As a handyman I receive questions about home improvements in the form of how to do-it-myself. The advice I offer is based on the limited information I receive and may not be the same advice I would give if I had first hand knowledge of the improvements or repairs. The best advice is to have a professional handyman evaluate the project first hand so the repairs can be done correctly.
Below is an example of repair questions I have received:
Question:
I own an older home and I have noticed that over the last couple of years my kitchen counter has pulled away from the wall some. How can I fill this gap in? What is an acceptable gap? I notice it more in the winter months.
Answer:
It is not unusual, especially in an older house to get some movement with a temperature change.
It is possible that the counter top is only sitting on the base cabinets, and is not attached to the wall. This is not unusual, but over time this will allow the countertop to leave the wall.
To eliminate the gap, I would use L-brackets. Locate the wall studs under the counter top. Attach the L-bracket to the underside of the countertop. The bracket should be in line with the wall stud and away from the wall about the same distance from the wall as the counter is from the wall. After you have attached the bracket to the underside of the countertop, you can use 1.5 to 2 inch screws to pull the counter back to the wall. You need to attach them about every four feet.
The gap of one-eighth to three-eighths of an inch is common. Silicone caulk works great to seal this gap.
Your local handyman is the expert you need for these types of repairs.
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2 comments:
Hi!
Thanks for your great posts and very useful information. Just a quick question-
My husband is a manager of the hardware department at a local home improvement store. He enjoys giving advice to customers to help solve their problems. He enjoys the remodeling projects he tackles on our home - he would love to have a job working as a handyman. How did you get started? Is there anything you would recommend to him?
Thanks for your time!
I have the same problem with one of my counters that had moved away from the wall. I think part of it is the bad job that the builder did putting my condo together and the materials they used. I've noticed a lot and fixed a lot. As far as my counter goes, I went to the home improvement store and bought some molding as I was missing a backsplash also. The molding was 1" wide. I had a 3/4" gap for one of my counters. I used the molding on the counter (glued it with contractor adhesive (that you put in a caulking gun) and secured the molding (after trimming) to the counter. I then put a few wood screws to ensure it was secured. I used the same molding across the top of the counter moulding (against the wall), creating an "L" shape. I then put the same moulding about 10 inches up on the wall creating the "frame". I used a thicker textured paper for the inside of the frame, painted and then put on 2-coats of Polycrylic (to prevent absorption of water and warping of the wood). While it seems complex, it wasn't to bad...just labor intensive. The parts were inexpensive. For a 212" wall/counter, I probably spent $100.00 at most for the materials. Just a "design by JD" idea. :)
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