Leaky faucet caused countertop swelling. HELP!

[fattpack]

I have a 2002 Coleman Mesa. There is a leak in the faucet and this leak has caused water damage to the countertop. The countertop corner has now swelled and split.

Does anyone know where to get a Coleman/Fleetwood replacement countertop?

Has anyone removed their countertop and installed a "solid surface" countertop - one that won't be damaged by water?

Does anyone know the steps / process for removing the countertop?

Any help or tips would be great.
-Steve

[tknick]

I have a 2002 Coleman Mesa. There is a leak in the faucet and this leak has caused water damage to the countertop. The countertop corner has now swelled and split.

Does anyone know where to get a Coleman/Fleetwood replacement countertop?

Has anyone removed their countertop and installed a "solid surface" countertop - one that won't be damaged by water?

Does anyone know the steps / process for removing the countertop?

Any help or tips would be great.
-Steve

If a replacement part exists, you can only order it from a Fleetwood dealer.  It'll cost you a pretty penny.  If you are the least bit capable with power and hand tools you could make a replacement for less than $50.  One way to prevent the problem from re-occuring is to seal any exposed wood after the countertop (usually fomica or similar product) is applied.  You would obviously do this after you have made the cutout for the sink and faucet so you could seal the edges of the cutouts.  

There is no reason why you couldn't install "solid surface" in place of the old countertop.  The old top is either glued or screwed to the cabinets.  I don't remember the specifics because it was several years ago, but I removed the countertop on an 82 coleman columbia for the same reason.  I don't remember having any trouble getting it out without damaging the remaining countertops.  I used the old one as a template and re-attached the new one.  Solid Surface would have to be attached with silicone so you would probably have to add some blocking around the perimeter of the cabinets to create a large enough surface area to bond to.

Take some pics along the way and let us know how it turns out.

travis

[wavery]

I'm not sure what you mean by a "Solid surface" counter-top but if you are thinking of something like granite (artificial or real) you may want to consider the weight. The jarring of the trailer (while towing) may cause a heavy counter-top to cause some real stress to the attaching cabinetry. It isn't designed to carry much weight.

You might want to do as mentioned above. Personally, I would use a marine grade plywood. It doesn't come apart if it gets water on it, it holds screws much better and it is much stronger than lesser grades of plywood, allowing you to use a thinner size (saving weight). It's a little more expensive but if you are going to go to all that work, it may be worth it.

[HouseInABox]

we had problem with faucet leaking ordered replacement faucet still had a leak.
DH put a stainless steel plate and a regular kitchen faucet in = we just have to remember to remove the spout before closing the camper and I soak up the water left inside the faucet with paper towel.  I love it because I now have a high faucet and its so much easier doing dishes.

[wavery]

we had problem with faucet leaking ordered replacement faucet still had a leak.
DH put a stainless steel plate and a regular kitchen faucet in = we just have to remember to remove the spout before closing the camper and I soak up the water left inside the faucet with paper towel.  I love it because I now have a high faucet and its so much easier doing dishes.

Now that's a cool idea. Good job......got pics??

[Old Goat]

Fattpack,  You can use AC exterior plywood for a new counter top and not worry about moisture causing it to delaminate. Both AC and marine grade plywoods are put together with the same water proof glue and moisture will not cause either to delaminate. AC plywood has been used in marine and yacht construction for decades with no problem..Using a marine grade plywood for your counter top would be an over kill and a waste of money..

There is also a 3/4" thick high density particle board on the market now that is not affected by moisture. I don't know the name of it or where to get it...It is surely much heavier than plywood.

I made a new galley top for my Niagara using 5/8"thick red oak. Used Titebond glue and splines in the joints and put on four coats of urethane varnish. Looks great and has been trouble free for almost four years with a lot of use.

[wernstriumph]

Making new countertops sounds like the way to go to me as solid surface like Corian or Wilsonart are very expensive. I am a home improvement contractor and was thinking of replacing my coutertops in the PUP with Corian. For the 5 pieces it would have been about 900 bucks (and I get a discount!) Like Old Goat said, exterior grade plywood is probably your best bet. A 4'x8' piece is around $20 and a 4'x8' piece of formica is $30-$40. 3M makes a great waterbased contact adhesive for laminates that is non-flamable and is low odor. Hope this helped.

[AustinBoston]

If you want a material that looks and acts like a countertop, melamine is a consideration.  But - and this is important - melamine is very similar to your existing countertop material, and is just as subject to water damage, so sealing the edges and protecting it from leaks is important.

I replaced the mounting surface for our outside stove with Melamine.  You can find pictures and more information on my webshots page at this link.

There is also some information in this thread.

Melamine is cheap, light weight, and easy to work with, but (as you have learned) doesn't stand up well to moisture infiltration.

Austin

[fattpack]

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions.
I will get on it this week and post pics.

Any more suggestions are welcome.