Va, and DC area for many years. The Corian product should always be repaired by an authorized repair representative for the correct repair that will last as well as comply with the 10 year warranty that was offered by the DuPont company. Cyanoacrylate Adhesive (Brand name Super Glue) were never recommended by DuPont as an acceptable adhesive for repair or fabrication work. The acrylic monomers that you need to bond the material were controlled and never sold to consumers directly. This is why you need to use a pro. Also Counters crack for a reason and that reason has to be determined and corrected if needed for any repair to be effective. As Wags stated this is done once the reason for cracking has been corrected by cutting with routers and sometimes specialized templates and replacing the damaged area with another hopefully mating piece of Corian which you should have been supplied with at the time of the original installation. If you were going to do anything yourself and are extremely hands on and handy it would be for a crack situation to stop the crack from spreading. Drilling or preferably routing a small hole at the very end of the crack has been effective in doing that in my experience while waiting for someone to come out. If in a pinch you are out od warranty and don't want to spend the money for a proper repair this might be an alternative and filling that hole and the crack with epoxy might give you some more time. This is not by the way recommended by DuPont but is a real life solution offered by me as a last resort. You can buy some acrylic or poly monomers ( adhesives) usually two part that can be tinted and will get hard enough to fill an area . Not the most attractive but certainly a better solution than using Superglue. Wags posts are correct. Info for Corian used to be at the 1-800-4-CORIAN and I suspect still is or contact a local Distributor for help. CORIANMAN

thumsup Posts: 3, Reputation: 1 New Member Jun 9, 2008, 09:32 AM

Greeting, This is a very interesting thread. The back and forth, pros and cons. Are good and should Be considered. But, this is all good for "Warranty" applications. What about the DIY'er, who has a full blown wood shop and a need to work with corian scrapes for craft projects? I carved a 1/2" piece with a carvewright cnc machine, turned out very nice. So, where can I find adhesive for this product? Joe

Corianman Posts: 2, Reputation: 1 New Member Jun 9, 2008, 09:55 AM

Hey Joe... great name for a song... sorry. The adhesive that DuPont sells and matches to their colors is an acrylic 2 part adhesive and is sold only by a Distributor of the DuPont Corian Brand In Your area. Easy to find with a Google or Phone book as there is usually only one In each Market. Unfortunately they will only sell to Fabrication shops that have went through the Certification process which involves commitments and schooling and not an "Afternoon" like some other BELIKEME brands. These days Corian has seen It's heyday however still very popular in certain markets for bathroom use Granite has surely taken a bite out of many successful shops in the last 5 years. That said there may be someone who is a certified fabricator willing to sell you some adhesive if they know just what you plan to do with it... ie "NOT fabricate Tops or other items involving a DuPont Warranty. Likewise you may be able to purchase other products whose Manufacturers and Distributors don't have such stringent rules may "work" and bond acrylic sheet even though not recommended by DuPont. Super glues are used to tack Solid Surface however NOT permanently bond them and are no good for what you want. Other adhesives like Polyester and epoxy may be strong enough for your needs but I recommend trying to find an acrylic substitute. You may try other brands 'LIKEME" Brands or perhaps an acrylic sheet distributer Lexan, Plexiglass to see if they will sell you a suitable substitute even though the chance of any color matching is slim. Not what you wanted to hear but hope that helps. CORIANMAN

thumsup Posts: 3, Reputation: 1 New Member Jun 9, 2008, 10:00 AM

Thanks Corianman, the "facts nothing but the facts", lol Your reply is very helpful. Now I know where to start. Joe

kidolph Posts: 90, Reputation: 12 Junior Member Jun 10, 2008, 02:44 PM

The facts just the facts I haven't had time to answer lately but Corianman's answer just needs to be rectified. Corian just celibrated its 40th birthday. That means that there was a lot of development between the time that it was invented and when Corianman went to school. When the Corian group took Corian to the duPont Laboratories, they determined that Cyanoacrylate would be the best adhesive for Corian. It tested the best in the laboratory. In the field however the results were spotty. Since they were trying to produce something reproducible and standard, they next used 100% Silicone not as an adhesive but as a seam filler while they sought a permanent solution. They settled on the best two part epoxy they could find. I believe they produced it or its components at the time. An amateur came up with using Corian dust to tint the product. They developed a better tinting process. By cyanoacrylate adhesive I am referring to pure industrial grade CA. It has improved over the last 40 years. In fact the one we sell is used by the aircraft industry to bond metals where welding is not advisable. CA is not what you believe it is. The things that made results spotty in the 60's were: time. Humidity joint tightness and acid content. No CA fully cures in less than 24 hours. If the object adhered is given a sudden impact in that time the bonding stops at whatever level it has achieved. If the relative humidity is below 35% the bond may not be waterproof and will be brittle. CA is an anarobic adhesive and requires a very tight fit to bond properly. If acids are present when applied, say from cleaning products, CA will not bond. And more is not better. The duPont seam adhesive has a bond strength of about 800 PSI, high grade CA about 1400 PSI The one we sell is 3,500 PSI. It is not unusual for the clamps to fall off as CA bonds Corian. We are also authorized to sell duPont seam adhesive to the public. What gives me the authority to say this? When we were set up as a distributor of Corian for non-traditional uses over 16 years ago, I had access to all of the duPont Corian engineers including Dr. Slocum the inventor. We needed to know more about Corian than your every day countertop guy in order to help our customer develop products using its unusual properties. Since that time, our testing and experience has brought a wealth of knowledge not particularly useful in countertops. I will not advertise my company on this forum I consider that to be unethical. Our countertop repair system has been used by over 2,000 amateurs with 5 known failures. Two of which I cannot explain. Nothing in precludes someone from having a professional repair made later if they are unhappy. Our bonding material has been used by many individuals and industries for home use and industrial applications. Lastly to Corianman, you are right about the phone number. Though it is not advertised as much, it still works. Call it and ask Sandy to put you through to Mr Corian (private joke). I will be happy to talk to you.

cwmacphail Posts: 2, Reputation: 0 New Member Aug 6, 2010, 03:46 PM

Don't you love how the "certified" folks love to protect their domain? As in plumbing, electrical work, HVAC, and everything else, there are some very skilled hobbyists who can do a better job than the average professional. They have the brains, the tools, and the information. But wags won't have any of that. There is only "certified" and "not certified." It's still 1980. Information can't be obtained, except through an controlled certification program. And how on earth would a non-professional have a "router, router bits, table saw, jig saw, or speed sander"?!

cwmacphail Posts: 2, Reputation: 0 New Member Aug 6, 2010, 03:49 PM

Don't you love how the "certified" folks love to protect their domain? As in plumbing, electrical work, HVAC, and everything else, there are some very skilled hobbyists who can do a better job than the average professional. They have the brains, the tools, and the information. But wags won't have any of that. There is only "certified" and "not certified." It's still 1980. Information can't be obtained, except through an controlled certification program. And how on earth would a non-professional have a "router, router bits, table saw, jig saw, or speed sander"?!

---

---

Check out some similar questions!

Corian Countertop Repair [ 12 Answers ]

Does anyone have a good product to sand a lightly scratched corian countertop? Dupont only gives general guidelines. The scratches are from normal use. Thanks

Corian Countertop Repair [ 7 Answers ]

I was drilling on my white Corian kitchen countertop and accidentally drilled 2 holes about 1/8" deep into a Corian countertop. The holes are too deep to sand away. Is there a way to repair these holes with some kind of fill?

Solid Countertop (Corian or Similar) Crack Repair [ 3 Answers ]

Someone in our home cut directly on our countertop, then later I stood on the countertop near the cut, and I believe the cut mark then acted like a score mark on glass and the counter broke or cracked all the way through. The 1/2 inch solid material. The countertop is made of a solid material...

Help me before I crack [ 1 Answers ]

OK I know this is not a lot to work with but I heard this song on a classic rock station, you know 70's 80's and 90's anyway the song sort of sounds like a gangster movie its got gun shots, squealin tires, and police sirens but no real lyrics, I believe the dj said it was a song from the band...

---

View more questions Search

---

How To Repair A Crack In A Corian Countertop

Source: https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/interior-home-improvement/corian-countertop-crack-repair-77480.html

Posted by: gordoncoughterep1971.blogspot.com

Share this post