I went out to look at a job in which the homeowner has a 3/4" corian top from the mid 80's and they are adding to there kitchen in which they want to extend there existing countertop. I cant seem to match up the material there it could be bone or cameo white and todays colors arent even close. So the homeowner is thinking of using Nocturne to be seamed into the existing material.  If that was to be done, should I build up the 1/2" to 3/4" maybe 3" wide at the seam edge and seam only or should I also add a seam plate below the seam. By looking at it, it looks as though 3/4" plywood was laid ontop of the cabinets and then the 3/4" corian was laid onto the plywood and then a drop edge was applied. There are no seam plates on any of the current seams and they have all held up fine. Any opinions?

Steve:

I like the contrast idea since you can't get an exact match, but I strongly urge you to talk them out of Nocturne as a work surface. It sucks.

Technically, I would rip a 1/4" x 1" wide strip and glue it to the back of the 1/2" at the seam to get to 3/4" and adhere a 1/2" x 2" seam plate over the joint of old and new. Add some 1/4" underlayment and you're back to 1 1/2".

Joe

Yeah... sell them a whole new Kitchen countertop.  Price them with the labor adding too what they have . Tell it it will not match.  I bet they will upgrade. If they don't, I classify them as a customer for someone else.

Take a look at LG Cream... might match pretty good.

I like the Nocturn idea if that is what the customer is asking for. Let them know how easily it scratches.

I don't think you will need the seam plate because it won't extend over to the old material. The extra material will only make it thicker and you can do that with strips of wood.

Just glue it on to the edge of the existing and make sure it is well supported. It will be fine, although it won't meet warranty standards. But who would cover the warranty anyway?

I would definitely add 1/4 " to the 1/2" material. That way you will achieve a full 3/4" glue seam. If you don't add the 1/4" you will be joining two dissimilarthicknesses. I think that would make it prone to cracking.

Johnny C

Posted By Andy Graves on 20 Aug 2010 04:27 PM
I like the Nocturn idea if that is what the customer is asking for. Let them know how easily it scratches.

I don't think you will need the seam plate because it won't extend over to the old material. The extra material will only make it thicker and you can do that with strips of wood.

Just glue it on to the edge of the existing and make sure it is well supported. It will be fine, although it won't meet warranty standards. But who would cover the warranty anyway?

Andy:

Even if you sign an explanation in the blood of their first born male child, customers are going to pissed at YOU when the Nocturne scratches. Fabricating Nocturne residential countertops is asking for trouble.

The seam plate will extend over to the old material if you first adhere 1/4" thick Corian blocking to the 1/2" material.

You're right about the warranty, but I like fugetaboutit installations.

Joe

I know in a perfect world where money trees sprout from the ground and the birds are chirping, we could tell all customers that we disagree with, to go fly a kite. That is not reality.

I wouldn't buy a black car because the are difficult to maintain. Doesn't mean the dealer shouldn't sell them to those that want them.

On top of that, some customers can't afford to get the perfect solution. They buy what they can afford and adding a piece to the edge is all you're going to get.

As for the strength, I was told by Dupont that a chemical bonded seam is 90% as strong as the material itself. If it is that strong, what it the point of adding extra material under the seam unless it spanned the joint?