How to seal timber kitchen countertop?

Robinord

I bought this home not too long ago, I just noticed that the kitchen countertop right infront of my sink is expanding due to water leaking into the wood. There must be some kind of a sealant I can put in quickly to stop this, i just don't know which one would be right for this. Any tips would be much appreciated.

JacobZ

Hi @Robinord,

Welcome to the Bunnings Workshop community, it is great to have you with us.

Unfortunately, it looks like the chipboard inside your laminate benchtop has become quite compromised meaning the only way to 100% fix this is to replace the benchtop. You might like to have a look at our range of benchtops and our Custom Benchtop Installation service if you were looking to replace this one. Head into your local store and see the team at the Special Orders desk if this is something you would be interested in.

If you are looking for a quick fix that can help restore it and offer you some added lifetime, you should ensure that the chipboard core is sufficiently dry before applying some wood glue such as Parfix 250ml PVA Wood Glue to the chipboard core. You should then use clamps such as Craftright 300mm 2 Piece Quick Action Clamp in conjunction with a small piece of timber such as 42 x 19mm 1.2m DAR Pine Standard in order to apply even pressure. Make sure to leave the clamps in place for the product's recommended drying time. Once dried, this should return the chipboard to something closer to its original state.

Once this process has been completed, you can apply a silicone sealant of a suitable colour to match. I suggest looking at SikaSeal Kitchen And Bathroom Silicone Sealant which comes in a variety of colours to suit your specific needs. If you don't already have one, you will need to purchase a caulking gun. Please note that there are two different styles of caulking gun, the one you will require for this style of sealant tube is often referred to as a "skeleton" caulking gun.

Have a look at these helpful articles for guidance on how to apply the silicone sealant to get a nice professional finish:

Please reach out if you need any further advice or assistance.

Jacob

Robinord

Hey @JacobZ

Thank you so much for that. A quick question, do you know what would be a good way to efficiently dry the chipboard and properly apply glue into it considering it's located in such a constrained place.

Thanks again.

JacobZ

Hi @Robinord,

As the gap is already quite open, unless it has been wet fairly recently, it is likely that it has already dried naturally. Unless it is soaking wet, you shouldn't have any real issues with the glue holding as long as you apply consistent pressure as the glue is going off. Just please be aware that this is not a perfect fix, as I have stated in my previous post.

As to the application of the glue, the nozzles are fairly small, and the glue is quite viscous, so I can't see you having any real issues with getting the glue where it needs to be. However, if you are concerned, something like this UNi-PRO 10mm 3 Piece Touch Up Set would be helpful in ensuring the glue gets to where it's needed.

If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.

Jacob

Robinord

Hey @JacobZ, thanks a lot again. I started the process and bought all the gear, i thought it might be better to test out whether or not the clamps will indeed be able to compress the wood, so i put on the clamps as tight as i possibly could and left it overnight. It did work a bit but not nearly enough, the wood seems to be too tough. Thankfully i haven't put in the glue just yet, what do you recommend should I do now? Unfortunately I am not in a condition to be able to get the whole countertop replaced, so your help will be much appreciated. Thanks again.

JacobZ

Hi @Robinord,

I'm sorry to hear that this solution hasn't worked for you, but I still think it is the way to go, we may just need to tinker a bit.

I had hoped that these clamps would be able to create enough pressure, but maybe not as they are designed for lighter duty clamping. You could return them and try Craftright 100mm G-Clamps. The clamping mechanism on these operates on a screw as opposed to a lever system so you can apply a lot more force.

It may also be beneficial to break up the chipboard material a bit before applying the glue and pressure. It's possible that some of the wood fibres have oriented themselves in a way that is preventing it from returning to its original state. If you carefully took a screwdriver and broke up the chipboard core slightly it may enable some additional movement. If you are going to try this, please wear gloves and eye protection as it's possible you might slip.

Let me know how you go.

Jacob

Robinord

Hey @JacobZ , I used the G clamps as tight as it could be, this time around, put in bunch of glue all round and left it for basically 18 hours and still when i took the clamps off in the morning there was still somehow liquid glue there i have no idea how even though the container says the drying time is 2 to 4 hours. And although much better now, there still is a gap in between. Do you think that's the best i m gonna get and i should fill it up with some of the same sealant or do something else? Appreciate it👍

MitchellMc

Great work @Robinord. You've closed the gap significantly, and that's better than expected.

I feel you could improve a little more. Do you have some hard plastic like a ruler or a thin piece of timber? Using that to protect the surface will allow you to transfer more force from the clamps much more efficiently than that larger block. Fill inside those two raised sections with glue, protect the surface and then place the circular feet of the clamps directly over the high spots and clamp down. If you have a steel pipe, you can slide it over the clamp's handle to increase your turning force. Be careful not to shatter the ruler.

Leave it glued up for 24 hours and remove the clamps. You can then run a bead of clear wet-area silicone over the edge to seal water out of it. Here's a helpful step-by-step guide: How to apply silicone sealant.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Mitchell

Robinord

Hey there @MitchellMc/@JacobZ , i clamped it down again for like 40 hours and when i took it off, it seemed absolutely perfect, no gaps whatsoever and then an hour or two pass by and it just seems to have come right back up and the glue inside somehow magically still seems to be wet. The glue i am using as was suggested doesn't seem to be the best for these particular surfaces which is the parfix pva wood glue. Any suggestions are much welcome and appreciated. Thanks again

MitchellMc

Hi @Robinord,

You could try switching to Selleys 250g Liquid Nails Clear Construction Adhesive instead of the PVA. The problem is that you have one surface actively trying to pull away from another, and PVA is not particularly suited to that application. There might also be some residual moisture in the timber; PVA will not dry and cure under those circumstances.

Mitchell