How to Repair Cracks in Corian Countertops

Thin Bonding Method

• 1

  Test the width of the crack by stacking three sheets of notebook paper together. Attempt to stick the sheets into the crack in the Corian countertop. If the crack is too thin to accept the paper, then proceed with the thin bonding method. If the paper can slide easily into the crack, then you will need to proceed with the router method of repair.

• 2

  Place a bag of ice over the crack so that you cover the area completely, along with 6 inches on either side. Use several bags if necessary. Allow the bags to sit on the crack for 45 minutes, cooling off the area and expanding the crack slightly. Remove the ice.

• 3

  Clean out the crack with a toothbrush soaked in hydrogen peroxide then wipe it off with a paper towel. Rinse the surface with rubbing alcohol then wait about 10 minutes for the area to dry.

• 4

  Use a pencil to draw a line that runs parallel to the crack about 1/16-inch from the side of it. Place a pile of newspaper under the counter beneath the crack.

• 5

  Heat the crack with a hair dryer for 20 minutes. Spread the heat 6 inches to either side of the crack with the dryer, using a steady back and forth motion. During the heating process, the crack will disappear, but you should still be able to locate it by following the pencil line.

• 6

  Cover the closed crack with industrial-strength cyanoacrylate (CA) glue. Wipe the surface of the countertop with a folded paper towel to remove any excess glue. Wait 24 hours for the glue to set.

• 7

  Sand the surface of the countertop over the crack with an orbital sander and 220-grit sandpaper to remove any excess glue not wiped away with the paper towel and to level off the crack edges with the rest of the countertop. Switch to 400-grit sandpaper and go over the surface of the crack a second time, polishing the area with the sandpaper until it is the same sheen as the rest of the countertop.

Router Repair

• 8

  Use a hand-held router with a 1/4-inch router bit to cut a groove along the crack entirely through the countertop surface. Wipe the cut with a tack cloth to remove any residue.

• 9

  Apply tape to the bottom of the countertop, covering the groove to prevent the filler from falling through. Fill the groove with the same adhesive used to install the countertop. Use a putty knife to pack the adhesive into the groove then scrape along the top of the counter to remove any excess. Wait 1/2-hour for the adhesive to set.

• 10

  Use an orbital sander with 220-grit sandpaper to sand the surface of the patch level with the rest of the countertop surface. Change the sandpaper to 400-grit and go over the entire countertop, establishing a semi-gloss finish with the paper and smoothing the patch further into the rest of the surface of the countertop.