Countertops Delaminated

[kennethjhouse]

The laminate on our table, sink cover and around the sink just started to delaminate. We bought our 2009 13B in June of this year. The original laminate was in great condition and glued down tightly it seemed. We checked our trailer last week on a day in the low 80s and the laminate is starting to become unglued, in several areas. We live in western Washington and while it has been hot recently, it is not humid in the summer and the hot here is in the 80s for a few days. Maybe we did not run the fan on the hottest days and it got hotter in the trailer? Wondering about preventing this in the future. I plan to see if I need to reglue the entire laminate or just try to spot glue it with contact cement? We would like to save the current laminate, if possible.
Thanks!
PS I just checked it again after writing this and it is mostly flat again. The temperature today is in the low 70s. Obviously I need to do some spot gluing at least.

[Ops]

Not knowing what 'glue' ETI used when your trailer was build, I do know from personal experience that contact cement, which has been commonly used and recommended in the past, does fail over time.

The adhesive would most likely have been sprayed on, laminate applied, and rolled to press and improve the contact between the laminate and plywood. Could be a thin spot of glue...could be heat and age (something that can even unglue people over time.).

If you can pry the edge up with a putty knife, you may be to get some contact cement in between, but be careful to avoid cracking or breaking the laminate.
Don't force it and take your time.

[gbaglo]

I had to remove my bath sink at home to do some plumbing. Almost got it out and tore the laminate. Progressed from there, badly.
Be very careful with the laminate.

[Vermilye]

I had a partial separation of the laminate on the fold up extension table in my 2011 17B. I used a heat shrink gun (quite a bit more powerful than a hair dryer) to carefully soften the remaining adhesive and removed the laminate. I scraped as much adhesive as possible off the laminate & plywood, and reattached it with Weldwood solvent based contact adhesive. While it stinks, and is highly flammable, I far prefer it to the non flammable, water based version. It was still holding when l sold the trailer 2 years later.

[kennethjhouse]

Thank you so much!

[kennethjhouse]

Thanks!

[Iowa Dave]

We wanted a smaller table for our 19 so we built one. We sanded the new plywood very smooth. We cleaned it very well. We used a thick, brush applied adhesive per the instructions and rolled it vigorously with a 6 inch plastic roller from the center out to the edge. We used a Wilsonart laminate I believe. It worked out well for the years we owned the 19. I’ve used the spray adhesive at times and it’s worked pretty well.
Iowa Dave

[George Johnson]

Interestingly, we had exactly the same problem with our 2009 19. We bought it knowing that the table was de-laminating. but within a couple of months the kitchen counter top began de-laminating too.

Found it easy enough to repair, but there are a few tricks you need to know to assure success. I did the repair using the afore mentioned Weldwood contact cement. Before you start, be aware that contact cement is very unforgiving stuff--when you touch two pieces together, they are going to stick EXACTLY where you place them, so if you want to use the original Formica as I did, you need to do a little planning. First, fresh Weldwood will dissolve the old contact cement, so you don't have to remove the old stuff before applying the new. The new and the old will mix nicely. Second, my table and counter tops have a factory installed flexible plastic trim around the edges, and they are unaffected by the Weldwood. That's a great thing, because if you leave the plastic trim in place, you can use it as a placement guide for the re-gluing!

Start by clamping the back edge of your Formica with a board and a couple of clamps, which will serve to hold the Formica exactly in place. Then use a putty knife to pry up the Formica, beginning at the edge farthest from your clamped edge. Next, apply a coating of Weldwood to both the table top and the bottom of the Formica with a disposable brush to only the front half of the table, then after waiting the instructed amount of time (you did read the directions on the can of Weldwood, didn't you?) press the Formica down on the table top and use a roller to insure you have a good bond. That plastic trim around the edge of your table will insure the Formica is placed exactly where it should be. You are now half way done.

Next, move the clamping board to about the middle of your freshly glued half, and re-clamp. Pry up the back half of the Formica top and repeat the gluing process for the back half of the table. You don't have to get the glue all the way back to the newly applied glue--that might cause enough stress on the Formica to crack it, and you don' want that to happen. A couple of inches of unglued Formica in the middle of the project won't make a difference.

Enjoy your newly re-done tqable top.

[gabeck]

In the process of removing our Escape kitchen counter a couple of years ago the laminate came off in one full intact sheet. The laminate back side was most likely sprayed on as the contact cement on there was all but nonexsistent. More recently the double dinette table top laminate came off again all in one piece - same thing hardly any canact cement feeling on the back side of the laminte. The plywood in both cases had a fair amount of contact cement. I have found in the past that loosening lament really does "re-glue" very well when going over it with a hot iron ( maybe a piece of cotten to keep the iron plate safe from scratching.